The global population will reach 10 billion people by 2050, and there is an urgent need to upgrade food production to feed the future generation, but not at the expense of the environment.
One of the biggest matters faced by the food processing industry is feed sourcing. The entire process of raising cattle and poultry birds demands huge acres of land to sustain itself. Large acres of land need to be cleared, which leads to a loss in biopersity, soil depletion due to extra use of fertilizers, and an increase in carbon pollution levels. Therefore, the food processing industry does play a big role in the industry’s contribution towards an array of environmental issues.
Moreover, HMA Agro Industries has pledged to help restore ecological balance and mitigate the urgent climate change crisis, hence the food processing company raises its bar for action.
There is a need to adopt sustainable policies when it comes to feeding the world. One of the reasons HMA has a big name in the market is because of the sustainable methodology they have been following. A huge plantation drive is conducted every year by HMA, which aims to plant at least 2 million trees by 2030. Therefore, the policy of reforestation will further fulfil the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) number 13, which is Climate Change, and UN SDG number 15, which is Life on Land.
Mr.Gulzair Ahmed, Director and CFO at HMA, said that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) now allows countries to earn carbon credits for planting trees. HMA has already planted more than 65000 trees, which will function as carbon sinks and therefore contribute to India’s tryst with carbon credits.
It’s great to see HMA’s investment in innovation to build a stable food supply system for future generations. “The plantation drive has been running throughout the year and success will be determined in the long run.” Mr. Gulzair Ahmed said.
Waste-water Treatment System
When cattle are processed, their blood, fat, etc. generate huge amounts of wastewater as the entire process is water-intensive. The processing water from slaughter, as well as cleaning, has huge amounts of animal waste like surface fat, hair, blood, etc. In the first stage, HMA treats the wastewater through the system of pre-treatment, which involves removing larger and smaller solids and separating oils and fats from the water. This is followed by the most efficient and robust technique of biological treatment for the removal of organic load and nitrogen from the water. During the process of anaerobic biological treatment, the carbon in the wastewater is transformed into biogas, which is used to produce electrical energy.
Furthermore, HMA shared its wastewater minimization techniques. HMA mentioned that the amount of wastewater generated is reduced by commercially available high-pressure hoses and the use of taps with automatic shut-off. They even mentioned the optimised use of detergents and disinfectants in the washing water. HMA is contributing to the horticulture sector, which provides raw materials to food processing industries and plays a vital role in the Indian economy. HMA has plans to produce environmentally friendly solid and liquid fertilisers in the future.
HMA believes that the right combination of equipment and developing sustainable policies will reduce the overall environmental impact. In conclusion, optimizing the food supply chain, achieving sustainability, improving water efficiency, and restoring the environmental balance is their focus to create value for the planet and the families it is feeding.