Happy Happy Foods discusses what it means to be a climate responsible company, and how it’s committed to providing customers with the knowledge and tools to make the best decisions to address the global warming problem of our generation.
Ten years ago, a product was sought out because of its quality, taste, price and reputation. In today’s post-COVID world, as well as these hallmarks, there’s greater demand for product transparency, with consumer purchasing decisions made based on a company’s sustainable values.
At Happy Happy Foods, creating a superior plant-based milk specifically for espresso-based beverages has always been top priority. Crafted for coffee to produce a smoother tasting latte, its products are considered a nutritionally and environmentally happier choice.
Happy Happy Foods Co-founder Lloyd Smith is a passionate environmental advocate. He says the coffee industry’s sharp rise in plant-based milk consumers over the past few years is in one part due to health and diet-based reasons, but also because of its reduced environmental impact without compromising on taste.
“There has been a significant shift since 2014. At first, plant-based milks represented only about 10 per cent of coffee sales. Nowadays, plant-based milks account for as much as 45 per cent of all coffees sold. That’s massive growth,” Lloyd says.
He notes that the world is facing a climate emergency and that as a society, we need to consider the environmental consequence of every decision we make.
“Livestock farming, including the production of dairy milk, contributes 21 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions. Shifting to a predominantly plant-based diet is a key part of the climate solution,” Lloyd says.
“We can never underestimate, on an individual level, how we can contribute to making a change. The hospitality industry needs to lead the way in establishing sustainable practices and influencing consumer behaviour.”
One such step for Happy Happy Foods has been generating awareness about the carbon footprints of both individuals and businesses. This past year, the team has focused on introducing climate labelling on its products and achieving carbon neutral status for its products and people.
With a commitment to “measure, reduce, and offset”, Happy Happy Foods worked with independent emissions consultant CarbonCloud to conduct a carbon emissions assessment of its products. This includes each individual step of the process from seed to cup: the emissions produced by the cultivation of its raw materials, transportation, manufacture, and distribution.
Happy Happy Soy Boy’s climate footprint in Australia and New Zealand is 0.60 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions per kilogram, a figure that is now displayed on its carton packaging.
“The environment deserves the right to a seat at the boardroom. We know our product has a carbon emissions footprint, and we want to start a conversation about it. Progress can only be made when we fully embrace the challenge of transparency and accountability for a greener future,” Lloyd says.
Each Happy Happy Foods’ employee also completes an annual independent assessment of their daily activities to measure their individual climate footprint. This holistic evaluation includes but is not limited to, their mode of transport to and from work, use of electricity and personal holidays. This exercise serves to educate the team on areas for improvement, and any emissions that cannot be reduced are then offset in accordance with the company’s initiative to “measure, reduce and offset”.
Happy Happy Foods purchases carbon credits to offset all its generated emissions. These credits support the Bundled Renewable Wind Power Project in the Rajasthan region of India. This program meets United Nations sustainable development goals and has so far provided 59.4 MegaWatts of renewable energy. Replacing energy from burning fossil fuels, turbines offset 102,870 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually.
“Our mission is to make plant-based foods and beverages tastier, fun, more mainstream, and better for the environment than the products of the generation before us,” Lloyd says.
Happy Happy Foods Director John Cruse notes “that for a product to truly benefit the environment, it must be nutritionally as good as, if not better than, the product it is replacing”.
“Our business mission is to continue to develop plant-based options that replace traditional products with an aim to help consumers reduce their climate impact, without ever having to compromise on quality or taste,” he says.
This July, Happy Happy Foods will release a limited edition pack that features a shocking visual representation of the average global temperature pattern over the past 100 years. The chart is a stark reminder of the urgency of the worsening climate situation. Happy Happy Foods hopes to highlight the need to take action in order to start reversing the global warming trajectory.
“Climate change is the most critical problem of our generation, and we want to be part of the solution,” Lloyd says. “If we can introduce more people to sustainable and environmentally conscious products, it’s going to help others reduce their impact, and we’ll genuinely be happier for it.”
For more information, visit www.eatdrinkhappyhappy.com/climate-happy
This article appears in the June 2021 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.