Spotted: The global food market is worth more than $9 trillion (about €8.5 trillion) and is going to continue growing. This volume of food has an equivalently large carbon footprint, something growers are aware of and working to change. Helping to capture those improvements is French software-as-a-service (SaaS) company Carbon Maps. Carbon Maps’ platform automates emissions calculations for food products. 

Such complex calculations rely heavily on algorithms, and Carbon Maps uses internationally recognised data standards and scientific models for its computations. Product life cycle assessments (LCAs) examine data from basic growing techniques to water usage, processing systems, recycling and more. By utilising the power of artificial intelligence (AI), Carbon Maps enables large industrial food distributors to assess the sustainability of a range of their products, even those that use a multitude of ingredients.  

As well as providing eco-scores for each foodstuff, the Carbon Maps system allows for easy updates of LCAs as information changes. A grower may alter their farming practices meaning less water is needed, so the automated emissions calculation system makes it easy for that improvement to be included in the scores for the many products that use those crops.  

Carbon Maps includes details such as biodiversity, animal welfare, and soil health in its calculations, allowing for a much more holistic view of the sustainability of an item. The company is currently working with two businesses on pilot programmes, and recently closed a €4 million seed funding round that will be used to expand its operational capacity. 

Reducing carbon emissions is such a global priority that – as Springwise has spotted– innovations in two of the worst polluting industries, food and fashion, are pushing the technology and tracking capabilities ahead as quickly as possible.

Written By: Keely Khoury