Will Europe’s Wheat Supply Chain Unite to Achieve 2030 Goal?

According to the Yield Enhancement Network, wheat crops account for a large share of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the sector.

Now, with climate pressures growing, supply chains are under scrutiny – and the European bakery industry is responding.

Across the continent, producers, millers and farmers are shifting how wheat is grown, processed and moved through the supply chain. They’re rethinking what sustainable agriculture means for one of the world’s most essential food staples.

The Sustainable Wheat Initiative Europe aims to align the interests of bakeries, flour millers and wheat farmers under a common goal to cut emissions.

The initiative pulls together companies and industry associations across Europe, including the Industrial Bakers Association (AIBI), which represents large-scale bakeries.

Jean-Manuel Lévêque, President of AIBI, explains: “As a sector we want to take our responsibility for helping our wheat farmers transition to sustainable agriculture.

“This is essential to meeting our sustainability goals and to safeguarding the resilience of the European industrial bakery value chain in the face of climate change.”

At the heart of this effort is a manifesto signed by chief executives across the wheat value chain. It outlines a joint commitment to reduce wheat and flour emissions by 30% by 2030.

The signatories aim to produce sufficient volumes of high quality, low-carbon wheat flour, which forms the base of most industrial baked goods.

Jean-Manuel adds: “A shared vision is needed between bakeries, flour mills and the agricultural sector, as well as the involvement of our downstream distribution channels, to move forward in a more efficient and coordinated way in a framework of mutual trust. That’s why the CEOs of the leading European industrial bakery companies joined forces in the Sustainable Wheat Initiative Europe.

“Our goal is to facilitate and accelerate the transition to low-carbon wheat flour.”

Among the companies backing the initiative is Lantmännen Unibake.

It identifies flour as the largest raw material contributor to its emissions, making up 23% of its total. The company also reports that 62% of its total emissions stem from its supply chain, with farming operations accounting for around 60% of flour’s environmental footprint. These emissions come from several stages: planting, irrigation, harvesting, milling and chipping.

For Lantmännen Unibake, reducing fertiliser use and improving soil health are central to its plans.

Carsten Thomsen, President of Lantmännen Unibake, explains how the company’s approach is informed by a decade of experience in the Nordic Climate & Nature programme: “At Lantmännen Unibake, we’ve gained valuable experience through our Nordic Climate & Nature program, supported by 10 years of grain data and verified carbon footprint reductions of up to 45%.”

“We know that sustainability starts in the field – with smarter cultivation methods, precision farming, fossil-free fertilisers and fuels, and other field-level innovations. But this is not a journey we can take alone.

“The real impact will come when customers, suppliers and even competitors move in the same direction.”

Elsewhere in the industry, companies are embedding wheat sustainability into their wider climate strategies.

General Mills, which produces a broad range of food products, has made wheat a core focus of its climate transition plan. The company targets a 39% reduction in GHG emissions from row crops, including wheat, by prioritising regenerative agriculture.

This involves improving nutrient use, using renewable fertilisers, reducing tillage, introducing cover crops and ensuring no deforestation takes place within its wheat sourcing.

Jeffrey L. Harmening, Chairman and CEO of General Mills, says: “As a food company, General Mills depends on the health and well-being of our planet, and we are investing in landscapes and ecosystems to build resilience for nature, climate and communities.”

Meanwhile, Cargill, a global food corporation headquartered in the US, is running a programme called Seafurther, targeting the carbon footprint of seafood. Part of its plan involves working with UK farmers to improve feed production through regenerative farming practices.

Cargill works with 86 farmers across the UK and has supported sustainable methods across 15,700 hectares of wheat and rapeseed. These changes have led to a 10,200-tonne reduction in CO₂ emissions.

The aforementioned efforts underline how wheat is no longer viewed in isolation. Instead, the entire supply chain – from seed to finished product – is being reworked to support broader environmental goals.

With climate targets looming and wheat a central ingredient in so many food products, collaboration across the sector is essential.