In a recent interview published on the company’s website, Irene Kjærskov Pedersen, Head of Sustainability at KMC, discussed using life-cycle assessments (LCAs) to calculate the carbon footprint of the cooperative products.

Owned by Danish starch-potato farmers, KMC is a cooperative that cultivates, develops, and manufactures potato-based ingredients for the global food business, catering to over 80 countries worldwide.

According to Kjærskov Pedersen LCAs enable KMC’s experts to produce data-driven decisions aimed at reducing environmental impacts, meeting the growing demands for detailed climate data, and supporting its customers’ sustainability goals.

“We see this as one step towards a more fact-based approach to working with sustainability, which is necessary to ensure and document the accomplishments and changes,” she mentioned.

A ‘Transparent Communication’

Kjærskov Pedersen also mentioned that the cooperative ensures the accuracy and reliability of its assessments by prioritizing the use of primary data where possible and conducting critical reviews of all inputs.

“Third-party verification further adds credibility, and we rely on globally recognized, standardized methodologies to guide our calculations,” she declared.

Currently, KMC bases its calculations on national average data for potato cultivation. The coop is working on gathering accurate data directly from the fields supplied by its farmers, emphasizing close collaboration to improve field-level impact. Additionally, third-party verification provides independent approval, enhancing the credibility of KMC’s findings.

“Transparent communication enhances our climate impact performance by fostering open dialogue. This openness aligns with our goal of supporting market and customer ambitions, as they need reliable product-level data for making improvements,” Kjærskov Pedersen said.

‘Carbon Reduction”

Carbon reduction is a shared objective across the value chain, so communication and valid calculations are essential first steps. This collective effort ensures more effective climate action.

By engaging in dialogue, KMC’s experts understand customers’ needs and future expectations, allowing them to tailor their efforts to better support the clients’ sustainability targets. According to Kjærskov Pedersen, customers should be open to discussing new ideas for improvements and recognize that sustainability initiatives often involve shared costs across the value chain.

“While we cannot achieve everything at once, focusing on identified priorities and best practices ensures steady progress. Transparency from both sides is crucial. Customers can use our improved data to refine their practices and help reach their sustainability goals by guiding us in the right direction. Working together, we can share and implement best practices across the industry,” KMC’s representative mentioned in her interview.

‘Next Steps’

KMC’s next steps include improving data quality and extending the coop’s calculations scope. By integrating primary data from potato cultivation more actively into KMC’s operations, its experts aim to enhance the coop’s data collection and monitoring processes.

“Challenges in our sustainability journey include staying ahead in a rapidly evolving field with low maturity and a lack of established best practices. Unlike financial accounting, sustainability accounting is relatively new and lacks standardized guidelines with no room for interpretation,” she said.

Data quality and availability present hurdles, as achieving precise and reliable data is complex, especially when information is not always publicly accessible. Sustainability is also seen as a competitive parameter within the industry, driving progress but making it challenging to access required data and encouraging some to focus on gaps rather than actions and achievements.

“At KMC, we address these challenges by continuously improving our data collection methods and collaborating closely with stakeholders. We assess the value of our achievements to maintain momentum while being transparent about areas needing improvement. This balanced approach helps us navigate the complexities of our sustainability journey and push the agenda forward,” she concluded.