Retailer and value chain dynamics in emission reduction

As part of the ACHIEVE consortium, this project examines retailer roles and value chain dynamics in agrifood systems for achieving Switzerland’s net-zero target. The SWEET-funded ACHIEVE consortium, led by Empa, brings together research and industry partners to develop scalable solutions for hard-to-abate sectors and define actionable pathways toward climate neutrality.

The project investigates how value chain actors influence the adoption of integrated greenhouse gas reduction measures across food systems, focusing on retailers as key intermediaries. Through literature review and interviews with sustainability officers at Swiss food retailers, it analyses strategic priorities related to food waste reduction, plant-based alternatives, alternative feed products, and competing sustainability objectives such as packaging impacts.

In addition, the project takes a multi-level systems perspective to understand interdependencies along the agrifood value chain and how economic responsibilities for emissions reduction measures are distributed across actors such as wholesalers, manufacturers, and trade organisations. It identifies structural bottlenecks and leverage points that influence implementation, including trade agreements, financial incentives, and supply chain configurations.

The findings support a better understanding of how consumer-facing and upstream measures interact and where coordinated action across the value chain can enable more effective emissions reductions in the agrifood sector.