Utrecht, June 5th, 2025 – Today, at the initiative of the Industrial Bakers Association (AIBI), the Sustainable Wheat Initiative Europe is launching its Manifesto and roadmap towards low-carbon wheat and flour. The first goal is to reduce wheat and wheat flour emissions by 30% by 2030 compared to 2022 levels, in line with the latest climate science. “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”, said Jean-Manuel Lévêque, president of AIBI.
Agricultural level drives 80% of carbon emissions of wheat
The frequency and impact of climate-related events are steadily rising, with noticeable effects across the European bakery supply chain. To address this growing challenge and contribute to global climate goals, proactive steps are needed.
Flour is the key ingredient in every bakery, and for wheat 80% of the CO2-equivalent emissions of wheat typically occur at an agricultural level. This is prompting many companies to set ambitious climate goals and pursue more sustainable practices across their supply chains. Yet across the sector, too many initiatives remain isolated and short-term. It’s time to advance more strategic, long-term approaches – those that connect the entire value chain. Through structured partnerships and scalable solutions, we’re working to drive real, measurable progress together.
“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”, states Jean-Manuel Leveque, president of AIBI.
Manifesto aimed at reducing wheat and wheat flour emissions by 30% in 2030
On June 5th 2025, during a 2-day symposium taking place in Utrecht (The Netherlands), the Sustainable Wheat Initiative Europe launches its Manifesto and a coalition of action with the bakery value chain.
The Sustainable Wheat Initiative Europe Manifesto is a shared vision between the bakery industry, millers and agriculture, with overarching targets and a framework of mutual trust towards net zero in 2050, with a first important milestone in 2030.
By 2030 the aim is to reduce wheat and wheat flour emissions by 30% compared to 2022, in line with the latest climate science. This ambition represents a gradual shift of conventional wheat and wheat flour volumes to sustainable wheat and wheat flour with a -30% carbon footprint per kg by 2030. This 2030 shared roadmap and the supporting guidance allow all to evolve in a more efficient and coordinated way towards this common goal.
Already more than 30 major industrial bakery companies, millers, cooperatives engaged, together with key professional associations
Currently, more than 30 industrial bakery companies, millers, cooperatives, suppliers and value chain actors* have signed the Sustainable Wheat Initiative Europe Manifesto. This implies that a substantial group of players in the European bakery market has already committed to the Sustainable Wheat Initiative Europe. The goal is to create a snowball effect within the bakery sector and its value chain as well as with other providers of inputs and solutions.
The Manifesto unites companies actively engaged in reducing their flour carbon footprint, provides a lighthouse to those who embark on this journey, and unites all stakeholders who wish to contribute to this fundamental transition in the bakery industry. The Manifesto represents a collective promise and provides companies with guidance and practical tools for this journey.
“Achieving low carbon wheat and wheat flour requires collaboration across the entire wheat value chain. The launch of this Manifesto marks a turning point in the sustainability journey of the entire sector – and beyond. Bakery products play an important role in sustainable food systems because they are plant based. However, we have the responsibility to limit our environmental footprint and accelerate sustainable wheat initiatives by 2030. Through this joint effort, we are taking a significant step towards improving the daily nutrition of EU citizens and the sustainability of the EU food production system”, states Guido Vanherpe, board member and vice-president of AIBI.
The Sustainable Wheat Initiative Europe Symposium aims to be a kick-off milestone, and more bakery companies, craft bakers, millers, cooperatives and farmers, next to retail & foodservice customers – the core partners in the ecosystem – are invited to sign the manifesto and join the coalition of action.
* Arbeitsgemeinschaft Getreideforschung e.V., Bakker Goedhart, Bakkerij Thyssen, Bakker Van Maanen Productie B.V., Cooperative Farm For Good, Country Style Foods, Cultivae, Delifrance, Dossche Mills, Earthworm Foundation, FGBB, Foundation Terra Nostra, Goodmills Group, HACK AG, Harry Brot, Koninklijke Amarant Bakkers, Lantmännen Unibake, La Lorraine Bakery Group, Lieken GmbH, Mademoiselle Desserts, Mecatherm, Novepan, Pandriks Group, Paniflower, Philibert Savours, Puratos, Rudolf Ölz Meisterbäcker GmbH & Co KG, Soil Capital, Sonneveld Group BV, Top Farms International Ltd, Vandemoortele, Vivescia, Xarvio Digital Farming Solutions GmbH
Latest status can be found here: https://www.sustainablewheatinitiative.eu/signatories
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About Sustainable Wheat Initiative Europe (SWIE)
The Sustainable Wheat Initiative Europe is an Initiative launched by a group of CEOs of leading bakery companies, representing 50% of plant bakery companies in Europe, or 25% of the total bakery sector. With the Sustainable Wheat Initiative, they want to create a shared vision between the bakery industry, millers and agriculture, with overarching targets and a framework of mutual trust, where we can all evolve in a more efficient and coordinated way towards net zero in 2050, with a first important milestone in 2030. At the initiative of AIBI, the International Association of Plant Bakers, through the Sustainable Wheat Initiative the bakery sector wants to take responsibility to help transition wheat farmers into sustainable agriculture.
www.sustainablewheatinitiative.eu
www.linkedin.com/company/sustainable-wheat-initiative-europe
About the International Association of Plant Bakers (AIBI)
AIBI is the International Association of Plant Bakers. Through its Member Associations in 16 countries, it represents over 500 bakers from industrial / multinational companies to those operating in centralized/regional workshops, in the European Union, the UK and Ukraine, producing over 35 Mio tpa of bread/bakery products. Their wide variety of products include bread, specialty bread, fine bakery and pastries, which are delivered in finished, bake-off and frozen form. AIBI is the interface between its members and the institutional and non-institutional stakeholders at EU and international level. www.aibi.eu
Press contact
Didier Jans
Secretary General
info@aibi.eu
