Strategies for energy sustainability in food systems: a bottom-up approach to industrial energy use

Industrial energy use accounts for approximately two-thirds of total energy consumption in food systems. While several conceptual frameworks for energy management have been proposed, their practical application in food systems remains limited, leaving significant untapped potential for energy efficiency and renewable energy integration. This work presents an actionable framework supported by empirical evidence from representative sectors that span key stages of the food supply chain and reflect the heterogeneity of industrial energy intensity and end-uses. The framework integrates data analysis and energy modelling to systematically measure, assess, and improve energy performance by defining key performance indicators, benchmarking energy performance to quantify potential improvements, mapping energy flows to identify inefficiencies, and implementing and optimising improvement interventions. Application of the framework reveals critical methodological challenges for practical implementation and demonstrates its adaptability in tackling context-specific research gaps, including establishing current and future energy benchmarks in vertical farming, accounting for operational performance in the dairy industry, and assessing the potential of best practices and decarbonisation strategies in glass manufacturing. This work represents a first comprehensive effort in scope and application to address industrial energy sustainability within the food supply chain, offering a pathway to advancing the energy transition within food systems and beyond.