Living Food Co.’s 360-degree approach towards sustainability is shaping the future of food for India

July 2021, Mumbai:  There has never been a greater need for sustainable alternatives. By 2050, plastic usage alone could emit up to 56 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions, exacerbating the climate crisis. Leading the conversation on sustainability, Living Food Company has incorporated environmentally conscious packaging across a wide range of products. With its 360 degrees approach towards the environment, it is helping to catalyze behaviour change to build a safer and more sustainable planet.

Living Food Company's packaging has been 95% plastic-free for the last 3 years. The brand has opted for alternative packaging since its inception, with innovative solutions such as banana leaves, areca bowls, paper and bamboo mesh containers. After rigorous R&D, Living Food Co’s packaging solutions provide higher efficiency, superior quality as well as effective waste management processes. Using simple timeless solutions, Living Food Co is able to create environmentally friendly solutions that are good for the consumers and right for Planet Earth.

Their ingenious solutions include banana leaves, bamboo, areca bowls made with dried palm leaves and paper packaging made with recycled items. Freshly harvested leafy greens and vegetables are wrapped in Banana leaves that have antibacterial properties and preserve the freshness of the food.  Living Food Co’s Areca bowls (essentially dried palm leaves) are used to deliver living microgreens, with roots intact to its customers. A sustainable alternative to plastic, the Areca bowls also command a lower price than its traditional plastic counterpart, at INR 7 per unit. A true win-win!

Paper and bamboo mesh containers are used for seasonal fruits such as Jamun and Jackfruit. Not only do these solutions help in reducing harmful waste, they also create a greater social impact by generating income for the farmers and artisans.  A champion of the planet, Living Food Co. strengthens its commitment to climate mitigation through its disruptive business model and innovative supply, thereby pioneering the conversation on changing the outlook on a sustainable food space.

Speaking about the sustainability initiatives, Shikha Lakhanpal, PhD. and Co-founder and COO at Living Food Company says,“We have been using Banana leaves, Bamboo and Areca (Palm) leaf packaging for leafy greens and veggies from Day 1. It definitely hasn’t been easy, but by building sustainability into the business at a foundational level, it has allowed us to evolve around this central pillar, rather than chasing our tails trying to make things more environmentally friendly later on.It is far easier to come up with new ways of doing things from the beginning, than try and change entrenched operational practices. That’s not to say we ever stop trying to make the operation even more sustainable, we are always exploring new ideas."