Digital Quality Management Systems for Sustainability in Food Economy

In this respect, the article exemplifies the regulatory concept of sustainable foods based on a complex system of relevant legal provisions and guiding political concepts at the global, European and national legal level. In addition, the basic structure and function of qualitymanagement systems will be exemplified by embedding them in the landscape of instruments for the implementation of regulatory requirements. In this context, digital-based solutions for optimization that are already available on the market will be identified and future synergetic potentials will be further considered with a view to expected technological developments.
II. Regulatory Sustainability Requirements for the Food Industry
The regulatory requirements for sustainable food production are rooted in a multi-layered matrix of guiding policy concepts at the Global, European and German level that intend to make the agri-food economy more sustainable. At the global legal level, the Sustainable Development Goals for the year 2030 (SDG 2030) are particularly noteworthy in this respect. Development Goal No. 2 "no hunger" declares the sustainability of the agricultural economy to be a political goal, while Goal No. 12 calls for ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns. In this respect, in addition to sustainablemanagement and the efficient use of natural resources, large and transnational companies in particular are to be encouraged to introduce sustainable practices and to include sustainability information in their reporting.3 Consumers are also to be provided with improved information on sustainable consumption. Among other things, the market share of products with national organic labels is cited as a target achievement indicator for this.
Author:
Dr. Mathias Olbrisch