Time for our next Industry Voices Live interview — recorded with food industry experts live from the Guinness Storehouse on the eve of the GFSI conference, leaders from across the food industry share insights, challenges, and innovations shaping the future of food safety. In this edition, Tom Holden, Head of Sustainability at Mondra shares his thoughts.
In an era where sustainability and transparency are paramount in the food industry, Mondra stands out as a pioneering force. Founded in 2020, Mondra is a climate tech software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform dedicated to decarbonizing the food supply chain. By leveraging artificial intelligence and digital twin technology, Mondra enables food businesses to map, measure, and reduce their environmental impact across the entire supply chain—from farm to fork. Collaborating with major retailers like Sainsbury’s, ASDA, and Waitrose, Mondra provides tools for dynamic life cycle assessments, helping companies address Scope 3 emissions and meet their net-zero targets.
As Head of Sustainability at Mondra, Tom Holden plays a crucial role in guiding food businesses toward more sustainable practices through data-driven insights.
In this latest edition of Industry Voices Live, we caught up with Tom to explore how sustainability and food safety are converging—and how data is at the heart of this transformation.
📽️Watch the video or read on to learn more.
Sustainability and Food Safety: two sides of the same coin
For Tom, sustainability isn’t a separate initiative—it’s a natural evolution of the food compliance systems already in place.
“We’ve had the compliance, and we’ve got this incredible data,” he explains. “Now we can turn that into sustainability insights.”
At Mondra, this thinking is central to their approach to food system transformation. By building on existing compliance frameworks, they are helping businesses convert operational data into environmental insights. Tom emphasises that the value lies in enabling food businesses to transition from static carbon reports to dynamic, decision-making tools.
As climate instability continues to challenge global food systems, Holden sees an urgent need to build resilience into supply chains. “Food safety is so critical—and sustainability is as well,” he says. “They’re coming together and becoming one and the same thing.”
This integrated approach allows businesses to not only meet regulatory standards but also future-proof their operations against environmental and economic shocks.
As Tom puts it, “Layering them up, we can start to look at things like, how do we build resilience into our food supply chains, which, as we move into an increasingly unstable world through climatic instability, how can we ensure that we put the food that we want on the shelves for the consumer.”
The role of food safety in the sustainability equation
Tom sees food safety and sustainability as fundamentally interconnected. “There’s a lot to be learned from the world of food safety and compliance,” he says. “We really need to understand the standards, the science, everything that’s there.”
He stresses that building a credible sustainability strategy requires more than ambition—it demands rigour. “We need to turn into a robust world where it’s less about greenwashing and about real change that’s measurable,” Tom adds. “So, know your bacon. You do need to understand it all.”
Advice for food businesses starting their sustainability journey
So where should companies begin? Tom offers clear, practical guidance:
“There’s a lot to be learned from the world of food safety and compliance. We need to be really diligent about the numbers. We really need to understand the standards, the science, everything that’s there.”
He also stresses the importance of collaboration. “You’ll go further when suppliers are engaged and supported. Data can be a unifying language, especially when shared transparently.”
For Holden, sustainability must move beyond buzzwords and into measurable, meaningful action. “It’s less about greenwashing and more about real change,” he says. “There’s so much commercial upside to this transition. It’s not just about paying to achieve a target.”
Digging deeper: surprising insights from the supply chain
Holden’s work at Mondra has revealed some unexpected findings in the food system. While the environmental impact of meat and dairy is well-known, he points to lesser-discussed areas like plant and seed oils as ripe for exploration.
“There’s already a huge amount of action being taken to reduce emissions in meat and dairy,” he notes. “But when we get into things like plant oils, the differences between countries can be really quite dramatic.”
These insights underscore the value of granular, data-driven analysis in uncovering new opportunities for sustainability improvements.
Looking ahead: a data-driven, collaborative future
With regulations tightening and consumers demanding more accountability, Tom envisions a future where sustainability metrics become as standard as nutritional labels.
“Ultimately, the food system needs to shift from reactive to proactive,” he concludes. “And that means better visibility, better collaboration, and better data.”
🎥 Want to Hear More from Tom?
Watch Tom Holden discuss Mondra’s approach to sustainable supply chains and data-led transformation in the full interview below:
Check out our other Industry Voices for more insights on everything from sustainability to hiring. Don’t forget to subscribe to our mailing list to get the next edition straight to your inbox.
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