One area where tensions around safety, environmental impact and cost all come together is packaging. “It’s probably the most complex file of all,” she admits. “Packaging has to keep food safe, remain affordable and work within existing logistics – while ideally also being reusable. There’s a lot of work being done on edible packaging, which is fascinating. But for me, the first step is the obvious one: everything that comes onto the market should be recyclable. Unnecessary materials need to go, and recycled materials should be used wherever possible.
The next question is how we can replace single-use packaging as much as possible with reusable systems, or with packaging that truly creates no waste.”
She shares an example of a pilot project using reusable yoghurt pots within a closed-loop system. The pots were returned, washed and refilled. “Conceptually, it made perfect sense,” she says. “But in practice, there simply wasn’t enough washing capacity nearby. The pots had to be transported several hundred kilometres to be cleaned, which from an environmental perspective was obviously far from ideal. It taught us that no matter how large a company is, this isn’t something you can roll out on your own. You need local infrastructure, retailers willing to play their part, and consumers who are prepared to participate.”
“And it’s not only about revolutionary new ideas,” Alice continues. “Not long ago, we removed the outer sleeve from Actimel packaging. That’s only a few tenths of a gram per pack. But at the scale Danone operates, it saves tonnes of plastic every year. The impact you can make through changes like that is exactly what makes it so enjoyable to work here.”
Lemesle has now been working for the food giant for six years. “During my master’s in sustainable development, I did an internship at Danone. In a way, I never really left,” she says. “It felt as though everything naturally led me in that direction. I started out at Danone in France, but an assignment for Alpro eventually brought me to Belgium. My family is from the Lille region, so Belgium wasn’t entirely unfamiliar territory.”
Algae are the future
But back to the food of the future: where does Alice Lemesle see the greatest potential? “As you can probably tell from all my talking, that’s not a straightforward question to answer,” she says. “There are always many different factors to take into account. But if I really had to point to one area, I’d say algae as a protein source. Personally, I find that a very interesting avenue. Algae are genuinely promising, once again because they have the potential to hit that sweet spot. In principle, they’re relatively inexpensive to produce. The technology is still quite costly at the moment because we’re only at the beginning, but that will change. On top of that, algae are rich in nutrients, low in CO₂ emissions and, importantly, foods made from algae are relatively easy to accept socially. The versatility of algae is remarkable. You can create textures and flavours that come very close to familiar products. We’re really only just getting started.”
Alice is quick to add a caveat: when it comes to predicting the future of food, she shouldn’t be taken too seriously.
“I’m not an expert in forecasting,” she says. “I’m not a futurist or a product developer. I’m a sustainability manager. But if you ask me what the food of the future is, I simply think of pizza.”
“Food has to remain a source of pleasure. My ideal future is one where food is healthy, seasonal, as local as makes sense, and wrapped in minimal, smart packaging. And above all, it has to be really delicious. That’s where the pizza comes in. I picture a base made from wholegrain flour, perhaps enriched with algae or other protein-rich ingredients. A rich tomato sauce from flavourful, seasonal tomatoes. Vegetables like pumpkin or mushrooms in autumn. Regional, low-impact cheese made with milk from regenerative farming. And genuinely good plant-based ham – high in protein and low in CO₂. That’s what I miss most as a vegetarian: truly tasty ham. Add a few olives on top, and it’s done. Sorry it’s not more futuristic than that,” she laughs. “But food simply has to be delicious. Otherwise, it doesn’t stand a chance.”
“Pleasure is simply a key factor on the path to sustainability, one we mustn’t lose sight of. If something tastes better or feels more enjoyable and it’s more sustainable, then it has real potential. The same applies to how business leaders approach sustainability. If it’s only about rules and restrictions, the transition will never truly take off. What you need is a bit of courage, inspiration, collaboration, and a different compass. As long as success is measured solely in profit, sustainable choices will always feel like an ‘extra’.”
“We need to dare to use different indicators of progress: wellbeing within the company, social impact, ecological resilience. And the joy of exploring what’s possible, the curiosity to see what could be. If we throw those ingredients together and bake ourselves a pizza with them, we’ll be absolutely fine.”
