Tetra Pak calls for more women to join the food and beverage manufacturing industry

Tetra Pak identified an opportunity for more women to join the food and beverage manufacturing industry and bring more diversity.

“Manufacturing industries have not always been the most attractive career choice for women, owing to the stereotypes and legacies of this heavily male-dominated sector. But now there is a brilliant opportunity for more diversity and for female innovators to help protect our global food supply chains for generations to come,” said Laurence Mott, Executive VP, Development and Engineering, Tetra Pak.

According to Tetra Pak, a big variety of skillsets is required to boost innovation in the food packaging industry, ranging from mechanical and automation engineering to microbiology and food science. According to the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap report, women make up a third of roles in the manufacturing sector, dropping to 21 per cent at a senior executive level.

“Our global food systems are facing many challenges, in terms of climate change, food safety and hygiene and distribution. We can make a difference in all of these areas, but our impact will be far more effective if we involve more women in the movement,” said Marie Sandin, Vice-President, Engineering and Plant Automation, Tetra Pak. “The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on critical environmental issues as well as the importance of food safety and availability and we need all hands on deck to address these evolving challenges.”

“I see an opportunity for women to enter the food science discipline and make an impact,” said Abigail Dagadu, Food Science Lead in U.S. and Canada, Tetra Pak. “Drawing from my own experience, my role is to look for innovative solutions to some of the world’s most important issues today: from food insecurity and famine to metabolic diseases, like obesity and diabetes, it’s a chance to drive real societal change, and I would encourage all young women with science, technology, engineering and mathematics qualifications to consider a career in the F&B industry.”