Innovation Forum podcast: Recent Episodes
Innovation Forum
Innovation Forum hosts a weekly podcast along with regular interviews with business leaders in sustainability. Each week, we summarise the latest sustainability news and announcements, and get the views of leading experts on business critical issues. Widely regarded as one of the best sustainability podcasts around, stay tuned for regular insights, debate and analysis.
Marco Rosso, global head of sustainability and corporate affairs at Syngenta Biologicals and Seed Care, talks with Ian Welsh at Innovation Forum's food and beverage conference about the shifting economics of farming. They discuss why the number of farmers in the Netherlands has halved in 25 years, and the mix of income, land access and perception driving that decline. They also talk about why no single technology can substitute for a crop-by-crop, farmer-led approach.
This week: Pauline God, industry and policy expert at TrusTrace, talks with Ian Welsh about the state of play on digital product passports in apparel. They discuss the gap between mandatory infrastructure and still-voluntary product obligations, and the four biggest lessons from DPP pilots running since 2021.
Plus: Plus: fossil fuel divisions surface ahead of COP31; textile manufacturing's 92,000-tonne microfibre problem; integrated project delivery reshapes critical minerals financing; Japan backs Namibian rare earth project; and, China accelerates green energy financing amid Iran-driven oil disruption, in the news digest with Babette Pagès.
Host: Ian Welsh
Rachel Rigby, senior director, extended supply chains and responsible sourcing, and Quinn Kepes, senior regional lead Americas, at Verité, talk with Ian Welsh about the sharp rise in forced labour enforcement. They discuss the EU's new forced labour regulation and its reversed burden of proof, and the US Article 301 investigations threatening blanket tariffs on countries without effective import bans. They also talk about what Verité's three decades of workplace assessments reveal about how forced labour actually shows up in garment and coffee supply chains.
Mobeen Chughtai, group head of ESG and corporate communications at Soorty Enterprises, talks with Innovation Forum's Niamh Campbell about the brand-supplier relationship from the supplier's perspective. They discuss the compliance burden of conflicting regulatory frameworks and why sustainability requirements are increasingly being treated as non-negotiable mandates.
Plus: EU bans destruction of unsold apparel under ESPR; Amazon deforestation falls to its lowest level since monitoring began in 1985; consumers shift away from polyester towards natural fibres; and, eight global fashion capitals launch coalition to share sustainability best practice, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
The pipeline of critical minerals projects has never been longer. But the gap between a viable project and a financed one remains stubbornly wide.
Capital is available, it’s just not flowing fast enough, or to the right places. Early-stage mining projects carry a risk profile that most institutional investors are not set up to absorb. Infrastructure is absent, policy frameworks are inconsistent, and the road from discovery to production stretches beyond a decade. At the same time, rising sustainability expectations are adding cost and complexity that can deter rather than attract capital.
This webinar brought together financial institutions and mining companies to explore what it actually takes to move critical minerals investment from intention to action.
What we discussed...* The structural barriers that keep credible projects stuck at the development stage. * How financial institutions are building frameworks to evaluate and de-risk critical minerals investments. * The role of blended finance, development banks and public-private mechanisms in mobilising private capital. * Sustainability performance as a bankability asset: how responsible sourcing credentials are factoring into investment decisions. * What mining companies and project developers need to demonstrate to get deals across the line.
Cornelius Wolf, senior director development apparel at Puma, talks with Ian Welsh about the brand's progress on textile-to-textile recycling, now well beyond pilot stage at over 11% in 2025. They discuss the challenges of post-consumer feedstock, why World Cup shirts are putting circularity in the spotlight, and how Puma is managing the cost premium on recycled material.
This week: Mari-lou Dupont, senior vice president for social compliance at the Fair Labour Association, talks with Ian Welsh about worker wellbeing challenges in the apparel sector. They discuss from persistently low wages and weak unionisation to what brands need to do to move beyond measuring wage gaps to actually closing them.
Plus: carbon-based hotel pricing nudges tourists towards greener choices; WFP launches water security project in Iraq; UK climate aid cuts threaten community-led coastal resilience; and, private equity treats climate resilience as a new value lever, in the news digest by Babette Pages.
Host: Ian Welsh
Danai Mangana, LCA consultant and consumer goods sector lead at SimaPro, PRé Sustainability, talks with Ian Welsh about current trends in corporate sustainability reporting. They discuss why a one-time lifecycle assessment no longer counts as substantiation, and how companies that treat sustainability data as business intelligence are building a genuine competitive edge.
Marco Rosso, global head of sustainability and corporate affairs at Syngenta Biologicals and Seed Care, talks with Ian Welsh about the shifting economics of farming. They discuss the psychology putting young people off agricultural careers and why sustainability has to deliver a real return on investment for farmers to adopt it.
Plus: lab-grown cocoa as a hedge against cocoa price volatility; US coffee prices double on tariffs and Red Sea disruption; China's largest US soybean purchase since 2025; and, European Commission cuts sustainability reporting requirements by 60%, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Jimmy Summers, vice president of environment, health and safety, and chief sustainability officer at Elevate Textiles, talks with Innovation Forum's Niamh Campbell about the financial barriers to decarbonising the apparel sector. They discuss why decades of falling clothing prices have made sustainability harder to fund, and what systemic solutions could create a genuine race to the top.
This week: As the long-awaited guidance for the new EU forced labour regulation is published, Ian Welsh speaks with Rachel Rigby, lead, extended supply chains and responsible sourcing, and Quinn Kepes, regional lead, Americas, at Verité. They discuss some of the potential opportunities and impacts for business.
Plus: Seed technology that enhances resilience and yield; business action to drive electrification; environmental activists most targeted group; and, US return to coal drives emissions increases, in the news digest with Babette Pagès.
Host: Ian Welsh
Tanja Lischka, senior director for government affairs at Siemens Energy, talks with Ian Welsh about the power grid evolution required as electrification continues to be rolled out, and the challenges and opportunities this represents.
Climate change is rapidly reshaping the future of coffee. Rising temperatures, shifting growing regions and increased pressure on yields are creating significant risks for producers, livelihoods, and supply chain stability.
As a result, incorporating regenerative agriculture practices into coffee supply chains is no longer a distant sustainability goal, but a core business imperative. From farm-level adaptation and investment to sourcing strategies and supplier partnerships, companies are rethinking how to secure supply while supporting livelihoods and long-term sustainability goals.
What we discussed:* What regenerative agriculture means in practice for the coffee sector, from farm to commercial strategy * How producers and supply chain partners are responding, including the support structures, partnerships and investment models driving impact * How brands and retailers are integrating regenerative agriculture into sourcing decisions * The role of traceability and certification in driving accountability across the supply chain
This week: Cornelius Wolf, senior director development apparel at Puma, talks with Ian Welsh about the brand's progress on textile-to-textile recycling. They discuss the challenges of sourcing post-consumer waste, why World Cup shirts are putting circularity in the spotlight, and how Puma is managing the cost premium on recycled material.
Plus: UK invests £50m in critical minerals to cut import reliance; G7 seeks to halve dependence on China as Beijing strengthens BRICS ties; human rights abuse allegations at critical minerals mines jump 73%; and, experts debate mineral alliances and a just energy transition at London Climate Action Week, in the news digest by Innovation Forum's Babette Pages.
Host: Ian Welsh
Paul Bentham, chief product and technology officer at Oritain, talks with Ian Welsh about the findings of the company's first annual supply chain intelligence report, including the surprise rise in prohibited-origin products on shelves. They also discuss the growing gap between brands' traceability claims and the physical reality of their products, and how tariffs and converging regulation are creating new blind spots in global sourcing.
This week: Danai Mangana, LCA consultant and consumer goods sector lead at SimaPro, PRé Sustainability, talks with Ian Welsh about how corporate sustainability reporting has evolved from communications exercise to evidence-based intelligence. They discuss why companies retreating to compliance-only mode risk falling behind.
Plus: a new global symbol to identify reusable packaging; German consumers underestimate national recycling rates; refill packaging now well established in personal care; and, food and beverage plastics dominate global shorelines, in the news digest by Babette Pages.
Listen to the unveiling the first global progress report from the Nestlé Dairy Plan — a holistic approach to dairy transformation that brings together climate action, regenerative agriculture, animal welfare, farmer resilience and innovation across the value chain.
We heard practical solutions are already delivering results at scale: helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions, supporting productivity and farmer incomes, strengthening nature on and around farms, and building more secure supplies of high-quality dairy ingredients for the future.
From digital tools and feed innovation to manure management, biodiversity projects and agri-preneurship programmes, this session will spotlight the partnerships and on-the-ground action making a difference across markets.
We explored what’s working today, what we’re learning, and what it takes to build a more sustainable and resilient dairy system for the long term.
We heard from:
- Antonia Wanner, Chief Sustainability Officer, Nestlé
- Katja Seidenschnur, Head of Sustainability Nutrition and Health SBU, Nestlé
- Wilson Bras, Dairy Farmer from Brazil
- Robert Erhard, Group Dairy Lead, Nestlé
- Marlies Overbeeke, Director for Sustainability Strategy and Customer Partnerships, FrieslandCampina
- Damian Oettli, Head of Markets, WWF
- Andrea Porro, Secretary General, World Farmers' Organisation
The session was moderated by Tom Idle, Founder, Narrative Matters.
Liz Hirshfield, executive director at COTTON USA™ and US Cotton Trust Protocol, and Sledge Taylor, a cotton farmer in Mississippi, talk with Ian Welsh about regenerative agriculture in the US cotton sector. They discuss from the practices Sledge has been using since the 1970s to how COTTON USA™ is building traceability and economic incentives to help other farmers make the transition.
Launched in 2022, the Nestlé Income Accelerator is a family centred approach designed to help close the living income gap for cocoa farming families and reduce child labour risks. The program encourages change at household and farm level and rewards practices that contribute to improved livelihoods, environmental stewardship and community resilience.
During this webinar, Nestlé shared the latest results of the program that is accelerating impact at scale, drawing on an independent impact assessment by the KIT Institute, insights from participating households, and feedback from partners implementing the initiative on the ground.
The discussion brought together independent expert, an implementing partner, a cocoa farmer and a community advocate offering an opportunity for open exchange on what is working, what needs improvement, and how lessons learned can inform future approaches across the sector.
This week: While in New York for this year’s Sustainable Apparel and Textiles USA, Innovation Forum’s Niamh Campbell spoke with Jimmy Summers, vice-president for EHS and sustainability at Elevate Textiles. They talked about net zero ambitions in the apparel sector and why it’s necessary to get away from the race-to-the-bottom approach that has become the norm. Plus: World Cup emissions set to soar; SBTi's updated corporate net-zero standard; how to transform agricultural waste into carbon-negative products, in the news digest with Babette Pagès. Host: Ian Welsh
Lauren Woodley, head of nutrition and sensory science at Nomad Foods, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about how Europe's largest frozen food company balances consumer demand for health, taste and affordability. They discuss from tackling persistent myths about frozen food to navigating the trade-offs in reformulation and segmenting products by their role in the diet.
Packaging is gaining increasing boardroom attention, driven by extended producer responsibility fees, legal exposure around environmental claims, and rising material costs from recycled content requirements. This webinar explored how these regulatory pressures interact with consumer demand to influence packaging strategy. We looked at how to build a business case that connects sustainable packaging choices to innovation and commercial returns, not just compliance.
We were joined by a panel of experts from across the packaging value chain, to discuss:
• Compliance as a starting point, not a destination — How EPR obligations can be a strategic foundation to generate cost savings, long-term resilience, and new market opportunities
• How to link innovation to commercial returns — From the paperisation of packaging to circular systems, how leading brands are translating sustainability investment into cost savings, consumer trust, and competitive differentiation
• The ingredients for a future-proof packaging strategy — How to anticipate regulatory changes, fees and bans on formats, and shifting consumer expectations before they become business risks
This webinar was curated by Innovation Forum in collaboration with the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, knowledge partner for the Sustainable Packaging Innovation Forum 2026 (Chicago, Oct. 27-28).
This week: Tanja Lischka, senior director for government affairs at Siemens Energy, talks with Ian Welsh about the power grid evolution required as electrification continues to be rolled out, and the challenges and opportunities this represents.
And, Ian also speaks with Ginny Maceda senior manager for mission and stability at Danone about regenerative agriculture and climate strategy.
Plus: how green roofs can boost resilience; more inclusive climate action in Latin America; climate change’s impact on displacement in Africa; and, a spotlight on soils in the wine sector, in the news digest with Babette Pages Prange.
Daniel Di Benedetto, geo lead for northern Europe at Centric Software, talks with Ian Welsh about how predictive intelligence can help the apparel sector reduce waste and improve margins. They discuss from AI-driven trend forecasting and shorter decision cycles to repurposing surplus materials before they reach landfill.
This week: Oritain’s chief product and technology officer Paul Bentham talks with Ian Welsh about some new apparel supply chain intelligence that highlights visibility gaps, and why risk management best practice is evolving from assurance to an evidence-based approach.
Plus: EUDR simplification measures explained, evidence that forests do promote well-being and Indonesia’s tighter state control on commodity export, in the news digest with Babette Pagès Prange.
Host: Ian Welsh
Click here for the new report from Oritain.
This week: Rob Nicholls, general manager for programmes and projects at palm oil business Musim Mas, and Kaixiang Chin, sustainability manager for Asia at Bunge, talk with Ian Welsh about their joint "train-the-trainer" model that strengthens local capacity and builds long-term resilience for independent smallholders.
Plus: EAT-Lancet warns food systems breaching limits; Net-Zero Banking Alliance disbands; UN plastics treaty chair resigns; and, TerraCycle urges UK action on reusable packaging, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Kristine Kim, senior director of impact and responsible sourcing at Dôen, talks with Innovation Forum’s Niamh Campbell about how the brand builds long-term, trust-based partnerships with suppliers – rooted in accountability, transparency and mutual respect. They discuss how responsible purchasing practices and community investment drive resilience and business value beyond compliance.
We’ll be launching our 2026 apparel conference series shortly. Click below to register your interest:
- Amsterdam (29-30 April 2026)
- New York City (3-4 June 2026)
This week: Mark Gutierrez and Alex Udermann from the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition talk with Ian Welsh about how farmers are leading a quiet revolution beneath their feet – restoring degraded soils, cutting fertiliser use, and helping others avoid costly mistakes.
Plus: from EUDR uncertainty and climate resilience to regenerative agroforestry and AI-enabled traceability, Innovation Forum’s Anamya Anurag shares how companies are moving beyond compliance toward real system change. She discusses how tools such as blockchain, remote sensing, and payments for ecosystem services are driving more transparent and resilient supply chains.
Host: Ian Welsh
We’ll be in Amsterdam later this month for the Sustainable Commodities and Landscapes Forum to continue the conversation. Listen to the episode for an exclusive discount. Click here for information on how to get involved.
This week: Keefe Harrison, chief executive of the Recycling Partnership, talks with Ian Welsh about how US recycling can scale through data, design, and new policies such as the Circle Act and EPR laws. They also discuss why fixing the system requires $17bn in investment and how CalFlex is reshaping flexible packaging recycling in California.
Plus: SBTi launches training to boost green skills; climate change displaces Bangladesh garment workers; Nespresso to launch regenerative certified coffee; and, why the Paris Agreement goals are slipping away, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
To continue the conversation on sustainable packaging, we will be in Chicago on 28-29 October for the upcoming sustainable packaging innovation forum. Click here for information on how to get involved.
Fernando Bellese, senior director for beef and leather supply chains at WWF, talks with Ian Welsh about how a new deforestation free leather fund aims to scale transparency, improve pasture management and help reintegrate farmers into more tightly-regulated markets. They set out how these steps can safeguard farmer livelihoods in the transition to sustainable leather and prepare companies for tightening global deforestation regulations.
This week: Sajeev Mohankumar, senior technical specialist at FAIRR Initiative, talks with Ian Welsh about the role of value chain actors in de-risking the transition towards regenerative agriculture. They explore how cost-sharing agreements and off-take contracts can help align environmental goals with economic realities.
Plus: Innovation Forum’s Niamh Campbell unpacks the latest findings from Textile Exchange’s annual Materials Market Report. She highlights the drivers behind polyester growth and the emerging role of recycled fibres and regenerative practices.
And, another delay proposed for the EU deforestation regulation; Collective Fashion Justice highlights fashion’s methane footprint; and, report finds greenwashing fears undermine corporate sustainability, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Join the complimentary webinar ‘Food, fashion, and farmers: finding common ground on regenerative agriculture’ on Wednesday 15thOctober at 4pm CEST / 10am EDT. Hear from Canada Goose, McDonalds, Bowles Farming Company and the Almond Board of California. Click here to join.
Etelle Higonnet, founder of Coffee Watch, talks with Ian Welsh about the big sustainability challenges in coffee, from deforestation and water stress to poverty incomes and labour rights. They highlight solutions such as agroforestry, better farmer livelihoods and stronger governance to help shift coffee from being a cause of environmental and social harm to a force for regeneration.
Coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes – collectively known as blue carbon – are some of the most efficient natural carbon sinks on the planet, storing carbon up to 10 times faster than terrestrial forests. They also protect coastlines, support fisheries and provide critical habitat for biodiversity. Yet these ecosystems are disappearing rapidly, and their protection remains underfunded in most climate strategies. The importance of blue carbon is beginning to gain traction among corporate sustainability teams, but it still represents a small share of nature-based investments. There’s a clear opportunity to change that, especially in regions such as west Africa where high-impact restoration efforts are underway.
Our panel of experts:* Whitney Johston, director of ocean sustainability, Salesforce * Yihan Wang, strategy and climate impact, Terraformation * Amy Schmid, global blue carbon project lead, Conservation International * Ledama Masidza, founder and marine conservationist, KindWorld Project
The discussion covers:
What to look for in a high-quality blue carbon project
How blue carbon fits into broader net-zero strategies
Why west Africa is a critical region for scalable blue carbon investment
This session is designed for corporate sustainability, ESG, and procurement professionals exploring nature-based climate solutions.
Case study: This session studies ReDAW, a mangrove restoration project in Ghana’s Anlo wetlands. It’s one of the few blue carbon projects of its kind currently in development globally, demonstrating measurable impact for climate, communities, and biodiversity. We also explore what credible blue carbon projects look like today, where the gaps are, and how companies can support this work in a way that aligns with climate, nature, and community goals.
This week: With the global race to secure sustainable critical mineral supply chains intensifying, financing remains one of the sector’s toughest hurdles. ING’s Tim van Pelt talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh to unpack where the gaps lie in funding critical mineral projects and how companies can navigate the challenges to unlock capital.
Plus: Innovation Forum’s Emilia Colman highlights key emerging themes ahead of the Critical Minerals Innovation Forum in London this November from supply chain transparency and ESG pressures to shifting corporate strategies as demand accelerates.
Host: Ian Welsh
Click here for the recording of the recent streamlining standards webinar with ICMM and ZF Group, organised in the lead up to the Critical Minerals Innovation Forum on 5th-6th November. Join Anglo American, ICMM, Glencore, BHP, Vale Base Metals, Airbus, BASF, LG Energy Solutions, Ørsted, Standard Chartered Bank, and many more. Click here for more information on how to register, or contact emilia.colman@innovationforum.co.uk.
This week: Florent Bouguin, chief technology officer at Optel, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the top and bottom line benefits and opportunities of supply chain traceability, particularly in the context of a shifting regulatory landscape.
Plus: Mars, PepsiCo, and ADM unite to boost Polish regenerative farming; CEOs prioritise sustainability action as competitive edge; report finds European wild fish heavily contaminated with toxic PFAS; and, clean energy set to replace 75% of fossil fuel demand, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Fashion’s climate and nature strategies are converging – but what does that mean for brands and suppliers? Beth Jensen, chief impact officer at Textile Exchange, reflects on the key takeaways from our recent apparel conference, from cross-industry collaboration to the role of data. In conversation with Innovation Forum's Tanya Richard, she explains why nature-positive practices are not only about driving sustainability, but also about building supply chain resilience.
This week: blue carbon ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrass and salt marshes, can sequester carbon up to ten times faster than terrestrial forests, while also protecting coastlines and supporting biodiversity. Ahead of our webinar, Yihan Wang from Terraformation talks with Innovation Forum's Ellen Atiyah to explain their climate potential, why they remain undervalued and how projects such as the Keta Lagoon Blue Carbon Project in Ghana are changing the story.
Plus: Innovation Forum's Lia Da Giau shares insights on the trends reshaping packaging, from regulatory deadlines and circular models to breakthrough material and infrastructure solutions.
Host: Ian Welsh
Join us on Wednesday 17 September at 4pm CEST / 10am EDT for a complimentary webinar on the potential for blue carbon in net-zero strategies. Hear from Salesforce, Terraformation and Conservation International. Click here to reserve your spot.
To continue the conversation on sustainable packaging, we will be in Chicago on 28-29 October for the upcoming sustainable packaging innovation forum. Click here for information on how to get involved.
This week: From tariffs to COVID-19, recent shocks have shown that resilient supply chains rely on trust, not transactions. Kristine Kim, senior director for impact and responsible sourcing at US fashion brand DÔEN, talks with Innovation Forum’s Niamh Campbell about how equal partnerships, responsible purchasing and long-term commitments can create shared value for both brands and suppliers.
Plus: EU sets binding targets for food and textile waste; M&S commits to UK-sourced sustainable produce; nature loss risks cost industries trillions; and, the need for durable carbon removal, in the news digest with Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Vidhu Nagpal and Alex Abbott from SmartSolve Industries talk with Ian Welsh about why recycling rates for flexible packaging remain so low, and how new water-soluble, bio-based materials, could provide a breakthrough. They discuss the limits of recycling, the promise of zero-waste packaging technologies, and why rethinking materials at the design stage rather than only at end-of-life, could disrupt the sector.
To continue the conversation, SmartSolve Industries will be attending the upcoming sustainable packaging innovation forum in Chicago on 28-29 October. Click here for information on how to get involved.
This week: Henkel’s vice president for sustainability, Ulla Hueppe, spoke with Ian Welsh at the recent scope 3 innovation forum about the company’s strategy to cut supply chain emissions. They discuss balancing the costs of change with the risks of inaction and why data quality is the backbone of any credible sustainability strategy.
Plus: Innovation Forum’s Hannah Oborne talks about the disconnect between corporate sustainability progress and public communication, including the rise in greenhushing, and internal alignment towards scope 3 integration in decision-making.
Host: Ian Welsh
We’ll be continuing the conversation at the scope 3 innovation forum USA (Washington DC, 3-4 December). Join the likes of Colgate-Palmolive, Ulta Beauty, Mondelēz International, KFC, Mars, Michelin, eBay, Danone, IKEA, Verra and many more. Click here for information on how to get involved.
This week: WWF's senior director for beef and leather supply chains, Fernando Bellese, talks with Ian Welsh about the launch of the new deforestation free leather fund. They highlight how the fund aims to drive transparency, support farmers and reintegrate producers into stricter markets. Plus: Indonesia’s deforestation puzzle raises accountability concerns; fashion giants under fire for weak decarbonisation plans; South Australia bans fish-shaped soy sauce bottles; and, UK retailer M&S launches second-hand clothing store on eBay, in the news digest with Ellen Atiyah. Host: Ian Welsh We'll be continuing the conversation at the sustainable commodities and landscapes forum in Amsterdam on 21-22 October. Listen to the podcast for an exclusive discount.Click here for information on how to get involved.
Alex Udermann and Mark Gutierrez, farmers at the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition, join Ian Welsh to share how they and their colleagues across the state are restoring soil, cutting input costs and building resilience. They discuss the power of peer-to-peer mentorship, practical tools for soil health, and why profitability and sustainability can go hand in hand.
This interview was recorded at the recent future of food and beverage forum in Minneapolis. We’ll be continuing the conversation on farmer collaboration and climate resilience at thesustainable commodities and landscapes forum in Amsterdam on 21-22 October. Join the likes of Henkel, Mars, Danone, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Diageo, Nestlé, HSBC, NatWest, Standard Chartered, Ferrero, Asahi and many more. Click here for information on how to get involved.
This week: Nicole Cramer from the Rainforest Alliance talks with Ian Welsh about how data collection can actually help farmers instead of burdening them. They discuss building farmer-centred data systems, translating information into practical improvements on the farm, and aligning long-standing agricultural programmes with emerging global regulations.
Plus: Innovation Forum’s Anamya Anurag talks with Ian Welsh about the emerging challenges in soft commodities, from climate shocks to geopolitical disruptions. They explore latest corporate innovations in creating supply chains that are both adaptive and sustainable.
Host: Ian Welsh
This week: Etelle Higgonnet, founder of CoffeeWatch talks with Ian Welsh about the environmental and human costs behind global coffee production. From deforestation and biodiversity loss to pesticide overuse and child labour, they explore how agroforestry, living wages and responsible corporate practices can transform the industry.
Plus: UK supermarket Asda launches sustainable supply chain finance; WHO, WMO warn extreme heat threatens workers; and, Nestlé unveils full-pod cocoa processing innovation, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
To continue the conversation and dive deeper, join us for the Sustainable Commodities and Landscapes Forum, taking place in Amsterdam on 21-22 October. This leading business conference brings together 250+ supply chain and sustainability professionals to address the greatest risks - and opportunities - in commodity supply chains. Industry leaders and experts will further explore these vital themes and drive nature-resilience throughout the entire supply chain. Click here for information on how to get involved.
Farmers Jocelyn Schlichting and Carla Schultz share their perspectives on the risks and realities of implementing regenerative practices in the US agriculture sector. In conversation with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh, they discuss why partnerships with food manufacturers and genuine farmer voices are essential to making sustainability work on the ground.
This week: Beth Jensen, chief impact officer at Textile Exchange talks with Innovation Forum's Tanya Richard about key conversations and takeaways from the recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference in New York. They discuss nature-positive strategies and how brands can better align with farmers and growers.
Plus: global plastics treaty talks collapse again; fashion emissions rise despite brand progress; water insecurity flagged as a major financial risk; and, US makes moves to secure critical minerals, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Diana Kim
To register your interest for the 2026 sustainable apparel and textiles conference series:
- Amsterdam (April)
- New York City (June)
At the recent scope 3 innovation forum in Amsterdam, Tilmann Silber, head of net zero at Barry Callebaut talks with Ian Welsh about the current challenges in tropical supply chains. They discuss insights on supply chain resilience, on-farm adaptation strategies and the evolving role of KPIs in proving impact. They explore how brands and suppliers can collaborate to manage risk and co-invest in solutions.
We’ll be continuing the conversation at the Scope 3 Innovation Forum USA, taking place in Washington DC on 3-4 December 2025. Join the likes of Ulta Beauty, Colgate-Palmolive, KFC, Mars, BIC, eBay, Volvo Group, IKEA, Verra, United Airlines and many more. Click here for information on how to get involved.
In this briefing, a snippet from the recent critical minerals webinar with World Resources Institute (WRI), Harmony Gold Mining Company, The Weir Group and Eramet. Reza Rahmaditio, critical minerals project lead at WRI Indonesia, outlines the biggest challenges in decarbonising nickel and other minerals. He discusses energy intensity, remote locations and market pressures – and how companies are beginning to respond with efficiency, new technologies and green premiums.
Host: Diana Kim
To continue the conversation and dive deeper, join us for the Critical Minerals Innovation Forum, taking place in London on 5th-6th November This two-day business conference connects the full critical mineral value chain from mining, processing and refining to automotive, electronics and renewables. Industry leaders and experts will further explore these vital themes and drive forward the transition to a low-carbon minerals sector. Click here for information on how to get involved.
At the recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference in New York, Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Danielle Holly spoke with Innovation Forum’s Tanya Richard about how brands can make money without producing more clothes. They share lessons from the foundation’s Fashion ReModel project and examples from H&M and Coach that are proving the business case for circularity.
This week: Vidhu Nagpal, director for flexible packaging, and Alex Abbott, chief revenue officer at SmartSolve Industries, talk with Ian Welsh about why recycling rates for flexible packaging remain stubbornly low and how a zero-waste solution could change the game.
And, French bottled water brands face “natural”| label controversy; UK supermarket chain partners with food waste apps for real-time discount alerts; and, researchers update open-source framework to spot greenwashing, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
To continue the conversation, SmartSolve Industries will be attending the upcoming sustainable packaging innovation forum in Chicago on 28-29 October. Click here for information on how to get involved.
This week: Davide Braghiroli, director for packaging sustainability solutions at Tetra Pak, talks with Ian Welsh about the impact of the European Union’s packaging and packaging waste directive. They highlight how the regulation will change material choices, supply chain transparency and potential opportunities.
And, Innovation Forum’s Lia Da Giau share latest updates in sustainable packaging, from the global plastics treaty to corporate innovation toward packaging circularity.
Host: Ian Welsh
We’ll be continuing the conversation at the sustainable packaging innovation forum, taking place in Chicago on 28-29 October. Click here for information on how to get involved.
This week: Alex Udermann and Mark Gutierrez, farmers from the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition, talk with Ian Welsh about how working on improving soil health improves productivity and farm profitability. They share insights on how healthier soils build resilience and cut inputs.
And, carbon markets expert and former CEO of Verra, David Antonioli reflects on the evolving role of the markets at the 2024 scope 3 innovation forum USA.
Plus: Barclays next bank to quit net-zero alliance; Barry Callebaut develops lab-grown cocoa; no safe level of processed meat, major study warns; and, global plastic crisis fuels major health risks, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
In the second episode of Innovation Forum’s podcast series on corporate readiness for the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), in collaboration with Deloitte & Touche LLP, we explore how companies can go further than ticking compliance boxes and instead use EUDR as a springboard for long-term business strategy.
Ian Welsh is joined by John O’Brien, managing director at Deloitte & Touche LLP, to discuss how EUDR requirements can unlock new value. From building trust with consumers and de-risking supply chains to accessing new markets and premium pricing opportunities, they explore how aligning compliance efforts with broader sustainability goals can deliver competitive advantage.
Key themes include:
- Why EUDR is more than a regulatory requirement
- The role of traceability and reliable data in understanding supply chain resilience
- How nature-related risks are evolving, and why businesses should prepare now
- What companies at different stages of readiness should prioritize next
Whether you’re just getting started with EUDR or are looking to build on existing systems, this episode offers strategic insights for transforming compliance into impact.
This week: Kevin Rabinovitch, chief climate officer at Mars, talks with Ian Welsh about embedding climate targets into core business strategy, decoupling growth from greenhouse gas output, scaling pilots into transformational change and why science should set the pace to net zero.
And, Innovation Forum's Hannah Oborne discusses how companies are moving compliance to build supplier partnerships that integrate social and environmental goals alongside carbon reduction, featuring innovations such as IKEA’s investment in clean delivery fleets and Unilever’s climate and nature fund.
Host: Ian Welsh
This week: North Dakota rancher and UK Channel 5 TV personality Jay Doan joins Ian Welsh to share a frontline perspective on regenerative agriculture and farm resilience. Recorded at the recent Future of Food and Beverage conference in Minneapolis, they talk about why regenerative agriculture is far from a trend, it’s a decades-old practice rooted in resilience, land stewardship, and long-term thinking. Jay also talks about why he things Big Ag has failed consumers.
Plus: A landmark UN ruling opens the door to legal accountability for climate damage; climate change drives food price spikes; Wales deposit return scheme faces industry pushback; and new research reveals gaps in US insurance sector climate risk disclosure, all in the news digest with Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
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Julien Tremblin, European general manager at TerraCycle talks with Ian Welsh about the challenges of making sustainable packaging economically viable. They highlight why some materials are recycled while others end up in landfills, and how voluntary take-back programs are filing the gaps left by traditional recycling systems.
To continue the conversation with TerraCycle, join the sustainable packaging innovation forum in Chicago on 28-29 October. Click here for information on how to get involved.
This week: Nicole Cramer, Rainforest Alliance, talks with Ian Welsh about the challenges involved in collecting farm level data, in particular the need to not overburden growers with unrealistic expectations and to ensure value incentives are set appropriately.
And, Innovation Forum’s Anamya Anurag discusses some of the emerging themes and innovation from companies sourcing tropical forest commodities.
Sarah Rosenkranz and Bettina Fafengut from testing and certifiers Hohenstein Group talk with Ian Welsh about how cotton certification is raising the bar for trust in textile sustainability. They explore how combining organic standards with rigorous chemical testing is addressing traceability gaps and greenwashing risks.
This week: Barry Callebaut's head of net zero Tilmann Silber talks with Ian Welsh about how physical climate risks are emerging in tropical commodity supply chains. They discuss the need for supply chain resilience through innovative solutions, highlighting the likes of agroforestry and vertical integration.
Plus: a snippet of a recent critical mineral mining webinar with Arend Van Der Goes, senior sustainability manager at metals mining group Eramet.
And, US corporates take charge in sustainability investments; UN warns of AI’s energy toll; UK retailer M&S tracks milk bottle recycling; and, Mars launches $250m fund for supply chain sustainability, in the news digest with Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Click here for full recording of the critical mineral mining webinar with Arend. This webinar was hosted in the lead up to our inaugural critical minerals innovation forum. For information on how to get involved, click here.
This week: Innovation Forum’s Emilia Colman and Ian Welsh talk about innovation in the critical minerals sector and how business models are evolving to tackle the challenges.
And, in an extract from a recent webinar, Vale Metal’s Christian Spano outlines the differences between circularity and recycling.
Host: Ian Welsh
In Amsterdam recently Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh spoke with Carolina Gregorio, sustainability policy and advocacy director at Dow about the role of advanced recycling in developing real circularity for packaging. Ian also spoke about the potential opportunities from the EU’s packaging and packaging waste regulation with Tetra Pak’s director for packaging sustainability solutions Davide Braghiroli.
Plus: Wales to join UK deposit return scheme; North Atlantic nano-plastics prevalence; fashion waste regulated; and, EUDR benchmarking system rejected, in this week’s news digest with Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Olivia Dobson, director, climate and resilience at Verisk Maplecroft, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about why managing data effectively is how companies can best get on top of the ever-evolving supply chain risks.
To date, 7 US states have passed packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws, with more exploring this pathway. EPR schemes have been emerging as an important component of packaging and waste regulations worldwide. But with a lack of harmonization across schemes, business is left in a tough spot.
This webinar explores how organizations are responding to the fragmented global EPR landscape, balancing local compliance needs with global goals and cross-border operations. We also look at the effects of these regulations on packaging innovation processes and sustainability strategies, reflecting on shared challenges and best practice.
- The practical steps to prepare for compliance in a growing patchwork of EPR regulations
- How leading brands are reconciling local packaging and waste management compliance with global targets and supply chain consistency
- Innovation through compliance? How to determine where and when to invest in new packaging solutions that may, or may not, align with future EPR rules
- Examples of effective cross-industry collaboration that can help to bring clarity and alignment in response to packaging EPR
Hear from:* Sarah Paleg, director of sustainability at Amcor * Jordan Girling, head of extended producer responsibility at WRAP * Alex Chan, US and Canada EPR expert in producer fees, eco modulation, program planning and operations. * Tanya Richard, Innovation Forum's COO and head of stakeholder engagement, moderated the conversation.
Continue the conversation at the sustainable packaging innovation forum USA in Chicago on 28-29 October. Click here for information on how to get involved.
We sat down down with Christian Spano, director of circularity at Vale Base Metals to explore practical strategies to implement circular principles across the entire critical minerals value chain, and how this can boost supply resilience, security and meet growing demand for critical minerals.
The webinar was moderated by Ian Welsh, publishing director, Innovation Forum.
This week: Julien Tremblin, European general manager at TerraCycle, talks with Ian Welsh about the hidden economic challenges behind sustainable packaging and why many "recyclable" items never get recycled. They discuss why lightweight designs and contamination render many materials worthless to recyclers, and how policy gaps perpetuate the cycle.
Plus: younger shoppers push for greener packaging; Mondelēz International urges EUDR delay as rivals push back; China powers ahead on renewables as Europe hits key coal tipping point; and, dairy milk sees a revival as plant-based market cools, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Diana Kim
Charlotte de Degot, CEO of CO2 AI talks with Ian Welsh about how leading companies are generating real ROI from sustainability – up to 7% of sales or $200M in net benefits annually.
- See how companies like Reckitt are unlocking financial gains through decarbonisation
- Learn more about the launch of CO2 AI Agents and what it means for Scope 3 emissions
Charlotte shares results from a CO2 AI and BCG global survey, and addresses why most companies still treat sustainability as a cost centre.
This week: Innovation Forum’s Lia Da Giau and Ian Welsh talk about where packaging innovation is heading, from concentrated refill formats to algae-based inks. They highlight how regulation and cross-sector collaboration are shaping the future of sustainable packaging.
Plus: Amcor’s Jeremy Blake share reflections from the recent sustainable packaging innovation forum in Amsterdam about why the economics of packaging still favour the linear model. In conversation with Ian, they discuss what it will take to make circular packaging viable at scale
Host: Ian Welsh
Join the conversation at the sustainable packaging innovation forum USA in Chicago on 28-29 October. Click here for information on how to get involved.
This week, Innovation Forum’s Tanya Richard talks with Danielle Holly, executive lead for North America at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, about the vital role of circularity in transforming the fashion industry. Recorded live at the Sustainable Apparel and Textiles Conference in New York, they explore how brands can collaborate to shift mindsets and drive systemic change toward a circular economy.
Also: Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh and Tim van Pelt from ING talk about financing critical mineral supply chains.
Plus: Nearly 200 organisations urge EU policymakers not to weaken sustainability rules; why rising temperatures could sharply reduce global crop yields; and the dismantling of the US Inflation Reduction Act, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Diageo's global sustainability and innovation director Dave Lütkenhaus, talks with Ian Welsh about moving sustainable packaging from pilots to practical, scalable solutions. From refill trials to aluminium and fibre formats, they discuss circularity being redefined by real-world constraints and opportunities.
This week: Ian Welsh speaks with Charlotte Degot, CEO of CO2 AI, about how companies can unlock the business value hidden in their sustainability strategies. Drawing on global research and client case studies, they share insights on why many businesses still view sustainability as a cost burden, and how that mindset is shifting. The conversation explores how leading companies can use AI in overcoming data blind spots, streamlining carbon accounting and accelerating Scope 3 emissions reductions.
Plus: EU scraps greenwashing crackdown plans; H&M leads fossil-free fashion rankings again; CGF unveils common data framework for supply chains; and, climate change threatens gin’s signature flavour, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
- Click here to read how companies such as Reckitt are achieving measurable financial benefits from decarbonisation
- Click here to learn more about the launch of CO2 AI Agents
Evan Harvey is a leader in sustainability (and an audit and assurance managing director at Deloitte & Touche LLP), focusing on services related to sustainability, materiality and nature. He joins Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh to unpack EUDR readiness for companies across sectors. As the 2025 fully operational date for large companies approaches, they explore which industries are leading the charge, the operational and technological challenges many businesses face, and why early action can offer a competitive edge.
This week: Innovation Forum’s Niamh Campbell and Ian Welsh talk about some of themes that may emerge at the sustainable apparel and textiles conference in New York City this week. From Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s new fashion circularity guidance to disaster textile waste relief partnerships, Niamh highlights sessions to look out for.
Plus: at the recent food conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota state director for the US Department of Agriculture Troy Daniel talks with Ian Welsh about the government's facilitative – not directive – role in supporting farmers and how partnerships can reconnect consumers with agriculture.
Host: Ian Welsh
With 2025 deforestation targets looming, this webinar — now available to watch on demand — explores how companies can close gaps, show progress, and scale action on nature.
2025 is a milestone year for corporate action on deforestation and ecosystem conversion. As companies with agricultural and forestry supply chains approach 2025 target dates, there is growing urgency to deliver on commitments and demonstrate progress. In this webinar, the Accountability Framework initiative (AFi) and Innovation Forum explored what meaningful action looks like in the months ahead, and beyond.
The panellists discussed: * How to manage 2025 target dates and any remaining gaps towards meeting commitments * How to convey clear and credible ambitions, milestones, and plans post-2025 * How to communicate performance and progress
We heard from leading companies on how they are adapting strategies to drive real transformation across agricultural and forestry commodity supply chains, and what actions are needed to scale impact further.
Our panel of experts:* Hillary Fenrich, global manager: nature and water strategy, McDonald’s * Jeff Milder, director, the AFi * Róisín Mortimer, global sustainability and stakeholder engagement manager, COFCO International
The session was moderated by Ian Welsh, publishing director, Innovation Forum.
This session is essential for sustainability leads, procurement professionals, legal and compliance teams, and corporate strategists working to address deforestation, nature loss, and associated business risks.
This week: Sarah Rosenkranz and Bettina Fafengut, from the product specialist team at testing and certifiers the Hohenstein Group, talk with Ian Welsh and unpack the OEKO-TEX organic cotton certification. As consumer demand for transparency grows, they highlight how empowering buyers with product certainty can raise the bar on both organic integrity and chemical safety.
Plus: some quick fire insights from the recent packaging innovation forum in Amsterdam with Bayer’s head of packaging sustainability, Keiko Tago, talking with Ian about the complex realities of flexible packaging.
And, Nescafé achieves regen ag target; World Refill Day spotlights reuse gaps; and, France targets fast fashion with new law, in the news digest with Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Join the conversation at the sustainable packaging innovation forum, taking place in Chicago on 28-29 October. Click here for information on how to get involved.
Emma Thomson, Forest 500 and tracking lead at Global Canopy, talks with Ian Welsh about the latest Forest 500 report. With only 3% of companies qualifying as true leaders, they discuss insights into the evolving landscape, key sectoral trends and the growing regulatory and public pressures driving action.
This week: Jeff Milder, director of the Accountability Framework Initiative (AFi) talks with Ian Welsh about what meaningful action on deforestation looks like in 2025 and beyond. They share corporate progress and discuss the role of AFi in catalysing this momentum in achieving deforestation-free and conversion-free supply chains across sectors.Plus: at the recent scope 3 forum in Amsterdam, Co-op’s senior climate change manager Joe Hulme talked with Ian Welsh about product carbon footprinting and how to scale beyond initiatives.Host: Ian Welsh
Join the complimentary webinar, hosted in partnership with the Accountability Framework initiative, to discuss what 2025 target dates and future trajectories in delivering deforestation-free supply chains. Full registrations details can be found here.
Anna-Karin Dahlberg, chief sustainability officer at Lindex talks with Ian Welsh about how the Swedish fashion retailer is adapting to CSRD and double materiality reporting. She explains the shift from standalone sustainability reports to integrated financial disclosures, the role of cross-departmental collaboration, and how data collection – especially on social and environmental impact – is evolving across the value chain.
This week: Olivia Dobson, director of climate and resilience at Verisk Maplecroft, joins Ian Welsh to explore interconnected supply chain risks, the shift toward enterprise-level risk consideration, and emerging challenges around supply chain visibility. They examine how geopolitical uncertainties, regulatory compliance and data management are reshaping sourcing strategies.
Plus: Ulla Hueppe, vice president of sustainability at Henkel, talks with Ian at the recent scope 3 event in Amsterdam, about engaging suppliers on emissions reduction, creating transparency in supply chain data, and balancing the cost of change versus inaction.
And: major food firms fall short on real emissions cuts, and consumers want sustainable fashion but high price hinders, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
This week: Simon Haldrup, co-founder and CEO of agri-tech company Agreena talks with Ian Welsh about how scaling regenerative agriculture hinges on farmer incentives, customised practices and financial support. They discuss how to move beyond pilot programmes into large-scale adoption and how to make sense of data.
Plus: at the scope 3 innovation forum this week, Ian talked with Kim Schoppink from the Science Based Targets initiative about the core challenges and emerging solutions around scope 3 emissions data.
And: EU nations push to ease EUDR rules, while EU companies resist to dilute CSRD; deposit schemes slash litter as Pepsi pull reuse target; and, beanless blends brew up a buzz, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Diana Kim
Jodie Roussell, global public affairs lead of packaging and sustainability at Nestlé and co-chair of the Business Coalition for the Global Plastics Treaty working on the treaty, shares the current state of progress toward a global plastics agreement. In conversation with Ian Welsh, they highlight murmurs of negotiations on the ground and behind-the-scenes progress. Jodie notes the overall heightened energy from governments to move forward, despite discrepancies in ambition levels among member states.
This interview was recorded in May 2025.
We’ll be continuing the conversation at the sustainable packaging innovation forum in Chicago on 28-29 October. Join alongside the likes of Amcor, Kraft Heinz, Amazon, TerraCycle, Estée Lauder, Ameripen, Lush and many more. Click here for information on how to get involved.
This week: Innovation Forum's Natasha Bodnar and Ian Welsh discuss the importance of a cross-industry insights in building partnerships, candid insights and fresh thinking on scope 3. They talk about what to expect at this week's scope 3 innovation forum, taking place in Amsterdam.
Plus: Bertrand Conquéret, chief procurement officer at Henkel talks with Ian Welsh about how Henkel is leveraging procurement to lead cross-functional change and embed sustainability in product development. They highlight how to build supplier partnerships, particularly through coalitions such as Together for Sustainability — a now 50+ company coalition driving transparency and carbon data sharing across the chemical industry.
Host: Ian Welsh
This week: Dave Lütkenhaus, global sustainability and innovation director at Diageo, talks with Ian Welsh about the company’s approach to circular packaging and how it’s working to reduce scope 3 emissions. They highlight innovations in refill systems, reusable formats, and new materials being trialled across markets.
Plus: at the Future of Food and Beverage conference this week, Ian talks with farmers Jocelyn Schlichting and Carla Schultz about the need for deeper partnerships between growers and food manufacturers. They explore risks in regenerative agriculture, the importance of regional nuance and how marketing decisions shape practices on the ground.
And, major brands may be exiting the US Plastics Pact; EU nears 2030 climate goal, doubts remain; Italian fashion brands act on labour abuse; and, AI mineral demand threatens South American ecosystems, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Diana Kim
Tara St James, senior director of sustainability at Moose Knuckles talks with Ian Welsh at the recent sustainable apparel and textiles conferences. They discuss the implications a digital product passport introduction will bring and the specific requirements businesses must fulfil. They highlight practical steps in achieving this and what consumer experience would look like.
To continue the conversation, join the sustainable apparel and textiles conference, taking place in New York City on 24-25 June. Click here for information on how to get involved.
Sustainability claims are facing increasing scrutiny, with rising costs, data uncertainty and growing pressure on businesses to provide verifiable proof of their efforts. Supply chain blind spots, outdated data and manual processes leave sustainability teams struggling to confidently meet compliance requirements.
This webinar, hosted in partnership with Picterra, explored how emerging technologies such as Geospatial AI (GeoAI), remote sensing, and satellite data analytics can empower sustainability teams with trusted insights, enabling them to move from reactive reporting to proactive oversight.
Our panel of experts discussed:* The key hurdles businesses face in achieving sustainability compliance * Strategies for moving from outdated, manual processes to more scalable, data-driven solutions * An overview of Geospatial AI and how it is changing the landscape of supply chain transparency and monitoring * The role of geospatial monitoring in identifying high-risk landscapes and improving compliance * The future of AI in sustainability: opportunities, concerns and limitations
Panel:* Alicia Sullivan, product manager – Earth Engine sustainability solutions, Google * Pierrick Poulenas, CEO and Co-founder, Picterra * Andrew Wilcox, associate director for sustainability – procurement strategy & insights, Unilever
The conversation was moderated by Ian Welsh, publishing director, Innovation Forum.
The race to secure critical minerals is accelerating—but so is the urgency to reduce their carbon footprint. Mining, refining, and processing are energy-intensive, often reliant on fossil fuels, and responsible for significant emissions. Paradoxically, as the demand for net-zero metals grows, so too does their footprint.
This webinar explores the practical pathways for decarbonising critical minerals supply. Our panelists share tangible insights, from electrifying operations and adopting renewable energy sources, to using low carbon mining technologies.
The panel:* Urishani Govender, chief sustainability officer, Harmony Gold Mining Company * Arend Van Der Goes, senior sustainability manager, Eramet * Reza Rahmaditio, critical minerals project lead, WRI Indonesia * Moderator: Ian Welsh, publishing director, Innovation Forum
This week: Emma Thompson, Forest 500 and tracking lead at Global Canopy, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about the newly released 2025 Forest 500 report, a deep dive into how the world’s most influential companies are disclosing and performing on deforestation. They discuss the differences in action across commodities, how regulation is influencing corporate behaviour and expectations for further progress on key climate targets.
Plus: gen Z and millennials demand purpose and sustainability; dairy giants lag on methane action; and, Hyundai Motor Group expands mineral tracing amid scrutiny, in the news digest with Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Ahead of this year’s future of food and beverage forum in Minneapolis, Innovation Forum’s Anamya Anurag talks with some of the participants. She is joined by Julie Kunen from Oatly and Walmart’s Michelle Zackin, and they discuss how food and beverage companies are integrating climate and nature-smart practices into supply chain strategies. They highlight how to align nature-based solutions with regenerative agriculture, and how the industry can drive circularity, risk reduction and collaboration across the value chain.
Julie and Michelle will be at the future of food and beverage forum next week in Minneapolis (28-29 May). To continue the conversation, you can find full details on how to get involved.
This week: Innovation Forum’s Anamya Anurag and Ian Welsh talk about how companies are tackling supply chain volatility and advancing supply chain resilience. They discuss emerging themes including digital innovation, collaborative land-use strategies and the growing role of AI and cybersecurity in sustainability.
Plus: Dries Van Aerde from Coca-Cola Europacific Partners talks with Ian at the recent Sustainable Packaging Innovation Forum about how the company is navigating complex investment decisions, scaling refill and reuse models and responding to shifting regulatory and consumer expectations.
Host: Ian Welsh
This week: Thomas Gent, farmer at Gentle Farming talks with Innovation Forum’s Hanna Halmari about the challenges and opportunities facing regenerative agriculture. They explore how innovation, better marketing and strong farmer-supply chain connections can attract younger generations and build resilience in a changing climate.
Plus: Anna-Karin Dahlberg, chief sustainability officer at Swedish fashion brand Lindex, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about how the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive is transforming the way businesses conduct reporting.
And, indigenous rights ignored amid logging; only four nations deemed high-risk for EUDR; online marketplace Vinted tops French fashion sales; and, plastic recycling claims alleged to mislead consumers, in the news digest with Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Kevin Burkum at US Farmers and Ranchers in Action, and South Dakota dairy farmer Michael Crinion, talk with Ian Welsh about how regenerative practices such as cover cropping and improved soil health can enhance resilience and reduce input costs. They highlight key challenges including trade uncertainty, extreme weather and inflation, and explore how conservation agriculture can align with long-term farm profitability.
To continue the conversation, USFRA will be at the future of food and beverage forum in Minneapolis on 28-29 May. Click here for information on how to get involved.
This week: Innovation Forum’s Niamh Campbell and Ian Welsh talk about some trends and hot topics in the apparel sector. From major tariff changes reshaping sourcing strategies, to growing momentum behind extended producer responsibility, they explore what’s hot and what’s next.
Plus: Pierrick Poulenas, CEO of Picterra talks with Ellen Atiyah about how geospatial AI helps verify sustainability claims. Ahead of a complimentary webinar on 20th May, they discuss how to turn remote sensing into real supply chain insight.
Host: Ian Welsh
Join the conversation at the sustainable apparel and textiles conference USA in New York City on 24-25 June. Click here for information on how to get involved.
Join our complimentary webinars:
- Click here to join the webinar on geospatial AI with Picterra on 20th May.
- Click here to join a webinar on critical minerals decarbonisation on 15th May.
This week: As negotiations for the global plastics treaty continue, Nestlé’s global public affairs lead for packaging and sustainability Jodie Roussell talks with Ian Welsh at the sustainable packaging innovation forum in Amsterdam. They discuss the political will, the regulatory stakes and why time is running short to reach a meaningful agreement.
Plus: pushback against US rollback of climate-focused policy; new BNP Paribas fund for indigenous people-led forest conservation projects with Everland; Coca-Cola and Lavazza UK respond to greenwashing claims; and, circular fashion continues to grow in Europe, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Ellen McCormack, head of Europe at Watershed talks with Ian Welsh about how sustainability is moving closer to core business functions, the evolving carbon removal market, and why clean energy is increasingly a financial imperative. They explore how major companies are embedding climate strategy into operations, not just for compliance – but to unlock long-term value.
This week: Tara St James from Moose Knuckles and Ian Welsh unpack how digital product passports are reshaping supply chain transparency and compliance ahead of incoming EU regulations. They explore the challenges of supplier onboarding, data collection and engaging consumers with evolving sustainability tools.
Plus: UK food sector urged to adopt AI; US secures Ukraine minerals access deal; B Corp overhauls standards to fight greenwashing; and, Brazil launches indigenous climate leadership circle, in the new digest, by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
The Global Heat Reduction Initiative's Kiff Gallagher talks with Ian Welsh about 'Total Climate Accounting', a framework created by GHR to address critical gaps in current climate metrics by incorporating super pollutants like methane and black carbon. They discuss how this approach provides organisations with actionable data to reduce near-term warming while maintaining long-term decarbonisation goals – revealing why traditional carbon accounting falls short in today's crisis.
This week: Innovation Forum's Niamh Campbell and Ian Welsh talk about what to expect at this year's sustainable apparel and textiles conference in Amsterdam. From exciting new sessions on textile waste solutions and Dragon's Den-style material innovation pitches to important debates on greenwashing, Niamh highlights what's new at this year's conference.
Plus: reflections from last year's apparel conference with Amy Nguyen from Sustainable & Social and Christine Goulay from Sustainabelle. In conversation with Ian, they share their key takeaways, such as the evolution of circular business models, scope 3 challenges, and the growing importance of better data and regulation.
This week: Kevin Burkum, CEO of US Farmers and Ranchers in Action, and Michael Crinion, a South Dakota-based farmer and chair of USFRA, talk with Ian Welsh about the evolving challenges facing US agriculture. They explore how climate volatility, trade policies and supply chain pressures are reshaping farming, and why resilience, community and innovation are key to long-term success.
Plus: Apple slashes emissions and boosts recycling; EU deforestation law sparks enforcement fears; new Suntory water spinoff to tackle groundwater loss; and, the Guardian gives silent climate majority a voice, in the news digest with Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
To continue the conversation, USFRA will be at the future of food and beverage forum in Minneapolis on 28-29 May. Click here for information on how to get involved.
Sebastian Munden, chair of the environmental NGO WRAP, talks with Ian Welsh about the potential for transforming packaging systems. They highlight innovative strategies that can reduce plastic pollution and promote responsible use, ultimately paving the way for more sustainable and circular plastic systems.
To continue the conversation, Sebastian will be at the sustainable packaging innovation forum (Amsterdam, 6-7 May). Click here for information on how to get involved.
This week: Ellen McCormack, head of Europe at Watershed, talks with Ian Welsh about how major companies are integrating sustainability into finance and operations. They discuss the shifting narrative from climate goals to ROI, challenges in renewable energy infrastructure, and trends in carbon removal and investor demand.
Plus: vegetable oil prices surge amid instability; rare earths weaponised in US-China trade war; global shipping strikes weak emissions deal; and, leaked PR campaign sparked diet backlash, in the news digest, by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Colin Brown, CEO of Cascale, talks with Ian Welsh about challenges and opportunities within the consumer goods industry, particularly in apparel and textiles. They discuss the need for collective action to reduce environmental impact and improve social justice, emphasising the importance of collaboration among brands, manufacturers and retailers to weather the potential tariff storm.
In this webinar, experts from Agreena, Mars, Nespresso, and Gentle Farming explored how verified data is driving real impact in sustainable food production — and what it takes to scale regenerative practices that work.
As regenerative agriculture gains momentum, the challenge lies in scaling practices that restore soil health, reduce emissions, and enhance food production sustainability. In partnership with Agreena, a Verra-registered climate solutions company, this webinar explored how robust, verified data is transforming RegenAg programs, how companies are using data to make food production more sustainable, and if farmers are reaping the benefits.
Our panel of experts: * Thomas Gent, regenerative farmer, Gentle Farming * Reineke Van Riemsdijk, sustainability lead and technical quality manager, Nespresso * Claire Petit, climate lead for pet nutrition Europe, Mars * Simon Haldrup, co.founder and CEO, Agreena
The conversation was moderated by Tanya Richard, chief operating officer and head of stakeholder engagement, Innovation Forum.
This week: Innovation Forum’s Anamya Anurag and Ian Welsh highlight key emerging themes in the food and beverage industry, specifically in North America. They discuss the growing importance of resilience in food security, highlighting innovations like blockchain for supply chain transparency and AI-driven technologies in agriculture that enhance sustainability and efficiency.
Plus: insights from Arohi Sharma at the Natural Resources Defence Council. In conversation with Ian at the Future of Food and Beverage USA forum in 2024, she talks about the critical need for agricultural policy reform to address climate change and promote sustainable farming practices in the US.
To learn more about food innovations, join us at the future of food and beverage forum USA (Minneapolis, 28-29 May) . Click here.
This week: Kiff Gallagher, executive director of the Global Heat Reduction Initiative, talks with Ian Welsh about how to improve traditional climate accounting models to take account of pollutants beyond carbon dioxide that can have significantly greater impact.
Plus: why tariffs may hinder Brazil's climate finance efforts; UK food execs warn of looming crisis; expert warns against blanket bans on all PFAS; and, new EU and UK packaging laws shift recycling costs to producers, in the news digest, by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Seanicaa Edwards Herron, executive director at NGO Freedmen Heirs Foundation, talks with Innovation Forum’s Diana Kim about the financial challenges faced by minority farmers in the US and how they can be tackled. They discuss barriers such as lack of collateral and complex application processes that hinder access to financing and land ownership. Seanicaa shares insights on innovative funding mechanisms and how consumers can support equitable farming practices.
This week: Innovation Forum's Diana Kim and Hannah Oborne discuss latest trends within the food and beverage industry in delivering sustainable food systems. They highlight key barriers to success and share successful case studies which will be discussed further at the future of food and beverage forum in Amsterdam in May.
Plus: insights from the 2024 food forum with Dorothy Shaver at Unilever. In conservation with Ian Welsh, they talk about the importance of innovative product development, regenerative agriculture practices, and supporting farmers for long-term food security.
Host: Diana Kim
This week: Sebastian Munden, chair of environmental NGO WRAP, talks with Ian Welsh about the potential of circular plastics and how innovative design can significantly reduce plastic waste. They share insight about the role of regulatory frameworks in shaping sustainable packaging strategies and the need for a radical shift in consumer behaviour to truly drive change.
Plus: UK faces surge in plastic bag waste; historic drought threatens global food security; US farmers suffer $20 billion in losses; US funding cuts threaten global conservation efforts; and, Dutch NGO sues ING over climate inaction, in the news digest.
Host: Ellen Atiyah
Willemijn Peeters, CEO and founder of Searious Business, talks with Ian Welsh about the evolving landscape of sustainable packaging. They discuss how major brands and retailers can transition to environmentally sustainable packaging solutions that are also financially viable. Willemijn emphasises the importance of a mindset shift towards circular approaches and the role of legislation in driving change.
This week: Innovation Forum’s Lia Da Giau and Ian Welsh highlight the growing integration of research and development commercial value within the packaging sector, driven by legislation such as Extended Producer Responsibility and Deposit Return Schemes. They discuss exciting innovations in flexible packaging, particularly from the likes of Unilever, which are focusing on reducing material complexity while enhancing functionality.
Plus: Dieuwertje Nelissen, chief program officer at Enviu, talks with Lia about the Mission Reuse Coalition’s efforts to transition from a disposable economy to a circular one, emphasising the importance of reusable and refillable packaging solutions. They highlight latest progress, including new legislation and successful pilot projects, plus factors needed for broader adoption.
Host: Ian Welsh
At the recent Responsible Sourcing and Ethical Trade Forum in London, industry experts joined Ian Welsh to share key takeaways from the conference. They discussed supply chain frameworks for human rights remediation, the current regulatory landscape, and progress on worker protection and responsible recruitment.
Hear from:
- 00:59 – Duncan Warner, senior responsible sourcing and human rights manager, ASDA
- 05:22 – Lise Smit, business and human rights adviser, Norton Rose Fulbright
- 12:46 – Andrey Sawchenko, regional vice president forced labor programs, Asia Pacific, International Justice Mission
- 17:21 – James Sinclair, director of human rights, Verisk Maplecroft
In this webinar recording, experts discuss the emerging supply shortages, investment trends, and the impact of geopolitics on the future of transition metals crucial to the climate agenda.
As demand for critical minerals surges due to accelerating clean energy initiatives, the landscape is becoming increasingly complex. Current and looming supply gaps are emerging alongside shifting political dynamics that are pivotal to the climate transition. In this webinar, the panel explored supply gaps, the projected investment trends, and how geopolitical factors are shaping the future of critical minerals.
Hear insights from:* Anna Fleming, consulting project manager, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence * Caroline Avan, head of just transition and natural resources, Business and Human Rights Resource Centre * Jonathan Horrell, group head of sustainability, The Weir Group
To continue the conversation, secure your place at the inaugural critical minerals innovation forum (London, 5-6 November). Click here for information on how to get involved.
This week: Colin Browne, CEO of Cascale, talks with Ian Welsh, exploring the state of sustainability in the apparel and textile sector. They discuss the challenges of decarbonisation, impact of emerging legislation and share insight on how companies can navigate trade disruptions and prepare for the future of sustainable supply chains.
Plus: companies drop “ESG” term but sustain green efforts; US farmers struggle as USDA funding freeze hits; companies raise climate targets but struggle with scope 3; and, nutri-score gains support despite EU rejection, in the news digest, by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Sajeev Mohankumar, senior climate and biodiversity specialist at the FAIRR Initiative, talks with Ian Welsh about key findings from the initiative’s latest report on climate and nature-based interventions in agriculture. They discuss the importance of investors in driving change by assessing material risks and transitioning to net-zero solutions. They highlight the benefits of nature-based interventions over tech-based ones, particularly in livestock production, while addressing the barriers to funding and adoption of these solutions.
This week: Innovation Forum’s Niamh Campbell and Ian Welsh talk about key themes shaping the apparel sector in 2025. They discuss the shifting legislation, greenwashing crackdowns, supply chain resilience and innovations in next-gen materials.
Plus: at the 2024 apparel conference, CottonConnect’s Alison Ward and Ian explored how to deliver climate resilience in cotton farming. They discussed sustainable practices, the role of technology, local adaptation, and government influence in shaping a more resilient and regenerative cotton supply chain.
Host: Ian Welsh
Alison, Niamh and Ian will be at this year’s sustainable apparel and textiles conference in Amsterdam on 29-30 April. Click here for information on how to get involved.
Rob Nicholls from Musim Mas, Livelihoods Venture's Sébastien de Royer and Rizki Pandu Parma at NGO SNV, talk with Ian Welsh about the transformative efforts in regenerative agriculture within the palm oil sector. They explore how multi-stakeholder collaborations are reshaping traditional practices and empowering smallholder farmers in Sumatra. They discuss the challenges of soil degradation, the importance of sustainable farming techniques, and the innovative financial solutions being developed to support farmers through replanting phases.
This week: Seanicaa Edwards-Herron, executive director at NGO Freedmen Heirs Foundation, talks with Innovation Forum’s Diana Kim about the challenges minority farmers face in securing financing and land ownership. They explore innovative funding models, the role of agtech, and how consumers and companies can support equitable and resilient food systems.
Plus: at the responsible sourcing and ethical trade forum in London this week, Lise Smit from Norton Rose Fulbright talks with Ian Welsh about the EU’s evolving regulatory landscape. They discuss the omnibus regulation proposal and its implications for corporate due diligence and supply chain responsibilities.
Host: Ian Welsh
Innovation Forum's Natasha Bodnar and Ian Welsh talk about the responsible sourcing and ethical trade forum, coming up in London this week. Key topics include the importance of survivor voices in modern slavery discussions and the collaboration between responsible sourcing professionals and procurement teams.
And, another chance to hear Peter McAllister, Ethical Trade Initiative, and Sam Ludlow-Taylor from John Lewis Partnership reflecting on key discussions at the 2024 conference. In conversation with Ian Welsh, among the topics they explore include the effectiveness of social audits in manufacturing versus agriculture, highlighting the unique challenges each sector faces.
Host: Ian Welsh
This week: Willemijn Peeters, CEO and founder of Searious Business talks with Ian Welsh about what a sustainable approach to packaging looks like. They discuss how businesses can transition to circular systems by prioritising design for reuse and recycling while considering existing infrastructures.
Plus: Brazil's highway sparks outrage before COP30; Ghana's cocoa crisis fuels illegal gold mining; rising biodiesel demand threatens palm oil supply; and, California revises plastic rules amid cost concerns, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.
Continue the conversation with Willemijn at the Sustainable Packaging Innovation Forum in Amsterdam (6-7 May) to explore practical solutions and innovations in sustainable packaging. Click here for information on how to get involved.
Andrew Wallis, CEO of Unseen talks with Ian Welsh about the critical role businesses play in addressing modern slavery. Andrew discusses the importance of transparency, effective governance and collaboration with stakeholders to ensure human rights are upheld in supply chains. They highlight the need for stronger legislation and proactive corporate responsibility as essential steps toward eradicating forced labour.
This week: Ian Welsh speaks with David Antonioli, former CEO of Verra and founder of Transition Finance about the state of play in the carbon markets. They discuss the foundational work being done to improve market integrity, greenwashing concerns and long-term decarbonization strategies.
Plus, Ian discusses Scope 3 supply chains emissions with Natasha Bodnar. Key challenges include financing decarbonization and improving emissions data transparency. Initiatives such as green supply chain financing and AI-driven lifecycle assessments are emerging to help companies tackle these challenges.
For more insights on Scope 3 and supply chain decarbonization, join Innovation Forum’s Scope 3 Innovation Forum in Amsterdam on June 3-4.
Host: Ian Welsh
To read the report mentioned in this episode, click here: https://tranfin.com/home/resources
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Aidan Maguire, coalition program manager at the Plastic Pollution Coalition, talks with Ian Welsh about some examples of innovative new materials that can replace plastic at scale. They also discuss the outcomes from the INC-5 meetings and share insights on the need for ambitious treaties to address plastic production and harmful chemical use.
This week: Sajeev Mohankumar, from investor group the FAIRR initiative, talks with Ian Welsh about his research into on-farm interventions for livestock climate and nature risks. In particular, he compares the effectiveness of nature-based and tech-based interventions.
Plus: major migrant worker abuse issues in food supply chains; the European Commission goes cold on nutri-score food labelling; EU omnibus regulation; successful reusable cup trial in California; and, how greenhushing is going mainstream, in the news digest, by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Sajeev Mohankimar will be at the Future of Food and Beverage USA in Minneapolis on 28-29 May. To continue the conversation, secure your spot here.
To discover further analysis from the FAIRR initiative, view the full report here.
This week: Innovation Forum’s Hannah Oborne and Ian Welsh highlight latest trends in the food and beverage industry. They discuss the implications of the EU’s omnibus regulation and share key examples of innovations and collaborations from organisations such as Unilever and TechnoServe.
Plus: Agreena’s CEO and co-founder Simon Haldrup talks with Ellen Atiyah about how technology is revolutionising approaches to climate-smart agriculture and the importance of verified data.
And, a preview of the recording of Innovation Forum’s recent next-gen packaging materials webinar. Hear from ex-Just Eat Takeaway.com Robin Clark, talking about how their partnership with Notpla has developed.
Host: Ian Welsh
To join the conversation on the latest food innovations and partnership, secure your place at the future of food and beverage forum in Amsterdam on 13-14 May. Click here for full registration details.
Click here to join a complimentary webinar with Agreena, discussing how technology can power data-driven sustainability in food systems. Register here.
This week: Jeff Milder from the Accountability Framework initiative and Louise Nakagawa from Brazilian NGO Imaflora talk with Ian Welsh about the AFi’s public consultation to refine guidance for responsible supply chains. They discuss the challenges of aligning sustainability standards, improving traceability, and supporting smallholder inclusion in ethical commodity production.
Plus: Kresse Wesling from Elvis and Kresse speaking at the 2024 sustainable apparel and textiles conference in Amsterdam about upcycling and driving sustainability in fashion, and the urgent need for better industry practices and regulation.
And, the EU sets new food and textile waste targets; the US nears mineral deal with Ukraine; the European Commission shifts agri-food policy away from strict environmental goals; UN biodiversity talks kick off in Rome; and climate change worsens bird flu outbreaks, in the news digest with Ellen Atiyah.
French sporting goods brand Decathlon’s head of environmental evaluation, Quentin Badenelle, shares his experiences implementing the requirements of the EU’s product environmental footprint. In conversation with Ian Welsh, he explores how PEF metrics can transform product design, supply chain transparency and consumer trust in sustainability claims.
Circularity has the potential to reshape industries, reduce waste, and regenerate nature. But when it comes to the social side, is it advancing a just transition, or does it risk deepening global inequalities? This webinar discussion took a holistic approach to circularity to explore how circular systems can empower workers, foster economic resilience, and drive sustainable growth for the triple bottom line—people, planet, and profit.
Hear insights from:* Carmen Gama, director of circularity, Eileen Fisher * Dr Hakan Karaosman, associate professor at Cardiff University and co-founder of FReSCH * Paul Kerssens, COO and co-founder, United Repair Centre
This week: Ian Welsh and Innovation Forum’s Niamh Campbell talk about the tension between regulatory uncertainty and the need for innovation within the fashion industry. Despite these hurdles, new partnerships are driving progress in, for example, ethical sourcing, recycled materials and regenerative cotton initiatives.
Plus: a preview of the recording of Innovation Forum’s recent apparel sector circularity webinar. Hear from Carmen Gama at Eileen Fisher, talking about the brand’s take back programme.
Host: Ian Welsh
To join the conversation on the latest textile innovations and partnership, secure your place at thesustainable apparel and textiles conference in Amsterdam on 29-30 April. Click here for full registration details.
Click here to join a complimentary webinar tomorrow, discussing the future of alternative packaging materials in driving circularity. Hear from Notpla, Mondi Group, traceless and ex-Just Eat Takeaway.com. Register here.
A wide variety of companies face significant risks related to human rights in sourcing minerals critical to the energy transition. Join us to explore how businesses can minimise sourcing risks across mining, electronics, EVs, and renewable energy. The panellists discussed practical steps for monitoring, evaluation, and reporting.
Speakers included:* Angela Jorns, head of impact innovation, Fairphone * Shahila Perumalpillai, human rights principal, Anglo American * James Nicholson, head of corporate responsibility, Trafigura * Haajarah Ahmed, manager, International Council Mining and Metal
The conversation was moderated by Ian Welsh, publishing director, Innovation Forum.This webinar is part of 'The reality of critical minerals' series. Click here to view the upcoming events in the series.
This week: Rob Nicholls from Musim Mas, Livelihoods Venture’s Sébastien de Royer and Rizki Pandu Parma at NGO SNV talk with Ian Welsh about a regenerative agriculture programme in Sumatra, Indonesia – Livelihoods Project. They explore the importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships in enhancing smallholder livelihoods and regenerative agriculture in sustainable palm oil production.
Plus: more food price volatility in 2025; Brazil opposes UN shipping levy on cost; global south urges EU to uphold corporate due diligence law while France considers rollback; Indonesia rethinks Paris Agreement commitment, in the news digest with Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Marty Matlock from the University of Arkansas talks with Ian Welsh about how US agriculture can become a climate solution, transitioning to be a net-negative in terms of greenhouse gas. They discuss the innovation in existing farming practices necessary and how farmers can be at the forefront of the transition.
This week: Ian Welsh and Anamya Anurag explores emerging food trends in North America, including farmer inclusion specifically for underrepresented farmers and continued uncertainty around input costs, labour availability and policies.
Plus: a short preview of a interview coming up in the Innovation Forum podcast with palm oil company Musim Mas, social business Livelihood Ventures and impact NGO SNV, discussing regenerative agriculture in Indonesia. Hear from SNV’s Rizki Pandu Parma talk about how farmers are being empowered by region ag projects.
Host: Ian Welsh
Click here for more information on upcoming complimentary webinars.
To learn more about food innovations, join us at the future of food and beverage forum USA (Minneapolis, 28-29 May) . Click here.
This week: Andrew Wallis, CEO of business and human rights NGO Unseen, talks with Ian Welsh about what good practice looks like when companies are engaging on responsible sourcing and ethical trade issues. They discuss the opportunities business can take advantage of and what incoming legislation means for them.
Plus: more calls for delay in EU sustainability regulations; soy sector companies back threatened soy moratorium; why renewable energy's rise is unstoppable; and, EUDR may threaten Scandinavian forestry, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Wayne Jordash, managing partner at Beyond Human Rights Compliance, talks with Ian Welsh about how companies are engaging with evolving business and human rights regulation, particularly from the European Union. Wayne shares advice on how companies can approach risk assessments, what to look out for and the opportunities from this approach.
This week: Ian Welsh and Natasha Bodnar explores the critical link between climate change and human rights. They discuss innovative initiatives from organisations such as La Isla Network, Sainsbury’s, and Fairtrade, which aim to mitigate heat stress and support farmers in adapting to climate challenges, ensuring both worker well-being and supply chain resilience.
Plus: an interview preview with Andrew Wallis, CEO of UK anti-modern slavery charity Unseen, on the key drivers for corporate action on human rights.
Host: Ian Welsh
To learn more about innovative responsible sourcing initiatives, join La Isla Network, Sainsbury’s, Fairtrade and many more at the responsible sourcing and ethical trade forum (London, 19-20 March). Click here.
Click here for more information on upcoming complimentary webinars.
This week: Aidan Maguire, coalition programme manager at the Plastics Pollution Coalition, talks with Ian Welsh about latest innovative material solutions that could transform the packaging industry. They explore the challenge of developing alternatives to traditional plastics for packaging and debate the scalable solutions that are emerging.
Plus: EUDR tightens paper packaging rules; the EU's omnibus regulation raises supply chain risk concerns; and, microplastics found in 99% of seafood, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
To continue the conversation on packaging solutions, join us in Amsterdam at the Sustainable Packaging Innovation Forum on 6-7 May. Click here for more information.
Click here for more information on upcoming complimentary webinars.
Marina Ettl and Simon Pogson from fertiliser business Yara International talk with Ian Welsh about how to maintain healthy soil. They discuss what best practice collaboration with growers looks like and how to conduct soil health data analysis, and highlight which specific data points farmers should focus on.
This week: Ellen Atiyah and Ian Welsh reflect on the outcomes from the recent European Union Deforestation Regulation webinar series, which discussed the impact of the delay will have over the coming months on value chains across the palm oil, soy, coffee and cocoa sectors.
And Lia Da Giau and Ian take about innovation in sustainable packaging. They highlight examples of material innovation and post-consumer waste management.
Host: Ian Welsh
For information on how to get involved at the sustainable packaging innovation forum in May in Amsterdam, click here.
Click here for more information on upcoming complimentary webinars.
This week: Marty Matlock, professor at the University of Arkansas, talks with Ian Welsh about latest research on soil sequestration, nitrogen use efficiency and regenerative farming. They reveal how existing farming practices could transform agriculture into a climate solution rather than a climate problem.
Plus: World Economic Forum demand urgent cooperation with global risks; UK's deposit return scheme excluding glass sparks debate; South Korea cuts biomass subsidies; and, Bloomberg steps in to cover US Paris climate funding, in the news digest, by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Scott Poynton, CEO and founder of A Different Way, and founder and former CEO of the Earthworm Foundation, talks with Ian Welsh about the past, current and future challenges in achieving robust and sustainable commodity supply chains. The discussion focuses on the evolution of corporate commitments to no deforestation, particularly in palm oil, highlighting key milestones that have shaped the conversation over the past 15 years. From Nestlé's no deforestation pledge in 2010 to Wilmar’s comprehensive policy in 2013, they explore how values-driven decisions by companies have influenced industry standard and practices.
This interview was originally released in two parts in Innovation Forum’s weekly podcast.
This week: a preview of upcoming interview with Marty Matlock from the University of Arkansas discussing how the US agricultural sector can be better than carbon neutral.
Plus: Hannah Oborne and Ian Welsh talk about latest exciting innovations in the food sector, such as dairy alternatives and recyclable food packaging.
And, continuing the conversation on supply chain decarbonisation, Ian is joined by Natasha Bodnar to highlight emerging themes in 2025. They discuss the importance of industry alignment and partnership for net zero success, and ongoing issues of data and reporting fatigue.
Host: Ian Welsh
This week: French sportswear brand Decathlon’s Quentin Badonnel talks with Ian Welsh about the intricacies of product environmental footprinting. They discuss the European Union’s Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) initiative, exploring how Decathlon has embraced standardised life cycle assessments to enhance sustainability practices.
Plus: the US bans some Chinese apparel imports over alleged forced labour in Xinjiang; JBS aspires, not commits, to net-zero by 2040; carbon credits initiative aims to raise $1.5bn to protect the Amazon; the US EPA warns that PFAS in biosolid fertilisers may pose health risks; US withdraw from the Paris Agreement, again, in the news digest with Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
In the second episode of the state of sustainable business series, Brendan May from Robertsbridge reflects with Ian Welsh on the polarisation within sustainability that had developed during 2024. They discuss the challenges of ESG fatigue, the shifting focus of major companies such as Unilever, and the need for a more streamlined approach to sustainability that prioritises material impacts. The conversation also highlights the importance of connecting with broader societal issues while maintaining a clear and positive vision.
Please note: this interview was conducted in late December.
This week: Innovation Forum’s Niamh Campbell and Ian Welsh highlight the upcoming sustainable apparel and textiles conference (Amsterdam, 29th-30th April), featuring thought leaders from leading brands including ASOS, Adidas and Burberry. From actionable strategies for decarbonisation to scaling circularity initiatives, they preview some of the key conference sessions and talk about how to get involved.
Plus: some insights from the 2024 apparel conference from Aldi Sud’s Hasan Uz Zaman, who discusses the company's approach to addressing human rights risks within a global supply chain. He highlights Aldi Sud's commitment to consumer accountability and ethical sourcing, through social auditing and transparency.
Host: Ian Welsh
This week: Marina Ettl and Simon Pogson, from fertiliser business Yara International, talk with Ian Welsh about the role of the careful use of fertilisers in long-tern soil health, and the impact on international food systems.
Plus: alleged child labour in cotton sourced by major apparel brands, such as Adidas and H&M Danish biologists reveal the effective use of ants in combating climate-change-induced crop diseases; nearly 90% of Norwegian new car sales now fully electric vehicles; 2024 was the hottest year ever; and, BBC investigation reveals inhumane working conditions in Shein factories in China, in the news digest, by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Tom Szaky, CEO of TerraCycle, talks with Ian Welsh and discusses the company’s work in global waste management and the circular economy. Tom discusses TerraCycle's focus on recycling non-traditional items and advancing reusable packaging systems to scale reuse systems and the economics of compostable materials. They highlight the need for systemic change and collaboration to address sustainability in packaging at both local and global levels.
Join Tom Szaky and other packaging innovators at the Sustainable Packaging Innovation Forum in Amsterdam on 6th-7th May. Full details here. https://www.innovationforum.co.uk/conferences/sustainable-packaging-eu
This week: Innovation Forum’s Anamya Anurag and Ian Welsh highlight some new themes and features at this year’s future of food and beverage US forum, taking place in Minneapolis on 28th-29th May. They share latest confirmed speakers including senior representatives from General Mills, Danone, Kraft Heinz, USDA, Smithfield Foods, Kellogg Company and many more.
Plus: Kansas farmer Dwane Roth speaking at the 2024 future of food and beverage forum in Minneapolis. He covers the farming challenges on-the-ground and the importance of farmer inclusion in improving agri-food systems, and highlights innovative solutions and collaborate water management efforts to sustain farming for future generations.
Host: Ian Welsh
This week: Ian Welsh talks with Scott Poynton, CEO and founder of A Different Way and founder and former CEO of the Earthworm Foundation. They discuss the current and future challenges, and some positive thoughts as we look into the second half of the decade. Scott highlights how regulation might develop and what companies should do to stay ahead of the curve (listen from 21:06)
Plus: Wayne Jordash, managing partner at Global Rights Compliance, talks about the challenges for business in changing regulatory climates. In conversation with Ian, they discuss the importance of getting risk assessments right (listen from 01:17).
And, Brazil halts Chinese vehicle manufacturer BYD’s factory construction due to labour law violations; UK Business and Trade Select Committee question big brands such as McDonald’s and Shein on their labour rights policies and sourcing practices; UK generated its cleanest electricity ever in 2024, with renewable energy supporting 45% of the country's electricity; and, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil expands its certification scope through a jurisdictional approach, in the news digest, by Ellen Atiyah (listen from 16:29).
Host: Ian Welsh
Tropical Forest Alliance executive director Jack Hurd and Gustavo Idigoras, president of the Argentinian Edible Oils Association, join Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh to discuss the critical role of land use in addressing climate change, particularly in light of recent regulations such as the European Union Deforestation Regulation. They explore how agricultural practices and corporate responsibility can align with sustainability goals, emphasising the potential for cross-sector collaboration to drive meaningful change.
This week: Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh and Natasha Bodnar share some updates about the upcoming responsible sourcing and ethical trade forum, taking place in London on 19th-20th March. They talk about the developing conference agenda and the latest confirmed speakers. For full details on how to get involved, click here.
Plus: a preview of Ian’s conversation with Wayne Jordash, managing partner at Global Rights Compliance. They discuss how companies face challenges in demonstrating compliance with human rights legislation, requiring comprehensive and adaptable risk assessments to meet regulatory demands. The full interview will be in the Innovation Forum podcast on 10th January.
In the third webinar in the 'EUDR unpacked' series, we addressed critical questions surrounding the regulation. This session focused specifically on the impact of EUDR on palm oil and soy plantations, putting these sectors under the spotlight.
Panel:* Heleen Van Den Hombergh, senior policy advisor at IUCN NL, coordinator at Collaborative Soy Initiative * Michelle Desilets, executive director, Orangutan Land Trust * Mansuetus Darto, founder and national board, Indonesia's Palm Oil Smallholder Union (SPKS) * Ruben Brunsveld, deputy director EMEA, Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil * Susanne Fromwald, board member of The Collaborative Soy Initiative, general secretary of Donau Soja * Wei Peng, global head of sustainability - grains & oilseeds, Louis Dreyfus Company * Will Schreiber, representative of the Retail Soy Group, director of 3Keel
The discussion was moderated by Ian Welsh, publishing director of Innovation Forum.
This week: In the latest state-of-sustainable-business series conversation, Brendan May, business expert and founder of Robertsbridge, talks with Ian Welsh about emerging trends for 2025. They highlight disclosure fatigue, and the importance of streamlining business efforts and focus on impactful environmental actions.
Plus: quick-fire insights from palm oil business Golden Agri-Resources chief operating officer Tony Kettinger at the scope 3 innovation forum in Washington DC. In conversation with Ian Welsh, he discusses how value chain actors can collaborate and engagement on decarbonisation.
And, Coca-Cola is retreating on plastic sustainability goals, focusing instead on weaker recycling efforts; theEuropean Union approves the new packaging and packaging waste directive; according to the World Economic Forum, climate change can threaten business on economic loss; the Democratic Republic of Congo has filed criminal complaints against Apple for allegedly using conflict minerals in its supply chain; and, the European parliament signs off the year delay for EU’s Deforestation Regulation, in the news digest, by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Monday briefing: What does best-in-class procurement strategy look like?
This week, Innovation Forum’s Hannah Oborne and Ian Welsh reflect on some of the conversation in Washington DC a at the recent Scope 3 Innovation Forum. And, speaking at the conference, Altruistiq CEO Saif Hameed shares some thoughts on what makes for good supply chain engagement and procurement practices.
Plus: details about the next in the Scope 3 Innovation Forum series, coming up in Amsterdam on 3rd and 4th May 2025.
The postponement of the EUDR deadline offers coffee and cocoa supply chains more time to comply, but what do smallholder farmers think of this delay?
This webinar examined the effects of the newly-proposed December 2025 and June 2026 deadlines, how the delay will affect cocoa and coffee supply chains and the potential win-win outcomes for people, profit and planet. This session focused specifically on the impact of EUDR on coffee and cocoa supply chains, putting these sectors under the spotlight.
Panellists included:
- Antonie Fountain, managing Director and co-founder VOICE Network
- Josephine Ndikwe, founding chairperson, Association of Women in Coffee
- Julia Christian, forests and agriculture campaigner, Fern
- Miguel Gamboa, coffee sector lead, Rainforest Alliance
- Olivier Laboulle, global head of sustainability for coffee, Louis Dreyfus Co
- Pomasi Ismail, council chairman, Cocoa Abrabopa Association (farmer representative)
- Raina Lang, senior director sustainable coffee, Conservation International
The conversation was moderated by Ian Welsh, publishing director, Innovation Forum.
The rapidly escalating problem of plastic pollution poses a significant global challenge, adversely affecting environmental, social economic and health aspects of sustainable development. According to WWF, if current trends continue unchecked and no immediate measures are taken, global plastic waste could almost triple, reaching approximately 1.2 billion tonnes by 2060.
After intense negotiations at INC-5 in Busan, a plastics treaty remains elusive, leaving many feeling disappointed and disheartened. Countries have been unable to finalise a crucial agreement on addressing plastic pollution, after over two years of discussions. As we look ahead to INC5.2, what’s the solution to reaching an agreement? What can the industry do in the meantime to ensure progress on these important matters?
Our expert speakers discussed these questions, the outcome of INC-5 and more. The panel included:* Jodie Roussell, global public affairs lead – packaging & sustainability, Nestlé * Richard Wielechowski, lead analyst on petrochemicals and plastics, Planet Tracker
This webinar was moderated by Ian Welsh, publishing director at Innovation Forum.
This week: Tom Szaky, CEO of recycling innovators Terracycle, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about the current trend towards use of fibre-based packaging, and discusses how reuse and compostable solutions face challenges in scalability, economics and corporate adoption.
Plus: Ian talks with Imogen Fanning from the Zoological Society of London about the latest SPOTT research into the palm oil sector, and in particular the challenges in supporting smallholders and addressing deforestation and biodiversity loss.
And, Mars promotes regenerative agriculture to meet sustainability goals with global partnerships; the European Union proposes reforms to strengthen farmers' rights, fairness and sustainability in agriculture; Microsoft introduces waterless cooling system, aiming for water-positive operations by 2030; and, the Philippines and Bangladesh urge court to declare climate harm a violation of international law, in the news digest, by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Giles Bolton, executive director of the Ethical Trading Initiative, talks with Ian Welsh about the importance of addressing human rights challenges within supply chains, particularly for vulnerable workers such as illegal migrants. They highlight the need for comprehensive human rights due diligence, collaboration among unions, NGOs, and businesses and the impact of recent legislation on corporate accountability.
This week: Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh and Hanna Halmari introduce the upcoming sustainable packaging innovation forum, taking place in Amsterdam on 6th-7th May 2025. They discuss the key conference themes and highlight recently confirmed participants from Nestlé, Berry Global, Heineken, Diageo, TerraCycle and many more.
Plus: reflections from the recent US packaging forum with Cheryl Baldwin from Pure Strategies. In conversation with Ian Welsh, she talks about the role of R&D in sustainable packaging development.
This week: Tropical Forest Alliance's executive director Jack Hurd and Gustavo Idigoras, president of the Argentinian Edible Oils Association, talk with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the importance of measuring land-use footprints. They explore best practices for setting realistic corporate climate targets that drive tangible emission reductions and promote collaboration toward sustainable supply chains. With a focus on the soy sector in Argentina, they explore how industries are adapting to regulatory requirements and address deforestation risks.
Plus: quick fire insights from Kevin Rabinovitch at Mars recorded at the scope 3 innovation forum in Washington DC. In conversation with Ian Welsh, he discusses embedding climate goals into strategies and how to balance ambitious climate targets with actionable strategies.
And, the European Union Deforestation Regulation delay continues to spark mixed reactions; Christmas shopping consumption habits shift towards pre-loved items in the UK; the fifth round of negotiations for the global plastics treaty ends without agreement; and, Italy mandates climate risk insurance for companies starting 2025, in the news digest.
Host: Ellen Atiyah
Alison Kopf, CEO of TRACT, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh at the recent sustainable commodities and land use event, sharing some reflections on the discussions. They discuss the challenges companies face in meeting due diligence requirements amidst (potential) regulatory delays, emphasising the need for proactive investment in risk assessment, technology testing, and collaboration. They also delve into the opportunities of the delay in being able to refine processes, foster inclusivity among smaller producers, and aligning broader sustainability goals.
Please note: this interview was recorded before the European Union Deforestation Regulation was officially postponed.
This week: Innovation Forum’s Niamh Campbell introduces the upcoming 2025 sustainable apparel and textiles USA conference, taking place in New York on 24-25 June. She highlights the focus of the conference and recently confirmed speakers from apparel brands, such as Coach, New Balance, Forever 21, Eileen Fisher and many more.
Plus: hear Alison Ward and Ian Welsh speaking from 2024's sustainable apparel and textiles conference about driving climate resilience in cotton supply chains. They discuss adaptation needed on-the-ground to catalyse this transformation and the importance of a localised approach in delivering each project.
And, Innovation Forum’s Hannah Oborne shares final updates and what to expect at this week’s scope 3 innovation forum in Washington D.C. She shares agenda highlights and greater networking opportunities across the two days at this year's conference.
Host: Ian Welsh
This week: Scott Poynton, CEO and founder of A Different Way, and founder and former CEO of the Tropical Forest Trust, now known as Earthworm, talks with Ian Welsh about the history of the development of corporate no-deforestation commitments and policies. In the first of a two-part interview, they highlight landmark moments from Nestlé's pledge in 2010 to pivotal role of Wilmar in reshaping the palm oil industry.
Plus: discussions of cutting plastic production at INC-5 for the global plastics treaty; collaboration between fashion rental service and food delivery company to deliver clothing to customers; the European Council adopts a ban on forced labour-linked products; and, the European Commission shares plans to streamline ESG regulation, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Jon Copley, professor of ocean exploration and science communication at the University of Southampton, talks with Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb about the urgent demand for essential metals such as copper, lithium and cobalt. They highlight the implications of sourcing these materials, specifically its potential ecological impacts, and the innovative technologies being developed to minimise harm.
This week: Innovation Forum’s Natasha Bodnar introduces the 2025 scope 3 innovation forum, returning to Amsterdam on 11th-12th June. She highlights agenda themes and latest confirmed speakers, click here for information on how to get involved.
Plus: speaking following attendance at COP29, Owen Bethell from Nestlé, gives final reflections on the discussions at the meetings. In conversation with Ian Welsh, he highlights disappointment over the climate finance agreement, while acknowledging the importance of maintaining multilateral discussions.
Host: Ian Welsh
This week: Giles Bolton, executive director of the Ethical Trading Initiative, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about the shifting ethical trading and business and human rights risks and challenges. They discuss why they are getting the board room attention now that has perhaps been lacking in the past.
Plus: the European Council pushes back on the “no-risk” amendment to the European Union Deforestation Regulation; US apparently backtracking on limiting plastic production as the INC-5 global treaty talks in Busan loom; the Welsh government to not take part in the UK’s deposit return scheme; and, a concerns raised at the number of industrial agriculture lobbyists present at COP29, in the news digest, by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Niamh McCarthy from Orbitas, a Climate Advisers initiative, explores with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh the financial implications of climate transitions, focusing on forest, land use and agriculture sectors. They discuss key findings from the latest report by Orbitas and discuss how companies and investors can mitigate risks, leverage climate-smart innovations and seize emerging opportunities while contributing to global climate goals.
In this three-part webinar series, we’ll cut through the noise and tackle these pressing questions. Join us to hear from key experts representing brands, traders, farmers, NGOs and on-the-ground communities.
With the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) deadline now likely to be extended by 12 months, businesses will gain extra time to prepare — but does this delay offer an advantage or merely prolong the uncertainty? Who really benefits from the extra time, and which organisations will suffer losses for trying to get ahead? Will this extension ease the burden, or does it simply push the challenge further down the road?
For the first in the series, this webinar explored the implications of the amended timeline, which now sets the application date for December 30, 2025, for large operators, and June 30, 2026, for micro- and small enterprises. Join industry experts to understand the regulatory landscape, the steps needed to ensure compliance and the implications of the delay.
Hear from: * Dr Julian Oram, policy director, Mighty Earth * Anastasiya Timoshyna, director of the European programme office, TRAFFIC * Issifu Issaka, cocoa farmer, national president of the Ghana Cooperative Cocoa Farmers Association * Niels Wielaard, founder and CEO, Satelligence
Moderated by: Ian Welsh, publishing director, Innovation Forum
This week: Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh and Natasha Bodnar share updates on the upcoming 2025 responsible sourcing and ethical trade forum, taking place in London on 19th-20th March. They discuss latest speaker confirmations and agenda updates to look forward to, including discussions around how to adapt supply chains without leaving smallholders behind, and give detail of an exclusive podcast listener offer. For more information on how to get involved, click here.
Plus: speaking from COP29, Owen Bethell, global public affairs lead for environment at Nestlé, gives some on-the-ground reflections. In conversation with Ian, he discusses the limited progress in the first week but also highlights key breakthroughs such as carbon market agreements and optimism surrounding the broader economic transition toward decarbonisation.
This week: Jon Copley, professor of ocean exploration and science communication at the University of Southampton, talks with Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb about the critical role of net zero metals in the transition to sustainable energy. They discuss the complexities of deep-sea mining and its ecological impacts, and opportunities in securing the metals needed for a low-carbon future.
Plus: COP29 opens in Baku amid controversial statements; Nestlé highlights "fourth wave" of coffee trends; two-thirds of smaller businesses risk falling behind CSRD, according to EcoOnline; and, delay on the European Union Deforestation Regulation implementation confirmed, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Innovation Forum’s Catie Ball, Diana Kim and Emily Heslop talk about the evolving landscape of sustainable commodity regulations and the impact of policies including the European Union Deforestation Regulation, Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. They discuss how these regulations are reshaping supply chain expectations, particularly for commodity producers, and highlight the potential risks to smallholder farmers and challenges for companies in meeting these new standards. The discussion covers global compliance trends, strategies for companies to build resilience, and the balance between genuine sustainability efforts and the risk of greenwashing.
This week: Innovation Forum’s Anamya Anurag and Ian Welsh talk about what’s coming up at the just-launched 2025 future of food and beverage USA forum in Minneapolis on May 28th and 29th.
And, speaking at the 2024 conference, KFC’s Nivera Wallanni, chief development officer, and Nira Johri, chief sustainability officer, talk with Ian about how the brand has developed sustainability strategy in lock-step with other business development strategy.
This week: at the recent sustainable commodities and land use forum, CEO of TRACT, Allison Kopf, spoke with Ian Welsh about how companies are updating their compliance and due diligence procedures. They also talk about the impacts of potential European Union deforestation regulation delay.
Plus: quick fire insights from Kresse Wesling, co-founder of Elvis and Kresse, at the 2024 sustainable apparel and textiles conference. She discusses what good sustainability practices look like and how companies can respond to incoming regulation.
And, biodiversity COP16 fails to resolve conservation funding, targets unmet; study suggests natural regeneration outperforms tree planting for biodiversity; and, Swiss consumers favour paying extra for dairy with better animal welfare, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Registrations for the 2025 sustainable apparel and textiles conference in Amsterdam is now open. Click here for information on how to get involved.
Andy Griffiths, global head of sustainable procurement at Diageo, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about the company’s efforts to integrate regenerative agriculture into its global supply chains. They explore the challenges and opportunities of implementing regenerative agriculture, from sourcing raw materials including barley and agave, to rethinking packaging for environmental impact.
This week: Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh and Niamh Campbell talks about what’s new at the sustainable apparel and textiles conference, taking place in Amsterdam on 29th-30th April 2025. They outline the agenda featuring diverse speakers, interactive sessions and the many ways attendees can engage deeply with critical issues.
Plus: insights from the previous conference with Christine Goulay and Amy Nguyen about latest industry trends and the importance of circularity and transparency in the supply chain.
Host: Ian Welsh
This week: Niamh McCarthy from Orbitas, a Climate Advisers initiative, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about new research into climate transitions in the land economy, focusing on agriculture and forestry in particular, and market, reputational and technology trends.
Plus: at the sustainable packaging innovation forum in Philadelphia this week, Ian spoke with David Clark, chief sustainability officer at packaging manufacturer Amcor, about how industry and regulatory actions can transform packaging to reduce waste and foster environmental responsibility.
And, Oxfam urges taxes on wealthy to reduce carbon emissions; WRAP and Primark launch initiative to boost textile circularity and reduce waste; Kering, GSK and Holcim set first-ever science-based targets for freshwater and land conservation; and, Mighty Earth links UK chicken supply chains to South American deforestation concerns, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Click here for more information on Orbitas’ climate transitions research.
In the first installment of a new series on sustainability, business expert and Robertsbridge founder Brendan May joins Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh to explore the current turning point for sustainable business practices and the reasons behind some companies’ reduced ambitions. They delve into the political factors influencing sustainability efforts, the burdens of extensive reporting demands, and how the roles of NGOs are evolving.
This week: Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Natasha Bodnar introduces the upcoming responsible sourcing and ethical trade forum in London (19-20 March 2025). They discuss details on latest confirmed speakers and 2025 conference themes. Registrations are now open, click here for more information
Plus: Ian Welsh also speaks with Innovation Forum's Hanna Halmari about what to expect at this week's sustainable packaging innovation forum in Philadelphia (29-30 October). Click here for information on how to get involved, registrations are closing soon.
Host: Ian Welsh
Nature-based solutions (NBS) play a pivotal role in delivering tangible impact and addressing corporate sustainability commitments.
To achieve progress around nature protection, restoration and emissions mitigation at scale, collaboration between industry actors is also key.
In this webinar, we explored the real-life applications of NBS through the eyes of various stakeholders, to understand how companies can deliver large-scale, long-term solutions that fulfil their sustainability objectives, while also benefitting biodiversity and improving people’s livelihoods.
Our panel of experts included:* Martin Huxtable, global sustainable sourcing director, Unilever. * Emily Kunen, senior director, positive agriculture capabilities & forest risk, PepsiCo. * Michal Zrust, founder and CEO, Lestari Capital. * Andika Putraditama, director, Rimba Collective.
The discussion was moderated by Ian Welsh, publishing director, Innovation Forum.
This week: Innovation Forum's associate Catie Ball, talks with Diana Kim and Emily Heslop about the opportunities and risks the European Union Deforestation Regulation, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive pose. In particular, they discuss potential impacts on smallholder farmers and suppliers in less-developed nations, and the unintended consequences from these regulations.
Plus: Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh and Tanya Richard share some reflections from this week’s sustainable commodities and land use forum in Amsterdam. They discuss the challenges and potential benefits from a delay in EUDR’s full implementation, and the importance of aligning value chain sustainability efforts with biodiversity and long-term incentives.
Host: Ian Welsh
How can companies create value by aligning their business models with the well-being of partner communities? USAID and the private sector are collaborating through the initiative HEARTH to implement sustainable development activities that conserve biodiversity and improve the well-being of communities.
"People flourish in healthy landscapes; conservation succeeds when local people benefit."
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) launched the Health, Ecosystems, and Agriculture for Resilient, Thriving Societies (HEARTH) program, a pioneering global public-private partnership initiative. HEARTH aligns with USAID’s strategic priorities in Biodiversity Conservation, Climate Change, Private Sector Engagement, Indigenous Peoples, Resilience, Food Security, and Global Health.
HEARTH activities are currently operating in 12 countries: Angola, Bangladesh, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, Peru, and Zambia, leveraging over $85 million in support from private sector partners. Each project is tailored to specific goals, often involving at least two partners, such as private sector companies and non-governmental organisations, to collaboratively plan, manage, and track results.
To explore the initiative and its success stories, Innovation Forum and USAID co-hosted a webinar.
The panel included:* Dina Esposito, the assistant to the administrator for USAID’s Bureau for Resilience, Environment, and Food Security * Imam Suharto, head of cocoa sustainability Indonesia, PT. Olam Indonesia * Jean Luc Ramahavelo, monitoring and evaluation officer, Ocean Farmers * Elizabeth Daut, natural resources specialist, USAID.
The webinar was moderated by Ian Welsh, publishing director at Innovation Forum.
Niklas Wallsargård, CEO of agri-sector business Improvin', talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about how agri-food companies can measure, report and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity impact of their value chain. They discuss how to best engage with value chain players to go beyond pilot projects and ensure sustainability.
This week: Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh and Hannah Oborne look forward to the scope 3 innovation forum, taking place in Washing DC on December 3rd and 4th. They discuss the confirmed agenda and new participants taking part. Click here for information on how to get involved.
Plus: Innovation Forum’s Emily Heslop discusses with Ian what to expect at this week’s sustainable commodities and land use forum in Amsterdam. Registrations is still possible, click here for details.
Host: Ian Welsh
This week: Diageo’s head of sustainable procurement, Andy Griffiths, talks with Ian Welsh about the company's rolling out of regenerative agriculture in various supply chains, and the challenges of making packaging more sustainable.
Plus: Starbucks acquires more innovation farms to develop climate-resistant coffee; glass bottles will be excluded from the England's deposit return scheme; 225 NGOs urge the European parliament to reject the EUDR delay proposal; and, why natural carbon sinks are no longer effective, in the news digest, with Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Alternative protein business InsectBiotech’s co-founder Ignacio Gavilan talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about the company's approach to turning agricultural waste into protein and fertiliser using black soldier fly larvae. They discuss the potential of insect protein to reduce dependency on soy and fish meal in animal feed industries.
This week: Elizabeth Daut, natural resources specialist at USAID, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ellen Atiyah about the HEARTH initiative and how it is driving sustainable development on the ground. To find out more, join the complimentary webinar on 16th October at 2pm CET.
And, Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh and Hannah Oborne introduce the future of food and beverage forum, returning to Amsterdam on 13th and 14th May 2025. They discuss some of the new agenda points and confirmed speakers so far. Click here for information about how to get involved.
Host: Ian Welsh
This week: The first in a new state-of-sustainability series, Brendan May, business expert and founder of Robertsbridge, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about the apparent current crossroads for sustainable business and why some companies are scaling back on their ambitions. They discuss the political dynamics affecting sustainability efforts, the challenges of excessive reporting requirements, and the shifting roles of NGOs.
Plus: supermarkets' recycling schemes fail to deal with soft plastics; UK pledges £21.7bn for carbon capture initiatives; climate change impacts water availability and agriculture globally; and, EUDR enforcement delay remains likely, in the news digest, by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Roel van Poppel and Christopher Stewart from global food ingredients supplier ofi talk with Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb about the company's Choices for Change strategy. They share insights on ofi’s ambitious 2030 targets for farmer prosperity, climate action and regenerative agriculture, emphasising how data-driven decisions and partnerships are key to transforming supply chains and creating positive impact.
This week: Innovation Forum’s Ellen Atiyah speaks with Andika Putraditama, director of the Rimba Collective at Lestari Capital, about how nature-based solutions can help deliver corporate sustainability commitments, ahead of a webinar on 17th October. They discuss the partnerships, challenges and opportunities driving nature-based solution models, and how corporates are linking commodity sourcing to ecosystem services and advancing sustainability efforts.
Plus: ahead of the Sustainable Packaging Innovation Forum USA in Philadelphia on 29th and 30th October, another chance to hear Ian Welsh talking about prospects for a Global Plastics Pact with Llorenç Milà i Canals, head of secretariat of the Life Cycle Initiative at the UN Environment Programme at the 2023 conference in Amsterdam.
In this episode, host Ian Welsh speaks with Nathan Truitt, executive vice president for climate funding at the American Forest Foundation. They explore the vital role of family-owned forests in the U.S., which comprise nearly 40% of all forested land, and how empowering these individual landowners can lead to significant conservation outcomes, including enhanced carbon sequestration and improved biodiversity.
This week: Ian Welsh speaks with Niklas Wallsargård, CEO of agri-sector business Improvin’, about how granular on-farm data can help companies measure and monitor sustainability impacts, and why traceability and farmer engagement are key to scaling positive change.
Plus, updates on the potential delay of the EUDR, criticism of the Common Agricultural Policy, and ASDA’s expanding partnership with Too Good To Go to combat food waste, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
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This week: Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh and Emily Heslop talk about what to expect at the sustainable commodities and land use forum coming up in October. They discuss latest confirmed speakers from Mars Wrigley, Danone, Unilever and more to incorporate varying corporate perspectives amid the looming deadline of EUDR.
Plus: some reflections from last year’s sustainable commodities forum, CEO of Roundtable on Sustainable Palm oil, Joseph D’Cruz, shares with Ian on the impact of EUDR for the palm oil sector and the persistent importance of certifications to respond to the rigorous regulatory requirements.
Host: Ian Welsh
There’s still time to join us at the sustainable commodities and land use forum (Amsterdam, 22-23 October). Click here for information on how to get involved.
This week: in the first in story of a startup series, alternative protein business InsectBiotech’s co-founder Ignacio Gavilan talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about why alternative sources of low-impact protein are necessary, and the potential of what is currently waste as feedstock.
Plus: packaging waste expert John Kotlarczyk, formerly of Walgreen Boots Alliance, shares sustainable packaging trends on the rise as business prioritise sustainability. He also shares persistent challenges with material trade-offs such as paperisation and carbon emissions.
And, California sues Exxon Mobil for misleading practices on plastic recycling; California bans all plastic shopping bags, closing previous loopholes; and, South America’s forest fires surge, driven by drought and illegal deforestation, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
In this episode of the Innovation Forum podcast, host Ian Welsh speaks with Jonathan Sullivan, vice president of commercial sustainability, and Stella Shea, chief Scientist at Agmatix. They discuss Agmatix's role in digitising solutions for the agricultural sector, highlighting their commitment to using credible science and practical agronomy to drive innovation.
This week: Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh and Hanna Halmari share latest updates on the upcoming sustainable packaging innovation forum (Philadelphia, 29-30 October). They discuss agenda and speaker highlights including industry-focused roundtable and regulation-focused discussions.
Plus: some reflections from last year’s packaging conference in Amsterdam, when Daniel Katz from the Overbook Foundation talked with Ian about the reality of deposit return schemes and how to align incentives across stakeholders.
This week: Roel van Poppel and Christopher Stewart from food ingredients supplier ofi talk with Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb about their recent sustainability strategy launch. They explore how it will shape the company’s collaboration with farmer suppliers and customers across diverse sourcing landscapes, as well as the role of stakeholder engagement in gathering positive and constructive feedback during the strategy launch.
Plus: delay or no delay tug-of-war continues for EUDR in the EU and beyond; and, over 500 financial institutes calls governments to strengthen climate and nature policies ahead of COP29, in the news digest by Innovation Forum’s Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
In this webinar, we discussed the evolving regulatory environment impacting commodity supply chains. As new regulations like the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D) come into play, it’s essential for businesses to understand and adapt to these changes.
Our expert panel shared their insights and strategies for compliance:* Belinda Borck, global public policy coordinator, Tony’s Open Chain * Pallavi Sharma, agricultural commodities sector lead, Global Rights Compliance * Felipe Carazao, head of public sector engagement & alliance management, Tropical Forest Alliance
This webinar was moderated by Ian Welsh, publishing director at Innovation Forum.
This webinar was organised ahead of the Sustainable Commodities and Land Use Forum. To continue the conversation, join us in Amsterdam on 22-23 October. Click here for information on how to get involved.
Krishna Manda, vice president of sustainability at sustainable cellulose textiles manufacturer Lenzing Group, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about the complexities in achieving net zero emissions in the textile industry. They discuss the critical role of science-based targets in aligning organisational efforts and the innovative strategies needed to tackle significant challenges, particularly in decarbonising heat demand.
This week: Innovation Forum’s Emily Heslop and Ian Welsh share the latest updates on the upcoming sustainable commodities and land use forum in Amsterdam, 22nd-23rd October. They talk about agenda and speaker highlights coming up, specifically focusing on discussions around regenerating nature and biodiversity. Click here for information on how to get involved. And do listen out for a special podcast listeners discount.
Plus: insights from Golden Agri-Resources’ chief sustainability and communications officer Anita Neville, speaking with Ian at last year’s forum. She discusses what the implementation of EU deforestation regulation could look like at the end of 2024 and consequences business should be looking out and prepare for.
This week: Nathan Truitt, executive vice president for climate and funding at the American Forest Foundation, talks with Ian Welsh to discuss the crucial role of family-owned forests in North America's carbon sequestration efforts. They explore how effective forest management can significantly increase carbon absorption, the complexities faced by small landowners, and the potential of voluntary carbon markets in financing sustainable forest practices.
Plus: most companies fall short on climate targets, according to the Transition Pathway Initiative; two in five UK companies now prioritising net zero transition; investors urged to protect biodiversity-rich areas; and, Verra reinstates Cambodian REDD+ project after human rights review, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Laura Satkowski, senior product manager at CIBO Technologies, talks with Ian Welsh about how innovative financing models can support farmers to adopt more sustainable agricultural practices. They discuss challenges and opportunities in blending public and private sector programmes to provide long-term financial support and technical expertise for growers. They also highlight the importance of creating streamlined processes and leveraging data to enhance programme accessibility and impact.
This week: Ian Welsh talks with Innovation Forum’s Hannah Oborne about this year’s scope 3 innovation forum USA (in Washington DC, 3rd-4th December), which will focus on how business transformation, supply chain innovation and low-carbon solutions can deliver scope 3 reduction on the road to net zero. Click here for information on how to get involved.
Plus: insights from Henkel’s chief procurement officer, Bertrand Conqueret at the scope 3 innovation forum in Amsterdam earlier in 2024. He discusses how procurement's leadership in sustainability requires collaboration, data transparency, and an integrated all-systems approach.
Join the adaptation to regulation webinar on Thursday 12th September with Tony's Open Chain, Global Rights Compliance and Tropical Forest Alliance.
This week: Shai Sela and Jonathan Sullivan from agriculture sector data solutions business Agmatix talk with Ian Welsh about the future of regenerative agriculture, the challenges and opportunities it presents. They discuss the new data-driven RegenIQ framework for promoting sustainable farming practices.
Plus: NGOs challenge EU climate targets in court; Capri Sun criticised for opposing plastic straw ban; push for consensus as plastics treaty deadline nears; Nestlé unveils recyclable packaging for Nescafé and Vital Proteins; and, eBay hosts runway show for pre-loved fashion, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Matthew Spencer, global director of landscapes at IDH, talks with Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb about implementing landscape and jurisdictional approaches for sustainable land management. They share practical insights on stakeholder engagement, overcoming political challenges and scaling successful landscape models, using real-world examples from Kenya, Brazil and more.
This week: Krishna Manda, vice president of a sustainable cellulose manufacturer Lenzing, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about challenges in meeting corporate climate targets and strategies for decarbonisation in the apparel sector. They discuss progress so far, the importance of risk sharing between brands and suppliers, and context-specific roadmaps for sector-wide decarbonisation.
Plus: Ikea trials second-hand online marketplace; India's sugar industry faces scrutiny; major Japanese bank under fire for loans linked to deforestation; and, World Water Week draws to a close, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Innovation Forum’s Tanya Richard and Ian Welsh talk about best practices to engage with stakeholders. They discuss the growing need for transparency and authenticity to build trust among stakeholders, and to bring in critical voices to co-create solutions that incorporate various perspectives and geographies across their supply chain.
This week: Laura Satkowski, senior product manager at CIBO Technologies, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about some of the challenges for growers accessing finance — from public and private sectors — to enable more sustainable and regenerative agriculture practices.
Plus: US shifts to support plastic production limits in global treaty; UK supermarket Tesco's F&F clothing introduces digital passports for supply chain transparency; AI causing a surge in water use in Virginia; and, UK sets base fees for extended producer responsibility for packaging, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Indigo Ag’s senior director of remote sensing and data inference, Nick Malizia, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about the evolving role of remote sensing in agriculture. They discuss the transformative potential of remote sensing for precision agriculture, and of AI in unlocking even greater insights in the future.
This week: Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh talks with Sarah Jackson about some of the pressing issues within the packaging industry in the US that will be discussed at this year’s Sustainable Packaging Innovation Forum (Philadelphia, 29-30 October). Click here for information on how to get involved.
Plus: a recap from last year’s packaging conference, when Ian Welsh spoke with Nestlé’s Jodie Roussell about how the sector is shifting towards tougher mandatory compliance standards. In the lead up to the sustainable packaging innovation forum, we are hosting a complimentary webinar assessing the challenges in reuse and refill schemes on 21st August at 3pm BST. Click here to join us.
This week: IDH’s global director of landscapes talks with Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb about the practicalities and challenges of implementing a landscape or jurisdictional approach to commodity sourcing. They discuss insights into how business and stakeholders can align their efforts for long-term sustainability and environmental protection, emphasising the importance of collaboration at both local and governmental levels.
Plus: cocoa giants including Mars Wrigley, Ferrero and Tony’s Chocoloney back EUDR amid calls for delay; Nestlé's cocoa plan expands to Ghana to boost yield and farmer incomes; Adidas, PVH, Zalando join Fashion for Good’s circular footwear initiative; and, global wind targets fall short of tripling goal, according to an environmental group Ember, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
IDH will be at the upcoming sustainable commodities and land use forum in Amsterdam (22nd-23rdOctober). If you’d like to continue the conversation, click here for more information on how to get involved.
Ian Welsh talks with John Kotlarczyk, a waste management expert, about the evolving landscape of sustainable packaging. They discuss emerging trends such as biodegradable packaging, the impact of regulatory changes in the US and EU, and the future of single-use plastics. John emphasises the need for cross-industry collaboration to develop practical solutions while navigating consumer expectations and regulatory challenges.
This week: Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh talks with Emily Heslop about the latest updates for this year’s sustainable commodities and land use forum, which will focus on how to transform agriculture for climate and nature resilient supply. Click here for information on how to get involved.
Plus: a recap of last year’s sustainable commodities and land use forum, when Ian Welsh spoke with some expert participants about the how businesses are reacting to the incoming EU deforestation regulation. Hear from Anita Neville from Golden Agri-Resources and Musim Mas’ Olivier Tichit.
Innovation Forum’s Tanya Richard and Ian Welsh talk about what organisations can do to engage different stakeholder groups to co-create solutions, avoid greenwash and develop effective two-way stakeholder communication strategy.
Plus: apparel brands and retailers lagging on emissions targets says Fashion Revolution; palm oil is commodity most ready for EUDR; and, UK pledges DRS scheme for PET bottles, steel and aluminium cans, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Ian Welsh talks with Natalie Betts, assistant vice president for sustainability at the Recycled Materials Association, about how recyclers can help drive more sustainable packaging. They discuss the importance of better guidance for business and consumers, and more consistent approaches to recycling across different municipalities.
This week: Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh spoke with Nicholas Malizia, a remote sensing expert at Indigo Ag. They discuss the rise and trends of remote sensing technology, and the role this tech has played in the agriculture sector. They delve into how this technology, which has evolved significantly since its early days, is now a critical tool for sustainability initiatives and helping farmers optimise their operations.
Plus: UK beaches are getting cleaner, major airline scraps its 2030 SBTi target, Walmart's innovative food waste solution and First Solar's breakthrough in technology, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.
Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh speaks with Anne Rosenbarger, global engagement manager for supply chains at the World Resources Institute, and TRACT's CEO, Allison Kopf, to explore the transformative role of data in the food and agriculture sector. From the importance of traceability to the challenges posed by new regulations, they delve into how data collection and analysis are shaping the future of sustainable farming. They discuss how businesses can use data to not only comply with regulations but also drive real impact and innovation in their supply chains.
This week: Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh talks with Hannah Oborne about what to expect at this year's scope 3 innovation forum in Washington DC, which will focus on how business can tackle supply chain emissions. They also reveal a special discount for listeners – just use code podcast100. Click here for information on how to get involved.
Plus: a recap of last year's scope 3 innovation forum, when Ian Welsh spoke with some expert participants about progress on the finance sector's climate and nature disclosure requirements and what good data tools look like. Hear from Rabobank's Terryn Lawrence and Saif Hameed from Altruistiq.
This week: Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh talks with packaging and waste expert John Kotlarczyk about evolving landscape of packaging and waste management, emphasising a shift towards sustainability and circular economy principles. They highlight key trends, such as the adoption of fibre-based alternatives, to plastics and regulatory changes impacting recyclability.
Plus: PepsiCo and Yara partner to decarbonise European crop production; Paris Olympics 2024 to halve carbon footprint; Valencia dairy farm gets Europe's first B Corp; and, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Starbucks test reusable cups in California, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
At the recent Scope 3 Innovation Forum in Amsterdam, Anke Kwast, vice-president for regenerative agriculture and climate frameworks at Yara International, speaks with Ian Welsh about the company's efforts to reduce agriculture's environmental impacts through improved nitrogen fertiliser efficiency, renewable energy use and public-private collaboration. They talk about the importance of public-private collaboration and enhanced data infrastructure to support sustainable agricultural practices and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Introduced by Innovation Forum's Diana Kim.
This week: Arohi Sharma, deputy director for regenerative agriculture at Natural Resources Defense Council, spoke with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh on the need for policy reforms to address the root causes of agriculture's impact on climate change. Talking at the recent Innovation Forum in Minneapolis, they highlighted the COVER Act, which incentivises farmers to plant cover crops by reducing insurance premiums, and California’s efforts to incorporate resilience and a holistic approach into its food system.
Plus, hear the latest updates on upcoming events: Sustainable Commodities and Land Use in Amsterdam (23-24 October), Sustainable Packaging in Philadelphia (29-30 October), and Scope 3 Innovation in Washington DC (3-4 December).
This week: Natalie Betts, assistant vice president for sustainability at the Recycled Materials Association, talks with Ian Welsh about the role and impact of recycling in packaging innovation. They discuss the fragmented nature of recycling systems in the US due to local policies and economic factors and emphasise the importance of packaging innovations with recyclability in mind to foster a circular economy.
Plus: UK supermarket chain Asda to discontinue in-store refill stations; Kraft Heinz brands switch to 100% recycled plastic; EUDR could cost consumers $1.5bn says GlobalData research; and, the Science Based Targets Network updates resources, in the news digest, compiled by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Tate & Lyle’s president of innovation and commercial development, Victoria Spadaro Grant, talks with Innovation Forum’s Hannah Oborne about the complexities surrounding ultra-processed foods, particularly their role in the global food trilemma of nutrition, sustainability and accessibility. Rather than vilifying ultra-processed foods, they discuss the importance of improving food quality and availability while balancing environmental and health impacts, and foster stakeholder collaboration to achieve this.
This week: Reginaldo Marroquin, CEO of Tree Range Farms, talked with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh at the recent future of food conference in Minneapolis, discussing his regenerative agroforestry system centred on poultry. They discuss how Tree Range Farms is creating a circular economic and ecological model to drive regenerative agricultural practices to enhance soil health, poultry health and more.
And, Innovation Forum's Sarah Jackson shares updates on the upcoming sustainable packaging innovation forum taking place in the US city of Philadelphia on 29th-30th October. See here to find out how to get involved.
This week: Allison Kopf from TRACT and Anne Rosenbarger from World Resources Institute speak with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about data collection and analysis in the food and agriculture sector. Hear them talk about regulation’s impact, and why a farmer-centric approach is the only way to go.
Plus: Major companies are revising their ambitious 2025 packaging sustainability goals amid industry challenges; why climate change and EU regulations are driving up coffee prices; the UK government's new clean energy initiative; and Mighty Earth accuses Spain's main supermarket chains of not doing enough to fight deforestation, in the news digest by Innovation Forum's Ellen Atiyah.
Debbie Shakespeare, senior director of sustainability and compliance at Avery Dennison, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about how the corporate sustainability due diligence directive, the eco-design for sustainable products regulation, and digital product passports are impacting the apparel and textiles sector. They explore how these regulations are not only reshaping industry practices but also empowering consumers to contribute to a more sustainable future.
This week: Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh interviews Bertrand Conquéret, Henkel's chief procurement officer, at the recent Scope 3 Innovation Forum. They discuss the critical role of procurement in managing Scope 3 emissions and strategies for effective engagement.
Plus: Innovation Forum's Hanna Halmari shares a preview of the upcoming autumn conference season, featuring forums on sustainable commodities and land use, sustainable packaging, and Scope 3.
This week: Anke Kwast, vice president for regenerative agriculture and climate frameworks at Yara International, talks with Ian Welsh about the challenges in decarbonising agriculture and why using less inputs can be the sustainable future.
Plus: TNFD sees 30% rise in nature impact disclosures; study shows plastic bottles emit harmful volatile organic compounds when exposed to sunlight; industry resists plastic production cap, pushes for recycling focus; and, number of companies setting science-based targets doubled in 2023, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
Peter Bunce, vice president and head of cotton and microbials at Indigo Ag, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about the momentum behind companies addressing scope 3 emissions, particularly in the agriculture sector. They discuss the importance of leveraging technology and partnerships to collect and analyse data efficiently, reducing the burden on farmers while ensuring accurate carbon accounting. Bunce also highlights the potential of voluntary carbon markets to drive sustainable farming practices and warns against delaying progress on carbon reduction due to challenges in addressing biodiversity impacts.
This week: At the recent scope 3 innovation forum, Ian Welsh spoke with Katy Stevens from the European Outdoor Group and Maria Venus from Swiss outdoor brands business Fenix Outdoor about their sector decarbonisation collaboration project. They discuss the positive outcomes from this collaboration and its significance in creating a clear roadmap towards net-zero.
Plus: Innovation Forum’s Emily Heslop shares launch details about the upcoming sustainable commodities and land use forum, taking place in Amsterdam on 22-23 October. Click here to register at early-bird pricing.
At Innovation Forum's future of food and beverage conference in Amsterdam, some of the expert participants spoke with Ian Welsh, reflecting on discussions from the conference. They talked about how to develop regenerative agriculture across supply chains, improving farmer incomes and resilience and biodiversity impacts. Hear from Dorothy Shaver from Unilever, Producer Direct's Jason Archie-Acheampong and Marika McCauley Sine from Mars.
IFC’s senior industry specialist Ahmad Slaibi, and Tom Cumberlege, director at the Carbon Trust, talk with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about their collaborative efforts in developing a tool to address the food loss challenge in the agricultural sector. They explore the tool’s potential for agribusinesses at reducing greenhouse emissions by tracking food losses, and its broader implications for food security and environmental sustainability.
This week: Tate & Lyle's president of innovation and commercial development, Victoria Spadaro Grant, talks with Innovation Forum's Hannah Oborne about the challenges and concerns around ultra-processed foods and what brands should prioritise to secure the future of food systems. They discuss how ultra-processed foods can be a solution to tackle sustainability, nutrition and accessibility of food.
Plus: Better Cotton in the spotlight again over sustainability claims; people's climate vote supports stronger climate action and support for global south; UK retail chain John Lewis launches a 20-piece circular economy home and fashion collection; ISSB shares guidelines to align sustainability reporting; UK delivery company Evri increasing its electric vehicle fleet as part of a £19m investment; and, Denmark to introduce the world's first carbon tax on agriculture, in the news digest by Innovation Forum's Ellen Atiyah.
Host: Ian Welsh
On 20th June, Innovation Forum hosted a free virtual event with Bayer Crop Science.
Data is key to shaping decisions that increase food production, farm incomes, and climate resilience. For farmers, the right data is an essential foundation for efficient, productive, and profitable operations. And now, it is becoming much easier for farmers to benefit from the data they produce. In this webinar, we discussed real-life case studies to explore how data collection and analysis can inform decision making at the farm level. We also assessed how agribusinesses like Bayer can leverage data and support carbon sequestration efforts to reduce emissions, protect nature, and build supply chain resilience.
Our panel examined: * How technology and data can support farmers to deliver efficiency gains, emissions reductions, and carbon sequestration. * How effective Measurement, Reporting, and Verification can ensure compliance and progress for food value chain actors. * How Bayer's digital solutions can empower carbon farming and effective data sharing throughout the value chain.
Our panel included:* Valeria Forlin, policy officer, European Commission (DG CLIMA) * Juan Palomares, managing director EU, Trinity AgTech * Kiera Holland, EMEA digital solutions science manager, Bayer Crop Science * Lionnel Alexandre, head of carbon science EMEA, Bayer Crop Science
The discussion was moderated by Toby Webb, founder of Innovation Forum.
This webinar was hosted in partnership with Bayer Crop Science.
This week: CottonConnect's Alison Ward spoke with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh at the recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference in Amsterdam. They discussed what climate resilience looks like in cotton production and the unintended consequences of over-reliance on technology to tackle this.
Plus: Innovation Forum's Hannah Oborne announces the scope 3 innovation forum USA, returning to Washington DC on 3rd-4th December this year. Click here for more information.
And, Catie Ball shares the latest updates ahead of the sustainable apparel and textiles conference USA this week. CottonConnect will be continuing the conversation in New York, click here for registration details.
On 18th June, IF hosted a virtual event for ofi’s sustainability strategy launch
Increasing regulatory requirements are tasking food and beverage companies with more robust corporate reporting. Strengthening commitments to enhance the resilience of supply chains also remains a key imperative to deliver the change the law demands and farmers, rural communities and nature needs.
Enabling better choices to be made across the value chain is the focus of ‘Choices for Change’, a new sustainability strategy by ofi, a global leader in naturally good food and beverage ingredients. With 2030 targets and action plans spanning its five product platforms – cocoa, coffee, dairy, nuts, and spices – join us as we discussed: * The imperative to drive positive change across the food system, to enable prosperous farmers, thriving communities, climate action and a regenerated living world * The role of data and digital tools in generating actionable insight to inform more efficient interventions for real and measurable impact * The intensive technical process involved in aligning definitions, methodologies and metrics to create an integrated, ambitious strategy at scale
We heard valuable insights from: * Roel van Poppel, chief sustainability officer, ofi * Christopher Stewart, global head, sustainability impact, ofi * Burcu Turkay, global head of sustainability for nuts, ofi * Alastair Child, chief sustainability officer, Mars Wrigley * Stephanie Daniels, senior program director, Sustainable Food Lab * Jeffery P. Cohen, mission director Indonesia, USAID
The discussion was moderated by Toby Webb, founder of Innovation Forum.
This virtual event was hosted in partnership with ofi.
This week: Debbie Shakespeare, senior director, sustainability and compliance at Avery Dennison talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about how fashion companies can become ESPR compliant, outlining the main requirements of the Eco Design for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and its timelines, starting with the latest developments, and offers practical tips to help companies get started today.
Plus: Innovation Forum's Ellen Atiyah the discusses the Nature Restoration Law, why EV sales growth has slowed in the US and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's latest report on the importance of producer responsibility policies (EPR) to achieve a circular economy for textiles.
Eastman's circular policy director, Christopher Layton, discusses current progress and trends in developing circular economy models for plastic and packaging with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh. They provide guidance on taking a regional approach for greater circularity, useful regulatory approaches, and progress indicators.
This week: Peter Bunce, vice president, head of cotton and microbials at Indigo Ag, talks with Ian Welsh about the importance of implementing regenerative agriculture and tackling scope 3 emissions. They discuss how companies can specifically address their cotton and grain scope 3 emissions, and best practices for collaboration.
On June 11th, IF hosted a webinar in partnership with Vayda.
Advancing regenerative agriculture farming has become a priority for agri-food stakeholders in an effort to mitigate some of the most pressing challenges threatening the resilience of global food systems, whilst tackling climate change. While companies have experimented with regenerative farming practices, these often remain limited to the pilot phase. In partnership with Vayda, a certified B Corp dedicated to boosting grower adoption of regenerative practices, this webinar explored the essential strategies needed to accelerate on-farm transformation and ensure long-term sustainable practice changes at an industry level.
Our panel of experts discussed:* What does regenerative transformation entail for growers? * What are the biggest obstacles for scale according to farmers? * How can farmers and companies best collaborate to de-risk and scale regenerative practices? * How can the food and agriculture industry maximize the impact of regenerative practices?
We heard valuable insights from:* Michael Shoemaker, CEO, Vayda * Gregory Bohrer, Director, Natural Capital, Walmart * Jon Griffel, Illinois-based farmer * Bill Parks, Mississippi-based farmer
The webinar was moderated by Tanya Richard, COO and Head of Stakeholder Engagement, Innovation Forum
You can find more information about Vayda via their website or LinkedIn.
This week: At our recent Future of Food and Beverage conference in Minneapolis, a Kansas farmer, Dwane Roth, shared the farmer's perspective of what's crucial to drive sustainable agricultural practices on the ground. In conversation with Ian Welsh, Dwane highlighted the importance of collaboration across the food and agriculture sectors.
Plus: Bayer Crop Science's EMEA digital solutions science manager, Kiera Holland, talks with Innovation Forum's Ellen Atiyah about the next webinar in the 'Beneath the surface' series, which will focus on carbon farming and farm-level resilience. Click here to join us live on June 20th at 3 PM CEST.
And, hear what ofi and partners plan to do in delivering prosperous farming communities, climate action, and a regenerated world on June 18th at 2 PM CEST. To join us live, you can click here.
On 6th June, IF hosted a free webinar in partnership with CottonConnect.
Regenerative sourcing has shown significant promise for the cotton industry; helping to regenerate soils, support ecosystems, and improve farmer livelihoods all whilst increasing yield. With initial pilots showing the potential for transformative impact, how can this approach now be implemented at scale?
In this webinar, we used CottonConnect's work with cotton farmers in Gujarat as a case study to discuss:
- The challenges that remain in the cotton industry, and the potential for regenerative agriculture as a solution
- How best to work with local partners on the ground to implement regenerative programmes
- What are transferable lessons for regenerative transformation in the cotton sector globally
We heard valuable insights from:
- Alison Ward, CEO, CottonConnect
- Hardeep Desai, global head – farm programmes, CottonConnect
- Prakash Philip, senior director – monitoring evaluation & learning, CottonConnect
This discussion was moderated by Toby Webb, founder, Innovation Forum.
To learn more about CottonConnect's work with cotton farmers in Gujarat you can watch this film, and for more information on CottonConnect click here.
Patrick Mallet, director for innovations at ISEAL Alliance, and Rachel Wall, project manager for landscapes and collaborations at Proforest, talk with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the importance of investing in landscape initiatives and what landscape actions can look like in practice. They discuss ISEAL Alliance's position papers that provides baseline expectations for companies on how to engage with landscape approaches and then how to communicate about their engagement.
KFC's chief sustainability officer Nira Johri and global chief development officer Nivera Wallani speak with Ian Welsh about the company's climate commitments across scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. Hear how the brand's sustainability strategy is closely integrated with its overall development plans.
Also, Innovation Forum’s Natasha Bodnar discusses with Ian what to expect at the upcoming scope 3 emissions innovation forum in Amsterdam on 12th and 13th June. Click here for full registration details.
Hear from Innovation Forum’s Sarah Jackson about the sustainable packaging innovation forum taking place in Philadelphia on October 29th and 30th, which will focus on the opportunities and benefits from sustainable packaging solutions. Full registration details can be found here.
Plus, Innovation Forum’s Savanna Razzaque chats with Vayda's CEO Mike Shoemaker about the company's direct work with growers to drive regenerative transformation and preview of their upcoming farmer-led discussion on 11th June. Sign up here.
Finally, hear about the upcoming Innovation Forum webinar hosted in partnership with ofi. Chief sustainability officer Roel van Poppel discusses with Savanna the launch of the company’s Choices for Change sustainability strategy.
On 4th June, IF hosted a webinar in partnership with Bayer Crop Science.
In recent years, the agricultural industry has witnessed a significant shift towards sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. Within this context, biologics – derived from natural resources such as microbes, plants, pheromones and other sources – are emerging as crucial agricultural tools in this transformation.
Biological solutions have the opportunity to offer benefits for crop protection, soil health improvement, and regenerative farming practices. However, the ongoing discourse surrounding biologicals in agriculture contains uncertainties and misconceptions that warrant thorough exploration and discussion.
Taking a myth-busting approach to dissect this prevailing discourse, our panel discussed: * What are the existing criticisms and hesitancies towards biologicals – and are these useful? * The role of biological crop protection in modern agriculture, with concrete examples of potential solutions. * How collaborative partnerships and initiatives within the food and ag industry can accelerate the commercialisation of the next generation of biological solutions * The current regulatory barriers for scale, and the outlook for the development of an enabling legal landscape
We heard insights from:* Benoit Hartmann, Head of Biologicals, Bayer Crop Science * Christophe Breitenstroeter, Head of Crop Strategy, Bayer Crop Science * Philippe Guerret, CEO, M2i Group * Eirini-Christina Spanouli, Farmer
The discussion was moderated by Toby Webb, founder, Innovation Forum. This is the third webinar (following part one and part two) in the 'Focus on Farmers' webinar series hosted in partnership with Bayer Crop Science.
This week: IFC’s senior industry specialist, Ahmad Slaibi and Tom Cumberlege, director at the Carbon Trust talk with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about the development of their new food loss tool. They discuss how the tool can drive increased food availability and reduce significant food loss in developing countries, as well as further opportunities to collaborate with industry leaders to improve the tool.
Plus: new president of Mexico at crossroads in delivering the country’s energy transition and economic interests; Google to eliminate plastic from its consumer electronics packaging before their plastic-free 2024 deadline; Edinburgh city council sets to ban fossil fuel companies and advertising of high emission modes of transport; global efforts fall short of meeting 2030 targets for renewable electricity generation, says the International Energy Agency; and, climate change is set to be the central focus of UK labour party’s general election campaign, in the news digest.
Niamh McCarthy, director for climate related risks at Climate Advisors, talks with Ian Welsh about the Brazilian soy sector’s risks from climate transition, including potential decreases in producer prices, and the opportunities that can arise from these risks. They discuss the projected rise in demand of plant-based proteins and share action points for companies within the sector to adapt to new demands to build resilience.
This week: At the future of food and beverage conference in Amsterdam, Jason Archie-Acheampong, international commercial programmes manager at Producers Direct, spoke with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about value chain actor and next-generation engagement in farming. They discuss the importance of improving farmer incomes and how to implement new technologies on-the-ground with farmers in mind.
Plus: Bayer Crop Sciences’ head of biologics Benoit Hartmann and Innovation Forum’s Savanna Razzaque talk about what to expect in the next focus on farmers webinar series. This complimentary webinar will focus on how agri-food stakeholders can efficiently scale, accelerate and unlock innovation. Click here to register.
This week: Christopher Layton, director of circular policy strategy at Eastman, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about the development of circular economy models for plastics and packaging. They discussed the potential for regional circularity and the regulatory approach that might help.
Plus: final approval for the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive; University of Cambridge study shows brightly coloured plastic products are up to 20% less likely to be recycled; US Farm Bill passed focusing on climate, nutrition and agricultural resilience; the Sun Cable project in Australia becomes the world’s largest renewable energy project; China projected to rely solely on recycled materials for electric vehicles in 15 years, according to the Contemporary Amperex Technology; and, the Science Based Targets initiative updates criteria for climate target-setting in the financial sector, in the news digest.
Vayda's CEO Mike Shoemaker talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh on the company's focus on designing and executing regenerative management plans to help growers protect yields while reducing input requirements. The buzz surrounding regenerative practices in the agriculture sector is seen as critical for addressing climate change. However, the industry is still in early stages, needing to transition from pilot programs to meaningful scale. They also discuss why we need to shift the mindset away from perceived trade-offs between environmental benefits and farm profitability and how regenerative agriculture will demonstrate its ability to meaningfully impact climate change at scale.
US Farmers and Ranchers in Action's CEO Kevin Burkum talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the critical role USFRA plays in uniting stakeholders across the value chain to address major global challenges. He emphasizes the importance of collaboration, innovation, and sustainability in agriculture, and addresses the financial pressures on farmers and the need for profitability to ensure the long-term sustainability of farming practices.
On May 21st, IF hosted a free webinar in partnership with Cargill
Food and agriculture industries are facing more pressing and interconnected challenges in their ability to feed the world. Advances in data and technology are one tool to help to transform how farmers grow and produce food through sustainable and regenerative practices.
Additionally, cross-commodity and cross-supplier sustainability data and insights are enabling better traceability and more sustainable sourcing of commodities in agricultural supply chains; making it easier for brands and customers to understand the journey of their food, from farm to fork.
In this webinar, our panel of experts discussed: * How can aligning methodologies and sharing of data and insights across supply chains facilitate greater transparency outcomes? * How can digitalization enhance sustainable sourcing efforts, and how can we ensure all stakeholders are supported in the digital transition? * How can digital transformation empower farmers to embrace regenerative agriculture practices that build resilience, increase transparency, and protect the future of our food systems?
Hear from the panellists:* Joanna Fowler, IT Sustainability Manager, Nestlé * Allison Kopf, CEO, TRACT * Matt Wood, Senior Director, Sustainability Digital, Data & Analytics, Cargill
This discussion was moderated by Ian Welsh, publishing director, Innovation Forum.
This webinar was hosted in partnership with Cargill.
This week: At the recent future of food and beverage forum in Amsterdam, Ian Welsh spoke with Unilever’s global food sustainability director Dorothy Shaver about how the company prioritises sustainability within its business strategy. They discussed some causes for optimism to deliver resilient food systems.
And Innovation Forum’s Emily Heslop talks about what to expect at the future of food and beverage USA forum in Minneapolis this week. Click here to view the agenda.
This week: Patrick Mallet, director for innovations at ISEAL Alliance, and Rachel Wall, project manager for landscapes and collaboration from Proforest, talk with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about how companies can put into practice landscape approaches to environmental and social challenges. They discuss why investing in landscape initiatives is important and how they can benefit from it.
Plus: the International Energy Agency warns of insufficient investment to meet critical minerals demand for renewable energy; one fifth of Shell's shareholders back stronger emissions reduction targets; UK supermarkets Co-op, Tesco and Sainsbury’s among the retailers looking to partner with Fairtrade Foundation on ethical sourcing ; and, Ellen MacArthur Foundation launches the Fashion ReModel initiative to scale up circular fashion business models, in the news digest.
For more on ISEAL Alliance's position papers, click here.
Raviv Turner, founding member of the Nature Tech Collective and member of the nature data working group at the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about current trends in nature-based disclosure and highlights best practices the transition from non-disclosure to disclosure. They discuss key regulation coming up such as the EU deforestation regulation and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. They also talk about how business engagement on biodiversity could develop in future.
Lisa Spicka de Bevacqua, global director of sustainability consulting at auditor and certifiers NSF, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the rise in impact of sustainability-related regulation on business in Europe and globally. They discuss practical steps companies should take to engage on the new and increasingly due diligence-related legislation, and how quality assurance processes can help.
This week: Mars Petcare's chief sustainability officer, Marika McCauley Sine, provides some reflection on the future of food and beverage, speaking at Innovation Forum’s recent conference in Amsterdam with Ian Welsh. They talk about the importance of absolute reduction and understanding carbon and biodiversity impacts as regenerative agricultural is put into practice.
Plus: Innovation Forum's Catie Ball shares further updates about the upcoming sustainable apparel and textiles conference taking place in New York on 25th-26th June. Register now and save $200 on your conference passes, click here for more information.
This week: Niamh McCarthy, director of climate-related risk at Orbitas, shares findings from a recent report on the impact of climate transitions on Brazil's soy sector with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh. They discuss the current state of Brazil's soy sector and the potential drivers of positive change in future.
Plus: Kevin Burkum, CEO of US Farmer and Ranchers in Action talks with Ian about the importance of farmer voices in developing sustainable food systems. They discuss how the US agriculture sector is adapting to the shift to regenerative agriculture.
For information on Orbitas' cattle report, the podcast interview is available here.
John Murphy, technical director for Europe at Hohenstein Laboratories, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the benefits of certification systems for the apparel sector and how they protect companies and consumers. They discuss the risks within the sector such as fraud, and the current trends in material certification amid incoming legislation.
On 30th April, IF hosted a virtual event in partnership with Orbitas, a Climate Advisers Initiative, to discuss the financial risks and emerging opportunities that current actions to transition to a low-carbon future will bring. We focused on Brazil and the effects on the country’s key agricultural sectors, cattle and soy, and to wider global value chains.
We heard valuable insights from: * Niamh McCarthy, director of climate-related risk, Orbitas, a Climate Advisers Initiative * Dr Gracie Verde Selva, executive sustainability manager, Minerva Food * Wei Peng, Global head of sustainability - grains & oilseeds, Louis Dreyfus * Yara De Gues, Brazilian farmer * Vicente Bissoni, Brazilian farmer * Martha de Sá, founding partner, VERT Capital * Veronica Valentini, sustainable innovation manager, Santander
This discussion was moderated by Ian Welsh, publishing director, Innovation Forum.
Click here to listen to Niamh McCarthy talk with Ian Welsh about the launch of Orbitas Initiative's new report on the Brazilian cattle sector and Brazilian soy sector.
Thank you to the Global Farmer Network for their continued partnership to help amplify farmer voices.
This webinar was held in partnership with Orbitas, a Climate Advisers Initiative.
This week: Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh further reflects with expert participants at the sustainable apparel and textiles conference in Amsterdam. He is joined by Hasan Uz Zaman from Aldi Sud and Mauro Scalia from Euratex, and they discuss the human rights risks in the apparel sector and what’s coming up in policy terms to shake up fast fashion for the future.
Plus: Innovation Forum’s Hannah Oborne shares some final updates about the future of food and beverage conference in Amsterdam, and what attendees can expect this week.
This week: Lisa Spicka de Bevacqua, global director of sustainability consulting at auditor and certifiers NSF International, talks with Ian Welsh about the trends in sustainability regulation in Europe and beyond. They discuss challenges in reporting and taking action, and how the impact differs for larger companies and SMEs.
Plus: Mike Shoemaker, CEO of farm data analysts Vayda talks with Ian about the ever-increasing importance of regenerative agriculture and what's driving this transition. Mike discusses the trend of over-focussing on carbon and how to appropriately put regenerative farming into practice.
And, Waitrose to support 2,000 UK farmers to adopt regenerative and low carbon farming practices; renewables account for 30% of global electricity generation in 2023; and, the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market says Verra's updated Verified Carbon Standard means the high-integrity Core Carbon Principles, in the news digest.
Kaley Roshitsh, editorial director at Cascale, formerly known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about major apparel industry trends including challenges of compliance with incoming regulation and the regenerative transition. They discuss what companies should look out for, the opportunities they should grasp and what best practice looks like.
Cascale is the knowledge collaborator for this year’s sustainable apparel and textiles conference series. Kaley will be at the New York event on 25th-26th June to continue the conversation. Click here for full registration details.
On 25th April, IF hosted a webinar in partnership with Yara International to discuss sustainable crop nutrition
Regenerative agriculture is an evolving, science-based and outcome-focused approach to farming, and has a significant role to play in safeguarding food security and sustainable nutrition. Central to this approach is the strategic utilisation of fertilizers.
While fertilizers have historically been associated with environmental harm, when strategically integrated within regenerative practices, they can foster soil health and bolster nutrient cycles, leading to resilient yields and food security.
In this webinar, we discussed: * Which fertilizers can be employed within a regenerative farming approach, and how? * The ecological benefits that a sustainable use of certain fertilizers can help to achieve * The role of fertilizers in enabling sustainable crop nutrition through robust and regenerative food systems
Hear valuable insights from: * Marina Ettl, Director for Funded Projects and Regenerative Agriculture Business Intelligence, Yara International * Jan Willem Sepers, Senior Director Agriculture EMEA, Lamb Weston * Paz Panunzio Moscoso, Research Scientist Sustainability and Strategic Research, Yara International
The webinar was moderated by Tanya Richard, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Stakeholder Engagement at Innovation Forum.
This webinar was held in partnership with Yara International.
This week: Raviv Turner, founding member of the Nature Tech Collective and member of the nature data working group at the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the dangers of being too carbon focused when thinking about impacts. They discuss how companies can move towards biodiversity and nature disclosure and, ultimately, action.
Plus: on the spot reflections from the sustainable apparel and textiles conference in Amsterdam with Kresse Wesling from recycled luxury accessories brand Elvis & Kresse. She talks about how apparel brands can best respond to the incoming regulations, particularly in the EU.
While in India, Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb spoke with CottonConnect’s CEO Alison Ward and global supply chain director Dawa Dorje about their sustainable cotton programme that focuses on delivering a supply chain with end-to-end transparency. They discuss the importance of smallholder inclusion and how they benefit from a transition to a more regenerative approach such as through reduced input costs and improved yields.
To learn more about the cotton value chain in India, watch this documentary created in partnership with CottonConnect.
Amanda Archila, executive director at Fairtrade America, and Anna Mann, assistant director of responsible business at Fairtrade Foundation, discuss the food price and value gap, and highlighting the root cause of the issue from the producer's perspective. In conversation with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh, they talk about what constitutes fair pricing and how to evenly distribute costs along value chains.
Fairtrade Foundation and Fairtrade America will be at Innovation Forum’s future of food and beverage conference series in Amsterdam (13th-14th May) and Minneapolis (29th-30th May). Click for registration details to join us.
Decathlon's chief sustainability officer, Anna Turrell, reflects on the recent Innovation Forum sustainable apparel and textiles conference in Amsterdam with Ian Welsh. They discuss growing resale business models within the industry and the power of consumers in unlocking the potential from circular economy models.
Plus: Innovation Forum's Natasha Bodnar shares the latest updates for the upcoming scope 3 innovation forum, taking place in person this year in Amsterdam on 12th-13th June. Click here for more information and register now to benefit from the €200 early bird discount.
This week: John Murphy, technical director for Europe at Hohenstein Laboratories, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about certification standards for the apparel sector and the supply chain reassurances they can provide. They discuss the current apparel sector's approach to material certification and what the future of the sector can look like.
Plus: Christine Goulay from Sustainabelle Advisory Services and Amy Nguyen from Sustainable & Social highlights key takeaways from this week's sustainable apparel and textiles conference with Ian. They talk about the continued significance of circularity and innovation in implementing extended producer responsibility.
Host: Ian Welsh
Niamh McCarthy, director for climate-related risk at Climate Advisers talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about what's coming up for the Brazilian cattle sector and shares some of the conclusions from the latest report from Orbitas, a Climate Advisers initiative. They discuss the opportunities for farmers to increase yield and diversify revenue streams, and the risks to avoid.
We'll be discussing findings of the Orbitas research into both the cattle and soy sectors in Brazil at a virtual event on 30th April. See here for the agenda and click here for full registration details.
Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh and Hanna Halmari talk about what’s coming up this week at the sustainable apparel and textiles conference in Amsterdam. They highlight new features at the conference this year and some of what attendees should expect over the two days.
Plus: Marina Ettl, director of funded projects and regenerative agriculture business intelligence at Norway-based fertiliser company Yara International, talks with Savanna Razzaque about what to expect at the upcoming webinar discussing the role of fertilisers in regenerative agriculture. Register for free to join live on 25th April at 2-3pm CEST.
And, Innovation Forum’s Emily Heslop shares more information about the future of food and beverage conference returning to Minneapolis this year on 29th-30th May. Register before Friday 26th April for a $200 discount on conference passes.
This week: Kaley Roshitsh, editorial director at Cascale (formerly the Sustainable Apparel Coalition), talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about incoming regulation that companies in the apparel sector should be looking out for. They discuss the resulting challenges and opportunities, and what the future trends in the apparel sector might be, including from the rise and rise of regenerative agriculture.
Plus: Science Based Targets initiative receives backlash on its change of policy on carbon credit offsetting for scope 3 emissions; Earthwatch alleges some Better Cotton certified crop links with land grabbing and illegal land use change in Brazil; and, the Global Wind Energy Council says global wind power capacity is accelerating, but not yet fast enough to meet COP28 goals, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Cascale is the knowledge collaborator for this year's sustainable apparel and textiles conferences in Amsterdam and New York. Click for more information
Joseph D'Cruz, CEO of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, and Olivier Tichit, chief sustainability officer at Musim Mas, talk with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the European Union's deforestation regulation and its resulting reverberations across the palm oil sector and beyond. They discuss the complexities this black or white regulation will bring, including the potential removal of smallholder farmers from EU supply chains. They explain how they expect EUDR’s implementation to play out and discuss the future of sustainability regulations.
Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Niamh McCarthy from Climate Advisers introduce an upcoming virtual event where findings from new soy and cattle reports from the Orbitas initiative will be discussed. The event will incorporate perspectives from stakeholders across Brazil's soy and cattle sector. Click here to register to join live on Tuesday 30th April at 3pm CEST. Live Portuguese translation will be available.
Plus: Innovation Forum's Catie Ball talks about what to expect at the sustainable apparel and textiles USA conference in New York in June, ahead of its EU counterpart taking place next week. For full registration details for the sustainable apparel and textiles conference in New York, click here. Register by Friday 19th April and save $300.
Host: Ian Welsh
This week: Niamh McCarthy, director for climate-related risk at Climate Advisers, talks with Ian Welsh about the launch of a new report from the Orbitas initiative on the Brazilian cattle sector and the impact of climate transition. They discuss the sector’s risks and opportunities amid climate transitions, and the impacts of the incoming regulatory change.
And, Ian talks with Amanda Archila, executive director at Fairtrade America, and Anna Mann, assistant director of responsible business at the Fairtrade Foundation, about pricing pressures in food value chains. In particular, they discuss how to ensure that they don't always impact growers unfairly.
Plus: the European Court of Human Rights calls out the Swiss government for insufficient action on climate change; lack of government support and insufficient funding hinders SME companies to take climate action; and, UK retailer Waitrose partners with Tony's Chocolonely Open Chain initiative for responsibly sourced cocoa, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
To discover further analysis from the Orbitas report, join expert panelists at an Innovation Forum webinar on 30th April at 3pm CET. Click here for full registration details.
Saif Hameed, CEO of Altruistiq, and Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh talk about how companies should engage suppliers on their scope 3 emissions and the challenges that inevitably arise. They discuss how companies can avoid some common mistakes in tackling scope 3 emissions and how to work on the granularity of their carbon emissions at a product level.
This week: a preview of what's coming up including an interview with Climate Advisers on their new Orbitas' report on the Brazilian cattle sector, and an initial look at the gap between price and value in supply chains with Fairtrade America and Fairtrade Foundation. Full interviews will be available later this week.
Plus: Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Hannah Oborne talks about what to expect at the Future of Food conference in Amsterdam on 14th-15th May. They share some agenda highlights and what to expect across the two days. Click here for full registration details.
This week: At the recent responsible sourcing and ethical trade forum in London, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh spoke with some of the expert participants to reflect on the conversations that took place. Hear from Sam Ludlow Taylor from the John Lewis Partnership, Peter McAllister from the Ethical Trading Initiative and Wayne Jordash from Business and Human Rights Compliance.
Plus: During his recent trip to India, Innovation Forum's Toby Webb spoke with Alison Ward and Dawa Dorje from CottonConnect about how the cotton sector is tackling its impacts, moving to a more regenerative approach and improving farmer livelihoods. Sign up here for Innovation Forum’s YouTube channel for a documentary on the cotton value chain in India due to be released alongside Innovation Forum’s sustainable apparel and textiles conference in Amsterdam (23rd-24th April).
And, UN's Global E-waste Monitor highlights the need for more e-waste recycling capacity; majority of EU agriculture ministers back Austria's proposal to water down the EUDR; and, according to InfluenceMap, coal, gas and cement production sectors' carbon footprint has grown since the Paris agreement, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Gerard Barron, CEO of deep sea mining exploration business The Metals Company, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about a seabed alternative to traditional metal and mineral extraction methods that has lower environmental and social impacts. They discuss the potential future demand for these materials, which are critical for manufacture of the renewable energy infrastructure necessary for decarbonisation.
This week: Joseph D'Cruz, CEO of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, and Olivier Tichit, chief sustainability officer at Musim Mas, talk with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the impact of the EU's deforestation regulation on the palm oil sector. They discuss its potential unintended consequences, such as impacting smallholder farmers’ market access and the development of segregated supply chains. They also share action points for stakeholders across the value chain as the regulation is due to be fully enforced by the end of the year.
Plus: PepsiCo achieves its 2025 water efficiency target two years early; the UK government rows back on deforestation-related products import ban; and, the US state of Florida's new bill banning legislation to protect agricultural workers from heat exposure, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Jessica Sansom, sustainability director at Huel, talks with Innovation Forum's Hannah Oborne about how food brands are devising new means of balancing sustainability with accessibility and nutrition. They discuss how the future of food will be impacted by changes in consumer trends and share advice on how brands can be successful in the convenience food industry and to generate consumer trust.
Jessica will be speaking at this year's Future of Food conference in Amsterdam alongside other experts from Unilever, Mars, Kellogg, Nestlé and more. There's still time to join us, click here for full registration details.
Max Dougherty, carbon business development lead at Bayer Crop Science, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the importance of a farmer-centric approach to regenerative agriculture and how to foster effective multi-stakeholder collaboration. They discuss some case studies on what good regenerative agricultural practices look like and the potential routes to funding for agricultural transition.
This week: Ian Welsh and Diana Kim reveal details of the complimentary Innovation Forum webinars coming up in the next few weeks. They discuss what to expect at the Brazilian agribusiness case study webinar, held in partnership with Orbitas on the 30th April. They also talk about the importance of sustainable crop nutrition ahead of a webinar on the role of fertilisers in regenerative agriculture in partnership with Yara.
Ian Welsh also shares some agenda and speaker highlights that will be coming up at the scope 3 innovation forum in Amsterdam on 12th-13th June. The discussions will include how to enable business to tackle supply chain greenhouse gas emissions, deliver on climate targets and establish the path to net zero. Register by this Friday for a €300 discount on conference passes.
This week: Saif Hameed, CEO of Altruistiq, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the challenges for companies tackling their scope 3 supply chain emissions. They discuss how to identify scope 3 hotspots, avoid the common mistakes companies make and more.
Plus: during Innovation Forum’s responsible sourcing and ethical trade event in London, some of the expert participants spoke with Ian, reflecting on conversations from the conference. Hear reflections from Alenka Turnsek from EY and International Justice Mission's Andrey Sawchenko.
Host: Ian Welsh
Neill Wilkins, head of the migrant workers programme at the Institute for Human Rights and Business, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about human rights risks in recruitment, particularly for women migrant workers. They discuss the challenges in responsible recruitment and how initiatives such as IHRB's responsible recruitment register can help.
Click here to read IHRB's report on responsible recruitment for women migrant workers.
This week, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh talks about what to expect at this week's responsible sourcing and ethical trade forum in London. He introduces this year's focus on the practical implications of evolving legislation, and highlights key speakers who will be joining over the two days.
Plus: Innovation Forum's Hanna Halmari shares further updates on the upcoming sustainable apparel and textiles conference taking place in Amsterdam on 23rd-24th April. Click here for more information and registration details.
This week: Gerard Barron, CEO of deep sea mining exploration company The Metals Company, speaks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh on the challenges and environmental impacts of traditional extraction methods and what the future demand for critical metals and minerals is going to look like. They discuss the latest innovation in extracting vital resources from the sea floor with significantly less harmful impacts.
Plus: the Science Based Targets initiative updates progress on its Business Ambition for 1.5C programme; World Trade Organization finds fault in EU's move against palm oil biofuel; and, EU's corporate sustainability due diligence directive in revision with a greater focus on smaller suppliers' compliance, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Please note that this is an audio recording of a webinar containing slides and presentations. To view the video recording, click here.
On 12th March, Innovation Forum and Nestlé hosted a webinar sharing Nestlé's 2023 climate progress update
Nestlé has pledged to reduce absolute emissions by 20% by 2025, and by 50% by 2030. This live virtual event featured updates of its progress in 2023, with case studies illustrating how transformative action is taking place on the ground.
In particular they discussed:* The importance of transparency in climate disclosures, particularly on progress across scopes and different GHGs * Evolutions in target setting, including Nestlé’s SBTi approved FLAG objectives. * The critical role of nature-based solutions in driving emissions reductions in agricultural supply chains (via two impactful case studies)
The panel:* Florence Henry, global head of sustainability nutrition, Nestlé * Benjamin Ware, global head of climate and sustainable sourcing, Nestlé * Sukumaran Karuthara, head of agriculture services, coffee and tea, Nestlé India * Barbara Sollero, sustainable agriculture manager, Nestlé Brazil * Charlotte Podeur, strategy and ESG manager, Nestlé Coffee Brands * Alexandre Berndt, researcher, The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporate (Embrapa) * Moderator: Ian Welsh, publishing director, Innovation Forum
This webinar was hosted in partnership with Nestlé.
See here for more on Nestlé’s 2023 Creating Shared Value and Sustainability Report.
Pilar Cruz, chief sustainability officer at international food business Cargill, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about where corporate efforts should be focused over the coming months and through to the COP30 climate meetings in Brazil at the end of 2025. They discuss the drivers for multi-stakeholder collaboration in tackling climate challenges and to produce food sustainably.
This week, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, which is due to be officially approved by the EU. They also discuss what to expect at the Energy Transitions 2024 event, focusing on the disruption of the traditional "energy trilemma".
Plus: Innovation Forum's Emily Heslop shares updates on the upcoming future of food and beverage USA forum taking place in Minneapolis on 30th-31st May. Click here for more information and registration details.
This week: Max Dougherty, carbon business development lead at Bayer Crop Science, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about why a farmer-centric approach to regenerative agriculture is essential, and some of the potential routes to funding for agricultural transition. They also discuss the markers for effective stakeholder collaboration, when it comes to implementing regenerative farming in practice.
Plus: SEC approves climate disclosure rules; negotiators push for watered down EU CS3D deal; preliminary agreement on PPWR; and FAO report shows higher financial toll of climate crisis for rural women, in the news digest, with Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson.
On 5th March, Innovation Forum and Bayer Crop Science hosted a webinar exploring the best practices for soil regeneration
At the root of some of the most urgent challenges facing agriculture today is the global threat to soil health. Challenges such as soil erosion, compaction, salinization and water retention are compounded by the impacts of the evolving climate crisis, threatening the resilience of global food systems.
Maximising soil health can lock in carbon to mitigate climate change and provide various benefits to growers and ecosystems - such as soil resilience, improving profitability, biodiversity, crop yield and nutrition.
As land stewards, farmers can regenerate soils through the adoption of carbon farming practices. But what are the correct practices to ensure maximum carbon sequestration, emissions reduction and regenerative outcomes? And how can we ensure the significant value-chain support needed to enable this?
In this webinar, our panel drew on case studies to identify practical and impactful farmer-centric solutions for building the relationship between healthy soils, regenerative agriculture, and climate-resilient food systems at scale.
They discussed:* The practices, such as cover cropping, crop rotation and no-till, which can help to restore soil organic matter and sequester and/or reduce carbon. * The importance of taking a nuanced and context-specific approach to applying sustainable practices. * The technology and data tools available to develop, nurture and maintain healthy soils * The role of different value-chain actors in supporting continued innovation and scale
The panel:* Florence Braye-Rigel, EMEA Carbon Farming Agronomic Lead, Bayer Crop Science * Paul Luu, Executive Secretary, The International “4 per 1,000” Initiative * Antoine Bedel, Forage and Service Plants Expert, RAGT * Andrew Williamson, Farmer * Moderator: Toby Webb, founder, Innovation Forum
René Groot Bruinderink, head of climate solutions for the UK and Netherlands at South Pole, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the latest trends in corporate environmental impacts, as highlighted in South Pole's recent annual net zero report. They discuss the corporate drivers in climate change, the rise of “greenhushing" and the challenges for business to deliver on climate targets.
Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh talks about free-to-join webinars coming up, including a discussion on soil health and carbon farming on Tuesday 5th March at 2pm CET, supported by Bayer Crop Science. Join the conversation alongside representatives from RAGT Seeds, the French ministry of agriculture, a farmer and Bayer Crop Science.
And then on Tuesday 12th March, Innovation Forum will host in partnership with Nestlé a webinar to present an update on the company’s progress on its climate pledges in 2023. Hear from experts across Nestlé, with case studies illustrating their progress at 3pm CET. If you would like to join, you can register here.
Plus: Innovation Forum's Hannah Oborne shares updates and highlights some key discussions to take place at the future of food and beverage conference in Amsterdam on 14th-15th May. Click here to join us and to discuss how to deliver a sustainable, resilient and regenerative food systems.
This week: Neill Wilkins, head of the migrant workers programme at the Institute for Human Rights and Business, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the ongoing challenges in responsible recruitment including worker fees. They discuss the current business impact on human rights and efforts to tackle human rights risks specifically for women workers.
Plus: Forest 500 report highlights deforestation laggards; recycled yarn business Renewcell files for bankruptcy; EU’s CSDDD implementation stalls; and, the European Parliament approves new nature restoration law, in the news digest, with Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson.
Host: Ian Welsh
Mura Technology's head of sustainability Geoff Brighty talks with Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson about innovations in waste plastic recycling that can help decarbonise the plastics and chemicals sectors. They discuss the role of new EU legislations in crafting the technology's future and, in turn, how chemical recycling will support in delivering a more circular approach to plastic use.
This week, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the upcoming World Trade Organisation’s ministerial conference in Abu Dhabi with the International Institute for Sustainable Development's sustainability hub alongside, focusing on the challenges of building cooperative trade policy to deliver sustainable development. They also discuss the 6th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly, which will evaluate the effectiveness of multilateral actions in tackling climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
Plus: Savanna Razzaque introduces Innovation Forum’s carbon webinar series, held in partnership with Bayer Crop Science. On 5th March at 2pm CET, we'll discuss best practices for soil regeneration and carbon farming, click here to join us.
And, Natasha Bodnar shares what to expect at the upcoming responsible sourcing and ethical trade forum in London on 20th-21st March. There's still time to join us, register by this week and save £200.
This week: Pilar Cruz, chief sustainability officer at international food business Cargill, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the role of big business in driving the climate change mitigation and adaptation agenda. They discuss the trends of widespread corporate accountability and transitioning towards multi-stakeholder collaboration to tackle climate issues.
Plus: Institute for Human Rights and Business and the Sustainable Shipping Initiative highlight continued sector illegal recruitment fees; petrochemical companies accused of exaggerating plastic recycling potential; and, Wageningen Economic Research counts the cost of biodiversity loss in food production, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Muhammad Affan, factory manager at industrial safety products manufacturer Midas Safety in Pakistan, talks with Innovation Forum's Savanna Razzaque about what's needed to ensure worker protection and what can help improve livelihoods. They discuss the importance of collaboration with organisations such as the UN Development Programme and the International Labour Organisation to train supervisors and managers to comply with safety regulations.
Jonathan Schuldenfrei, managing director of the risk and financial advisory practice at Deloitte, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about impact and opportunities from carbon markets for businesses on the route to net zero. They discuss the current changes in the regulated and voluntary carbon markets and share guidance on practical next steps for business in engaging with them.
This week, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the severity of current global air pollution levels, ahead of the climate and clean air conference taking place in Kenya this week. They also discuss what to expect at the Asia-Pacific forum on sustainable development in Thailand as stakeholders review progress on 2030 sustainability agenda.
Plus: Innovation Forum's Catie Ball shares updates and introduces this year's knowledge collaborator on the sustainable apparel and textiles conference USA held in New York City on 25th-26th June. Click here for more information and to join us.
This week: René Groot Bruinderink, head of climate solutions for the UK and Netherlands at South Pole, speaks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the company's latest annual net zero report and what is driving corporate action on climate change. They discuss the rise of “greenhushing” for businesses and the implications of this.
Plus: Amazon rainforest could reach tipping point by 2050; palm oil deforestation on the rise in Indonesia; European Union's corporate sustainability due diligence directive vote delays; and, Barclays to cease funding of oil and gas, in the news digest by Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson.
Host: Ian Welsh
Footprinting and circularity expert at Quantis Matthew Hawthorne, and the company's fashion and goods lead Luca Mosca, talk with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the growing circular economy models developing in the apparel sector and what these transitions will look like in practice. They discuss sector-specific barriers to success and share step-by-step guidance on how business can lead the transition.
In the next in the factory spotlight series, Rimsha Naaem, assistant factory manager at Pakistan textiles business Crescent Bahuman, talks with Innovation Forum's Savanna Razzaque about the company's initiatives and policies to support female workers in the factory. They also discuss how to develop labour conditions to enhance the well-being of female workers.
On 8th February 2024, Innovation Forum and Agmatix hosted the webinar, Data-driven farming: tools and technologies for sustainable sourcing. Listen to the audio version of the recording here.
As challenges mount within the food and beverage sector, the need for enhanced visibility at the field level has never been more crucial. Companies are grappling with the complexities of fluctuating crop yields, diminishing soil health, and escalating threats posed by pests and diseases. Simultaneously, the increasing influence of legislation and heightened security necessitate clear reporting verification for sustainable sourcing efforts.
In this landscape, businesses urgently require innovative solutions to enhance crop yield sustainably, de-risk their supply chains, and ensure transparent reporting. This webinar spotlights the transformative potential of on-farm data technology as a key solution for businesses aiming to overcome obstacles and foster sustainable crop cultivation.
In this conversation at the intersection of technology, agriculture, and environmental stewardship, our panel discussed:
• The role of better data in mitigating risks in the supply chain, ensuring resilience and sustainability in sourcing
• How data tools provide companies with transparent reporting and verification for sustainable sourcing efforts
• Examples of case studies in which on-farm data technology has made a tangible impact in addressing agricultural challenges.
• How these technologies and approaches positively impact supply chain management and corporate sustainability goals in the food and beverage sector. Click here for a full list of live questions
The panel:
• Stacy Cushenbery, food system program manager North America, Oatly
• Jonathan Sullivan, vice president sustainability & business development, Agmatix
• Maurizio Comandone, global sustainability data analyst, McCain Foods
• The webinar was moderated by Ian Welsh, publishing director, Innovation Forum.
This webinar was held in partnership with Agmatix.
This week, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the upcoming Indonesian elections and potential impact on energy transition commitments, being facilitated by a Just Energy Transition Partnership. They also discuss the impact of climate change for migratory species as the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals is due to take place in Smarkand, Uzbekistan.
Plus: Innovation Forum's Hanna Halmari highlights some key sessions coming up at the sustainable apparel and textiles conference in Amsterdam on 23rd-24th April, focusing on incoming legislation and developing circular business models. Join the conversation by registering here.
This week: Geoff Brighty, head of sustainability at Mura Technology, talks with Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson about the capabilities of advanced chemical recycling for breaking down plastics. They discuss the role of new EU legislation in shaping the technology's future.
Plus: Human Rights Watch calls out big carmaker brands' failure to minimise risks of forced labour in Xinjiang aluminium; the European Commission recommends a 90% cut in greenhouse gas emissions in the EU by 2040; CDP highlights this year's corporate A-listers leading on emissions reporting, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Sime Darby Plantation's chief financial officer, Renaka Ramachandran, speaks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the challenges in net zero target setting and shares guidance on how to effectively develop short- and long-term targets. They discuss the importance of addressing transparency, considering environmental impact in making financial investments, and collaboration across the supply chain to meet the targets.
Part of the factory voices series, apparel manufacturer Maxport's deputy compliance manager, Huong Do, talks with Innovation Forum's Savanna Razzaque about the company's work improving working conditions and livelihoods of its workforce. They discuss the importance of brand-manufacturer collaboration and share how brands can provide support to make in-factory progress.
This week, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the World Sustainable Development Summit in New Delhi, which focuses on leadership for sustainable development and climate justice this year. They discuss the first Global Biodiversity Framework Fund meeting in Washington DC to develop and evaluate the operational policies and programmes of the fund.
Plus: Jonathan Sullivan, vice president of sustainability and business development at Agmatix talks about what to expect at the upcoming webinar on data-driven farming. The webinar will held this Thursday 8th February. You can click here to join us.
And, Innovation Forum's Gabriela Cuison talks about ways to partner on human rights due diligence and responsible sourcing policies at this year's responsible sourcing and ethical trade forum, taking place in London on 20th-21st March. Click here for more information.
This week: Jonathan Schuldenfrei, managing director, risk and financial advisory practice at Deloitte, talks with Ian Welsh about regulated and voluntary carbon markets, how they are evolving and what companies can do take advantage of the opportunities presented.
Plus: research shows the potential yearly benefits of $10 trillion from a move to sustainable food systems; Ikea decouples emissions from growth; major apparel brands are failing to report on water-related risks, says Planet Tracker; and, the Republic of Ireland launches a deposit return recycling scheme, in the news digest with Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson.
Host: Ian Welsh
Bex Hall, head of consulting at Sedex, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about practical steps for business in developing a more sustainable apparel and fashion sector. She shares guidance on how to measure progress, legislations to look out for, and the importance of ensuring worker protection and production waste management.
This week, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about what to expect at the UN Economic and Social Council Partnership Forum held in New York City, to discuss building effective partnerships to advance the sustainability development agenda and the 17 sustainable development goals. They also discuss World Wetlands Day, and the importance of wetlands to help combat the climate crisis.
Plus, Innovation Forum's Emily Heslop shares updates on the upcoming future of food and beverage USA conference, taking place in Minneapolis on 29th-30th May. Click here for full registration details – $400 early-bird discount expires this week.
This week: Matthew Hawthorne, a footprinting and circularity expert, and Luca Mosca, fashion and goods lead for Italy, both at Quantis, talk with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about emerging circular economy models in the apparel sector. They discuss the sector-specific challenges and advice on the viable next steps to improve for businesses.
Plus: the next in our factory spotlight series, Innovation Forum's Savanna Razzaque talks with Ateeq Ur Rehman, senior manager, support services at manufacturer Interloop in Pakistan about the measures the company has taken to support the well-being and livelihood of the workforce.
Host: Ian Welsh
Marco Albani, co-founder and CEO of Chloris Geospatial talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the shifting trends in impact measurement and carbon accounting. They discuss the unexpected impacts of being carbon-positive and why we need to get beyond thinking only in terms of zero deforestation.
On 18th January 2024, Innovation Forum hosted the webinar, 'The EUDR Debate: what's necessary to make it work effectively?' Listen to this podcast episode for the audio recording of the event.
The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) has been designed to prevent deforestation-linked commodities and products from entering the EU market, and in doing so catalyse a much needed reduction in deforestation on a global scale.
With the regulation coming into effect in December 2024, some have raised concerns that the smallholder farmers who supply a significant share of targeted commodities lack both the technical and financial means to comply. With fears that businesses may choose to remove smallholders from EU supply chains under current rules, millions of farmer livelihoods could be left extremely vulnerable.
In this installment of Innovation Forum's big debate series, we addressed pressing concerns and explored potential solutions for protecting smallholders and ensuring their continued access to the EU market.
Hear from our distinguished panel:
• Emanuele Pitto, International Relations Officer, DG Environment, European Commission
• Olivier Tichit, director, sustainability, Musim Mas
• Tessa Meulensteen, senior program manager coffee, IDH
This webinar was moderated by Ian Welsh, publishing director at Innovation Forum.
This week, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the Bern III conference, which continues discussions from 2019 and 2021 to contribute to the effective implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. And, they discuss the European Commission's strategic dialogue on the future of agriculture in the European Union to ensure a fair and inclusive green transition.
Plus, Innovation Forum's Hannah Oborne reveals what to expect at the future of food and beverage conference in Amsterdam from 14th-15th May. Register now to receive conference passes at the discount rate.
This week: Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh speaks with Renaka Ramachandran, chief financial officer at Sime Darby Plantation, about some of the challenges around interim and 2050 net zero target setting, and the importance of transparency on environmental and social impacts.
They also discuss the challenges of setting baselines, and waiting for the right technology to address hard-to-abate emissions.
And, in the first of a new factory voice series, Innovation Forum's Savanna Razzaque talks with Salman Azim from denim manufacturer Azim and Son in Bangladesh. They discuss some of the initiatives the company has developed to support the wellbeing of its workforce, and the impact of climate change on production processes.
Plus, new South Pole report suggests rise in greenhushing; Drax gets the go-ahead on CCS technology development; and, Know the Chain benchmarks action on labour rights in apparel and footwear, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
This week, Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the sustainable business issues likely to be on the agenda at the 2024 World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos – in particular this year's focus on driving corporate transparency and accountability.
They also discuss this week’s Innovation Forum European Union Deforestation Regulation webinar, at 1pm CET on Thursday 18th January, with panelists from the European Commission, Musim Mas and IDH who will debate potential consequences of the regulation's implementation and explore potential solutions to any challenges. Click here to join us.
Plus, Innovation Forum's Hanna Halmari shares agenda updates and what to expect at the sustainable apparel and textiles conference, taking place in Amsterdam on 23rd-24th April. Register here to join us.
This week: Bex Hall, head of consulting at Sedex, talks with Ian Welsh about the development of a more sustainable apparel and fashion sector. They discuss the current trends within the sector and what to look out for in 2024.
Plus: 2023's temperatures likely to have exceeded any of the period of the past 100,000 years, say EU scientists; UK companies recognise the need for decarbonisation; the UN predicts relatively low global growth of 2.4% in 2024; and, what to expect for business and human rights in 2024, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Francis Gassert, strategy and impact lead at Vizzuality, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the importance of corporate land, carbon and biodiversity impact measurement in the light of the incoming EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and Deforestation Regulation. They discuss guidance on how to conduct impact measurement effectively and ensure data credibility.
In this week's briefing, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about some of what's coming up. They discuss the implementation of the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the European Sustainability Reporting Standards, with large corporates the first to the impacted and new reporting requirements coming in from 2025. They also talk about the impact of Veganuary and other grass roots initiatives for businesses, and how companies are engaging with shifting consumer attitudes.
Plus: an update on the responsible sourcing and ethical trade forum taking place in London on 20th-21st March. Register now and save £400.
Dominik Klauser, director of regenerative agriculture at SAI Platform, speaks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh on the challenges and opportunities for food system transformation, and how to overcome and develop them. They discuss the importance of farmer incentives and share best practices for achieving traceability and transparency through regenerative agriculture.
This week: Marco Albani, co-founder and CEO of Chloris Geospatial talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the trends in impact measurement and carbon accounting. They discuss the shift from an area-based approach to carbon accounting and share some unexpected carbon-positive impacts.
And, report reveals UK's lack of urgency on deforestation; EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive agreement reached; and, tackling inequality crucial for net zero, according to Nature Climate Change journal, in the news digest by Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson.
Host: Ian Welsh
This week: another chance to hear our three most popular podcast interviews of 2023.
Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh talks with Rejane Souza, senior vice-president for global innovation at Norway-based fertiliser company Yara International, about the rise and rise of regenerative agriculture. They discuss the role of companies across the value chain in enabling technology and innovation, and the importance of taking a farmer-centric approach.
Ian also talks with Charlotte Bande, global food and beverage sector lead at Quantis, about how to improve the weak points in mainstream corporate sustainability decision making within the food and agriculture sector. They discuss the continued importance in peer-to-peer collaboration and share guidance on what a good just transition could look like.
And, IDH's regional director for Asia landscapes, Chi Tran, and senior programme manager for coffee, Tessa Meulensteen, discuss with Ian what the incoming EU's deforestation regulation will mean for the coffee sector. They discuss the opportunities and challenges to this regulation, including potential smallholder farmer exclusion and diversity loss in supply chains.
Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson has spoken to several farmers from across geographies and commodities, to find out how climate change is impacting their crops and their livelihoods.
Hear from Deborah Osei-Mensah, a farmer with Asunafo Cocoa Cooperative in Ghana, Wakinya Samuel, a smallholder coffee farmer from Bushika Integrated Area Cooperative Enterprise in Uganda, Kamudiben Satishbhai Tadavi, a smallholder cotton farmer working with CottonConnect, from the Narmada district in Gujarat, India, and Muhammad Muiz Bajwa, sustainability manager at South Asian Sourcing Private Limited.
During Innovation Forum's recent climate action on scope 3 emissions conference in Washington DC, Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson spoke with some of the participants to reflect on the key topics and conversations over the two days. These discussions focused in particular on shifting policy and guidance landscapes, and how companies are performing and communicating on scope 3 climate targets.
Hear from Invariant's Adam Tarr, former senior advisor to the secretary of agriculture, Ashley Allen from Oatly, Terryn Lawrence from Rabobank, Altruistiq's Saif Hameed, Ashlie Burkhart from Germin8 Ventures and Geoff Brighty from Mura Technology.
In the final briefing of the year, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson take a look ahead to the key focal points for sustainable business in 2024. They discuss the legislation moving corporate climate disclosure from voluntary to mandatory, expected progress on supply chain due diligence, and the ever-increasing spotlight on nature and biodiversity strategy.
This week: Francis Gassert, strategy and impact lead at Vizzuality, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about measuring impact and how to ensure credibility when doing so. They discuss the importance of companies considering their land, carbon and biodiversity impacts and incoming regulatory changes driving this action.
And, at COP28, United Arab Emirates' $100m game changing loss and reparation pledge; Civil Society Equity Review's report estimates developing countries require $209bn yearly for renewable energy transition; global methane pledge to cut atmospheric methane by 30% by 2030; and, new research by data and monitoring provider Space Intelligence finds major flaws in earlier research scrutinising voluntary carbon markets and REDD+ projects, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Rodrigue Kreilmann, corporate sustainability governance manager at Mars, and Veronique Bovee, deputy director for responsible sourcing at Proforest, talk with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about Proforest and Tropical Forest Alliance's latest research on driving progress on nature, climate and social targets at a landscape level. They discuss how companies' landscape-scale actions fit into leading climate frameworks and effective solutions for corporate action.
To read Tropical Forest Alliance's latest report, click here.
Speaking live from COP28 in Dubai, Owen Bethell, environmental impact lead, global public affairs, at Nestlé shares on-the-spot reflections with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the increasing focus on the global stocktake and lack of progress of agreement on fossil fuel phase-out. They discuss some progress so far, such as on food systems and methane, as ongoing negotiations take place.
In this week's briefing, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the latest at COP28 in Dubai, as final negotiations take place. They discuss the progress in fossil fuel phase-out and concerns in lack of progress in other areas such as nature and food systems. They also talk about potential updates from the European Commission on the EU deforestation regulation.
Plus: Bea Stevenson shares information about the upcoming Innovation Forum webinar on EUDR, the next in the "big debate" series, taking place on 18th January at 1pm CET. Click here to register.
And, Innovation Forum's Emily Heslop introduces the future of food conference on 29th-30th May 2024 held in Minneapolis. $500 discount early-bird registrations are open.
This week: Dominik Klauser, director of regenerative agriculture at SAI Platform, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the key risks and opportunities generated by the current shift towards regenerative agriculture. They discuss the growing importance of traceability and transparency in supply chains and share what best practice looks like in achieving these.
Plus: COP28’s Emirates Declaration highlights the importance of food system resilience; six global dairy companies join alliance to cut methane; several nations make new commitments on oil, gas and coal; EU agreement on ecodesign for sustainable products regulation, in the news digest with Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson.
Host: Ian Welsh
On 30th November at 2-3pm CET, Innovation Forum hosted a webinar on nature-positive business approaches in partnership with Golden Agri-Resources. This is an audio recording of the webinar.
Faced with what the United Nations calls an ‘unprecedented’ decline in biodiversity, businesses are taking action to find solutions to reduce and ultimately reverse human impacts on our ecosystems.
Recent initiatives such as the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, recommendations from the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and the Nature Positive Initiative aim to offer a path forward with definitions to guide conservation organisations, businesses and financiers towards a net positive impact on nature. But how can businesses put guidance and solutions into practice, and what steps should be taken to set clear goals and find novel solutions for organisations to contribute to a better future for biodiversity and nature?
In this webinar, our expert panel discussed:
• How should businesses define terms like nature zero and nature positive to help them measure and manage progress?
• What action brands are already taking to create and articulate their nature strategies, and what lessons can be learned for the future to drive measurable change.
• Where and how should companies set targets to effectively address a nature-positive future?
• The support needed from government, regulators, finance and other stakeholders to achieve change
Our panel:
• Götz Martin, Head of Sustainability and Strategic Projects, Golden Agri-Resources
• John Buchanan, Vice President Sustainable Production, Conservation International
• Conor McMahon, Global Net Zero and Nature Lead, Nestlé
• Loraiza Davies, Global Sustainability Manager, Land and Biodiversity, GSK
The webinar was moderated by Tanya Richard, COO and Head of Stakeholder Engagement at Innovation Forum
At Innovation Forum’s sustainable commodities and landscapes conference in Amsterdam, Ian Welsh spoke with a number of the expert panellists and delegates attending the event.
- Joseph D’Cruz, CEO, Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil
- Palavvi Sharma, agriculture commodities sector lead, Global Rights Compliance
- Anita Neville, chief sustainability and communications officer, Golden Agri-Resources
- Giorgio Budi Indrarto, deputy director, Madani
- Olivier Tichit, director of sustainability, Musim Mas
- Catherine Barton, policy lead, Chester Zoo
- Hanna Halmari, head of conferences, Innovation Forum
- Peter Stanbury, senior associate, Innovation Forum
They talk about challenges and unintended consequences of the incoming EU deforestation regulation for business, conservation and non-EU supply chain stakeholders.
In this week's briefing, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the conversations coming up at COP28 this week, including themes of finance, energy and just transition, land-use, food and agriculture, and more. They also discuss Oxford University's latest analysis of the costs of putting carbon capture and storage solutions too much at the centre of decarbonisation strategies.
Plus: Innovation Forum's Natasha Bodnar introduces the future of climate action conference on 12th-13th June 2024 to be held in Amsterdam. €500 discount early-bird registrations are open.
Over the coming decades, smallholder farmers throughout Africa will play a pivotal role in supporting the continent’s economic development and enabling food security. However, these farmers currently face numerous constraints that hinder their productivity and profitability. Challenges include a lack of support and access to resources such as financing, technology, inputs, and markets.
Accelerating Africa’s regenerative agricultural transformation requires a farmer-centric, ecosystem-led approach that involves actors across the whole value chain. Impactful partnerships and collaborations between farmers, governments, developmental organisations, entrepreneurs, food companies, and stakeholders must yield innovative solutions to help smallholder farmers overcome this complex set of constraints. Access to resources and opportunities through resilient value chains is essential to optimising profitability and improving smallholder livelihoods.
Our panel of experts drew on from real-world examples and experiences, as they discussed:* The current financial, economic and technological barriers preventing many African smallholders from implementing more sustainable farming techniques * How can value-chain stakeholders best work together to build capacity, and support farmer-centric solutions to smallholder farmers challenges within fragmented value chains? * The role of policy changes and support mechanisms in fostering robust, efficient and inclusive smallholder ecosystems * Examples of new and innovative technologies that can improve rural access to financing, for improved livelihoods and climate-smart farming
This webinar was moderated by Toby Webb, founder of Innovation Forum.
This was the second part of the Focus on Farmers webinar series, hosted in partnership with Bayer Crop Science. To listen to the first part in this series, click here.
To find out more about Bayer's work in this area, see here.
This week: Charlotte Bande, global food and beverage sector lead at Quantis, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about how to improve the weak points in mainstream corporate sustainability decision making within the food and agriculture sector. They discuss the continued importance in peer-to-peer collaboration and share guidance on what a good just transition could look like.
Plus: on-the-spot reflections at the future of climate action conference in Washington DC from Rabobank's chief sustainability officer Terryn Lawrence and Mura Technology's head of sustainability Geoff Brighty.
And, global food business Cargill's commitment to eliminate deforestation and land conversion in South America; Danone announces collaboration with Global Methane Hub to reduce methane emissions from livestock; and, Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative's new guidance on high-integrity carbon credits, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Forests activist Julia Butterfly Hill talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about progress and further opportunities for companies and government in forest and biodiversity protection. They highlight the importance of corporate investment towards carbon market projects such as REDD+. Julia also shares an urgent message for world leaders convening in Dubai for the COP28 climate talks.
For more on Julia’s call to action for world leaders click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gYzJcGcRNI
IDH's regional director for Asia landscapes, Chi Tran, and senior programme manager for coffee, Tessa Meulensteen, talk with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about what the incoming EU's deforestation regulation will mean for the coffee sector. They discuss the opportunities and challenges to this regulation, including potential smallholder farmer exclusion and diversity loss in supply chains.
In this week's briefing, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the key issues up for negotiation at COP28, which begins this week in Dubai. In particular, they discuss the different positions around clean energy agreements, and the need to establish a new loss and damage fund.
Bea Stevenson talks to Gotz Martin, director of sustainability and strategic projects at Golden Agri-Resources, about the outcomes and impact that he hopes will come from this week's webinar, 'The pathway to nature-positive business: definitions, measurements and targets'. Watch the video is now available. Or listen as a podcast here.
Bea also speaks with Veronique Schmitt, Bayer Crop Science’s head of communications for EMEA, about why they have been working with Innovation Forum to put out the 'Focus on Farmers' series: Regenerative food systems in Africa: scaling solutions to empower smallholder farmers'. Watch the video recording or click here to listen as a podcast.
Plus, Innovation Forum's Hanna Halmari talks to Ian Welsh about what to expect from Innovation Forum's sustainable apparel and textiles conference in April.
This week: Rodrigue Kreilmann, corporate sustainability governance manager at Mars, and Veronique Bovee, deputy director for responsible sourcing at Proforest, talk with Ian Welsh about how companies can help accelerate progress towards nature, people and climate goals on a landscape level. They discussed the importance of corporate leadership to drive this and peer collaboration.
Plus: At the recent future of climate action conference in Washington DC, Bea Stevenson and Ian Welsh spoke with Ashley Allen from Oatly and Saif Hameed at Altruistiq about the importance of scaling product carbon footprinting and emissions data for corporate decision making.
And, 2.9C warming looming even with national efforts, according to UNEP; the Ellen Macarthur Foundation calls companies to scale the use of refill packaging; this year's Pepsico Positive Agriculture Outcomes Accelerator rewards farm projects worldwide; and, why insetting is part of the climate impacts solution, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
To read Tropical Forest Alliance's latest report, click here.
Deloitte's senior manager for sustainability, climate and equity, Nabarun Sengupta, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the evolving corporate approaches to nature-related risks and disclosures. They discuss the role of the new Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosure Framework, and highlight the opportunities of nature-based approaches.
In this week's briefing, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the first ever world sustainable transport day on 26th November. Designated by the UN General Assembly, the day aims to raise awareness on lower emission and energy-efficient sustainable transportation to achieve the sustainable development goals. They also discuss what a more sustainable Black Friday could look like.
Plus: Innovation Forum's Natasha Bodnar shares what to expect at the responsible sourcing and ethical trade forum on 20th-21st March 2024 in London. £500 discount early-bird registrations are open – secure your passes this week.
This week: At the recent sustainable commodities and landscapes forum, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh spoke with Pallavi Sharma from Global Rights Compliance, Olivier Tichit from Musim Mas and Giorgio Budi Indrarto from Madani. They talked about the evolving impacts and unintended consequences of the incoming EU deforestation regulation and what it means for non-EU supply chain stakeholders.
Plus: At the future of climate action conference, Ian also talked with Adam Tarr, formerly senior adviser to the US secretary of agriculture, and Germin8 Ventures' chief scientific officer, Ashlie Burkart. They discussed the progress of the US Inflation Reduction Act in boosting clean energy technologies and scaling nature-based carbon removal projects.
And, the Zoological Society of London's Spott assessment shows increased palm oil corporate commitment in tackling deforestation; Mighty Earth flags growing deforestation impacts within the cashew sector in Côte D'Ivoire; and, national climate action plans to be insufficient to meet Paris agreement goals, according to the UN, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Jack Hurd, executive director of the Tropical Forest Alliance and Emily Kunen, senior director, positive agriculture capabilities and forest risk at PepsiCo, talk with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about importance of scaling the use of landscape and jurisdictional approaches for sustainable land use. They discuss the findings from the TFA's latest report, including the unintended consequences of EUDR, expectation for stakeholders to drive progress, and guidance on achieving this.
To read the Tropical Forest Alliance's latest report, click here.
In this week's briefing, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about Asia-Pacific Climate Week, being held in Malaysia to showcase solutions and innovations to tackle climate challenges in the lead up to COP28. They also discuss the EU council's upcoming adoption of farm sustainability data network regulations for collecting environmental and social data of food systems for companies, producers and beyond.
Plus, Innovation Forum's Hannah Oborne introduces the future of food conference returning to Amsterdam on 14th-15th May 2024. Early-bird registrations are now open.
This week: At Innovation Forum's future of climate action conference in Washington DC, Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson discuss the key talking points from the opening day of the event. They highlight the impact of evolving legislation and the ongoing corporate struggle to turn climate commitments and targets into credible action plans to deliver real progress.
Plus: During Innovation Forum's recent sustainable landscapes and commodities forum, Ian Welsh spoke with Anita Neville from Golden Agri-Resources, Catherine Barton from Chester Zoo and Innovation Forum's Peter Stanbury. These conversations focused on the challenges and potential impacts of the incoming EU deforestation regulation, in terms of business as well as conservation efforts.
Host: Ian Welsh
During Innovation Forum's recent future of plastics and packaging conference in Amsterdam, some of the participants spoke with Ian Welsh, reflecting on the conversations from the two days. These conversations focused in particular on the latest packaging trends and how the sector is shifting towards tougher and mandatory compliance standards, and the role of recycle and reuse schemes.
Hear from Jodie Roussel from Nestlé, UNEP's Llorenç Milà i Canals, Daniel Katz from The Overbrook Foundation and Rainforest Alliance, WRAP's Sebastian Munden, Steve Hardman from the Plastic Collective, and Innovation Forum's Catie Ball and Tanya Richard.
In this week's briefing, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the launch of this year's UNEP Production Gap report, which tracks the gap between governments' planned fossil fuel production and the Paris Agreement goal of 1.5C. They also discuss the international day for preventing the exploitation of the environment in war and armed conflict on 6th November, which sheds light on the environmental linkages and consequences of conflict.
Plus, Innovation Forum's Emily Heslop shares some agenda updates and what to expect at the future of climate action conference in Washington DC this week. Registrations are still open to join us there.
This week: Jack Hurd, executive director of Tropical Forest Alliance, and Emily Kunen, senior director, positive agriculture capabilities and forest risk at PepsiCo, talk with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about how companies can act to develop a more sustainable approach to land use at scale. They discuss research conclusions and key takeaways from the Tropical Forest Alliance's latest report on corporate action at scale on sustainable land use.
And: insight from CEO of Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil Joseph D’Cruz, speaking at Innovation Forum’s sustainable landscapes and commodities conference in Amsterdam.
Plus: financial giants call for businesses to set Science Based Targets; over 50% of consumers willing to shift diets for a better world; and, shortfall in climate adaptation funding previously underestimated, in the news digest by Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson.
Host: Ian Welsh
To read the Tropical Forest Alliance’s latest report, click here.
Bex Hall, head of consulting at Sedex, talks to Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about how decreasing food prices, coupled with increasing input costs, can create a squeeze that puts supply chain workers at risk. They discuss how food costs could be spread more equitably across value chains, and the opportunities that could arise from this.
This week: Deloitte's senior manager for sustainability, climate and equity, Nabarun Sengupta talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the role of the new Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosure (TNFD) Framework, and how companies are approaching nature-related risks and disclosures. They discuss some reasons to be hopeful about positive momentum on nature-based approaches.
Plus: EU adopts Net-Zero Industry Act draft report; major companies call for fossil-fuel phase-out at COP28; and, decline in fossil fuel use imminent, according to the International Energy Agency, in the news digest by Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson.
Host: Bea Stevenson
Successful REDD+ projects that protect forests and preserve biodiversity must work in partnership with Indigenous Peoples and local communities to safeguard and enhance their rights. Improving livelihoods by providing basic needs and alternative income opportunities is critical to forest conservation that is equitable.
Projects require close and extensive community consultation and strong engagement in governance, built on the foundations of full free, prior and informed consent (FPIC).
This Innovation Forum webinar, supported by Everland features case studies of REDD+ projects in Kenya, Cambodia, Colombia and Peru, providing examples from each about how, when done well, REDD+ projects can generate remarkable breakthroughs for the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Participants discuss how financing from the sale of certified carbon emission reduction credits has helped to empower these partnerships with local communities that safeguard and strengthen human rights.
The case studies illustrate:
- How REDD+ projects are built upon community-led governance structures.
- The ways in which projects provide opportunities for communities to secure their land titles.
- The comprehensive conservation agreements that enhance partnerships with Indigenous Peoples and local communities that protect livelihoods and forest ecosystems.
We heard from panellists from Everland and Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, Kasigau Corridor, Alto Mayo, Chyulu Hills and Acapa-Bajo Mira y Frontera REDD+ Projects. To learn more about these projects, click here.
This webinar was moderated by Ian Welsh, publishing director at Innovation Forum.
In part two of our farmer voice series, Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson speaks with Deborah Osei-Mensah from the Asunafo Cocoa Cooperative in Ghana. They talk about how farmer like Deborah are experiencing extreme and unpredictable weather patterns on the ground, and in particular how this can disproportionately impact women farmers.
In the first part of our farmer voice series, Wakinya Samuel, a smallholder coffee farmer from Bushika Integrated Area Cooperative Enterprise (BIACE) in Uganda, speaks with Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson about some of the challenges he faces as a result of climate change, including pests and diseases, and lower yields. He also explains how farmers are using innovative practices such as agroforestry to increase crop resilience.
In this week's briefing, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the upcoming European Climate Stocktake on EU and global progress on meeting the Paris Agreement, in the leadup to the Global Stocktake. They discuss the Inter-agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators' 14th meeting, held in Denmark, which will include discussions around SDG reports, data partnership and capacity development for the SDGs.
Plus, Innovation Forum's Hanna Halmari shares agenda updates and what to expect at the sustainable commodities and landscapes forum next week. Registrations are still open to join us.
This week: IDH's regional director for Asia landscapes, Chi Tran, and senior programme manager for coffee, Tessa Meulensteen, talk with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the potential impact of the EU's deforestation regulation on the coffee sector and the unintended consequences that may arise.
Plus: UBS and Santander’s “green" bonds linked to Brazilian deforestation; Musim Mas to stop sourcing from smallholders for its EU supply chain in response to EUDR; and, European businesses excluding Scope 3 emissions from net zero planning, in the news digest by Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson.
Host: Ian Welsh
Heather Tansey, vice president for environmental sustainability at Cargill, spoke with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about how to move towards a higher-yield, lower impact food supply system to ensure future supply security. They discuss the importance for the sector to prepare for the inevitable system shocks such as climate change and geopolitical events.
In this week's briefing, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the World Investment Forum, which commences this week in Abu Dhabi, with a focus on investing in sustainable development. Over the five days, stakeholders will convene to produce strategies and address global investment and development challenges. They also discuss World Food Day, which focuses this year on raising awareness of the importance of water management.
Plus, they share some details about the upcoming webinar on how forest REDD+ projects protect forests in collaboration with indigenous communities, to be held on Wednesday 18th October at 2pm BST. To join us live and receive the recording, you can register here.
This week: At Innovation Forum's recent future of plastics and packaging conference, Ian Welsh spoke with UNEP’s Llorenç Milà I Canals, Daniel Katz from the Overbrook Foundation and Rainforest Alliance, Sebastian Munden from WRAP, Steve Hardman from Plastic Collective and Innovation Forum's Catie Ball and Tanya Richard, reflecting on the discussions and debate at the conference.
Plus: Kamudiben Satishbhai Tadavi, smallholder cotton farmer with CottonConnect, from the Narmada district in Gujarat, India, speaks with Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson about how farmers are being impacted by climate change and extreme weather events.
And, carbon credits linked to faster decarbonisation; new tech to extract nutrients and oils from spent coffee grounds; and Zero Acre Farms attracting investment for low deforestation cooking oil, in the news digest.
For more information about how women cotton farmers like Kamudiben are adapting to climate change, see here: Women In Cotton: Addressing the Impact of Climate Change through Climate-friendly Practices
Saif Hameed, CEO of Altruistiq, talks with Ian Welsh about how companies can keep on top of data measurement and monitoring, and the tightening regulatory requirements. They discuss how stakeholder expectations are changing and what companies can do to adapt.
Charlotte Bande, global food and beverage sector lead at Quantis, talks to Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about how businesses are shifting from intention to action, when it comes to real long-term sustainability. They also discuss the difficult conversations that companies should be having internally, and how to ensure transparency is not a barrier to necessary collaboration.
In this week's briefing, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about how Tokyo Stock Exchange traded carbon credits will work. They also discuss what we can expect from 2023's Middle East and North Africa Climate Week, a regional collaboration platform to inform the first global stocktake concluding at COP28 in November.
Plus, Innovation Forum's Hanna Halmari gives an update on what to expect at the sustainable commodities and landscapes forum coming up in Amsterdam from 31st October-1st November. Register here for a €100 discount – the offer expires this Friday, 13th October.
This week: Bex Hall, head of consulting at Sedex, talks to Ian Welsh about the factors that have led to consumer reliance on potentially undervalued food, and how food costs can be spread equitably across value chains. They also discuss how food may be going through a re-valuation process and the opportunities presented by this.
Plus, at Innovation Forum’s Future of Plastics and Packaging Conference in Amsterdam this week, Ian spoke with Nestle’s global public affairs lead for packaging and sustainability, Jodie Roussell. They talked about some of the trends in packaging and reflected on how the sector is shifting towards tougher mandatory compliance standards.
And, Starbucks develops climate-resilient coffee seeds; EU reaches deal to reduce ‘super potent’ GHGs; Global power emissions flatline in first half of 2023; and, almost £600m of surplus UK food redistributed in 2022, in the news digest with Bea Stevenson.
Host: Ian Welsh
Say Samal, former minister for the environment and now deputy prime minister of the Royal Government of Cambodia, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the benefits of REDD+ carbon projects in delivering forest preservation and economic benefits in partnership with indigenous peoples and local communities in Cambodia. They discuss the importance of a partnership approach, developing economic benefits and securing land title for communities, as well as helping the country align with its Paris Agreement commitments.
In this week's briefing, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about what the incoming single use plastics ban means for businesses in England including retailers, vendors and the hospitality industry. They discuss the International Climate and Energy Summit coming up in Madrid, where industry, finance and civil society leaders have gathered to accelerate progress in the clean energy transition to attempt to align with the Paris Agreement.
Plus, ahead of this week’s future of plastics and packaging conference in Amsterdam, Innovation Forum's Diana Kim shares some useful content highlighting some of the progress made tackling plastics use in the past year.
This week: Cargill's vice president for environmental sustainability, Heather Tansey, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about how supply shocks have impacted the planet's food systems. They discuss the importance of future proofing for these inevitable shocks as the sector continually builds towards a higher-yield, lower impact food supply system.
Plus: Muhammad Muiz Bajwa, sustainability manager at South Asian Sourcing Private Limited, talks with Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson about the impacts of climate change and the necessary adaption measures farmers need to make.
And, new data analysis linking soy and deforestation in Brazil; Tyson Foods and Purdue Farms investigated for child labour; and, reflections on Climate Week and the UN General Assembly in New York, in the news digest with Bea Stevenson.
Host: Ian Welsh
Brett Kaysen, senior vice-president, producer and state engagement lead, at the US National Pork Board and Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh case study the sustainability challenges for the pork industry and for protein supply chains more generally. They discuss how to best set goals, and the tools and guidance to reach targets and monitor progress.
At the recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference in New York, Innovation Forum's Toby Webb reflects with Karimah Hudda, founder of illumine.earth, about the discussions over the two days of the event. In particular, they talk about the contrast between food and apparel industry and the continued importance in adopting circular principles. They also discuss the need to maintain balance in regulation and design innovation.
In this week's briefing, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste Reduction, coming up on the 29th September, focusing on taking action to transform and build resilient food systems. They also discuss the development of the global chemical and waste framework coming up at the 5th session of the International Conference on Chemicals Management, which aims to tackle chemical pollution.
Plus, Innovation Forum's Emily Heslop shares details about the upcoming future of climate action conference to be held in Washington, DC on 8th-9th November.
This week: As a preview of the 2023 future of plastics and packaging conference in Amsterdam, hear from Ignacio Gavilan, formerly of the Consumer Goods Forum, Jodie Roussell from Nestlé, Eastman’s Camiel Steffanie and Sofie Vergucht, Jenny Wassenaar from Trivium Packaging and Christina Dixon from the Environmental Investigation Agency as they reflected with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh last year on how business can build plastics and packaging strategy that delivers impact at scale.
Plus: Wakinya Samuel, smallholder coffee farmer from the Bushika Integrated Area Cooperative Enterprise in Uganda, speaks with Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson about how farmers can best be supported to counter climate change impacts and the potential for agroforestry to deliver sustainable supply security.
And, the UK government makes a U-turn on key environmental policies; European Union's new regulation to tackle corporate greenwashing; many big plastics companies not linking executive pay to sustainability metrics, according to Planet Tracker; and, Equitable Earth Coalition launched to develop new voluntary carbon market standard to drive finance to forest communities to halt deforestation, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
This year at the sustainable apparel and textiles conference in New York, Toby Webb talked with Talha Khan, chief executive of Pakistan Environment Trust, about the evolving conversations about apparel supply chains in North America and how they compare to those in Europe, including more downstream discussions around circular business models. They discuss the importance of textiles supply chain decarbonisation with bottom-up initiatives and financing cleaner energy transition.
In this week's briefing, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the Sustainable Development Goals week of events, organised during the UN General Assembly High-level Week. Key themes include climate, gender equality inclusion and more to accelerate sustainable impact as we pass the midway point of the SDG’s original timeline. They also discuss what to expect and how to get involved during Climate Week in New York, which focuses on moving the needle in climate action and setting viable strategies to implement green technologies for energy security this year.
Plus, some details about the Innovation Forum 2024 spring conference including the responsible sourcing and ethical trade forum in London and the sustainable apparel and textiles conferences in Amsterdam and New York City.
This week: Saif Hameed, CEO of Altruistiq, talks with Ian Welsh about the challenges in measuring and tracking corporate emissions data. They discuss changing regulatory requirements and stakeholder expectations, and how companies can best adapt.
Plus: the first in a new farmer voice series. Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson speaks with Deborah Osei-Mensah from the Asunafo Cocoa Cooperative in Ghana. They talk about the impacts of extreme and unpredictable weather patterns and in particular how this can disproportionately impact women farmers.
And, Science-Based Targets initiative separates entities for standard setting and validation; the emergence of plastic offsets; and, the International Energy Agency predicts peak fossil fuels demand will be before 2030, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
At the recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference, Innovation Forum's Toby Webb spoke with Krishna Manda, vice-president for sustainability at Lenzing, about supply chain decarbonisation. They talked about the importance of steering away from a one-size-fits-all solution and the need to engage with collaborative platforms such as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. They discussed Lenzing's strategy in decarbonising its supply chain working with the Science Based Targets initiative and the potential benefits of blended finance approaches.
In the midst of our escalating waste crisis and the global call for sustainable solutions, chemical recycling for plastics has emerged as both a potential solution and a subject of spirited debate. The concept of transforming post-use plastic into usable resources equivalent to virgin materials through chemical processes holds significant promise. However, several pitfalls and question marks have been raised around how sustainable the process and its outcomes truly are.
In this instalment of our debate series, our panel of experts have come together to dissect the feasibility, benefits, and challenges of integrating chemical recycling into our journey towards a sustainable future. They discussed: * The methodologies behind chemical recycling. Can the process be sustainable, and how? * The opportunities and positive impacts of chemical recycling, and the potential trade-offs and pitfalls. * How brands are approaching chemical recycling in their plastic-reduction strategies. * The future of this approach. Is there a sustainable way forward with it, and how can we get there?
Our expert panel: * Chris Dixon, ocean campaign lead, Environmental Investigation Agency * Nick Cliffe, deputy challenge director, UKRI * Charles Van Reij, global lead packaging, paper and print, Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute * Inari Seppa, director, circular advocacy, EMEA, Eastman
This webinar was moderated by Ian Welsh, publishing director at Innovation Forum.
In this week's briefing, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the upcoming Sustainable Development Goals quadrennial report – the first since 2019 – that focuses on providing evidence that helps decision makers accelerate action and overcome barriers to success, particularly looking at the role of science in recent years. They discuss SDG action weekend coming up where key stakeholders from all sectors will convene in New York to discuss the UN high impact initiatives. They also talk about the upcoming Coffee Barometer launch event on the 14th at 1pm BST produced by Ethos Agriculture with Conservation International and Solidaridad. To discuss the latest findings in sustainability in the coffee sector, click here.
Plus, Innovation Forum's Hanna Halmari gives an update on the sustainable commodities and landscapes forum coming up in Amsterdam from 31st October-1st November. Register here for a €200 early-bird discount – the offer expires this Friday, 15th September.
This week: Say Samal, former minister for the environment and now deputy prime minister of the Royal Government of Cambodia, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about how the country benefits from REDD+ carbon projects and in particular in terms of forest preservation and positive impacts for the indigenous peoples living in the forests. They discuss the importance of a partnership approach and collective action to collaboratively deliver sustainable development.
Plus: the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution shares the global plastic treaty draft; $37 trillion of investment is required to meet the necessary energy transition by 2030, says Boston Consulting Group; and, CDP's new research shows G20 lacks nature-based policies to hit biodiversity targets, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
JoDee Haala, director of public affairs at Christensen Farms, reflects with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about some of the discussions on food sector resilience raised at the recent future of food conference in Minneapolis. They also talk about recent developments in sustainable farming practices and how to overcome challenges in scaling across the food value chain.
Steven Bethell, founder of Bank & Vogue, and Innovation Forum's Toby Webb continue the discussions from the recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference in New York. They talk about the difference in the current regulatory landscape in North America and Europe, and how to introduce regulation to enforce initiative such as green tax and circularity.
In this week's briefing, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about waste awareness campaign Zero Waste Week that focuses on how households, businesses and organisations can reduce waste and increase awareness of pollution. They also discuss Kenya's incoming sustainability reporting standards and what they will mean for business – the standards are expected to bring tighter compliance requirements around ESG disclosures.
Plus, Innovation Forum's Catie Ball reveals what to expect at the future of plastics and packaging conference in Amsterdam from 3rd-4th October. Register here for a €300 early-bird discount – the offer expires this Friday, 8th September.
This week: US National Pork Board's senior vice-president, producer and state engagement lead, Brett Kaysen and Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh case study the US pork industry and its sustainability challenges. They discuss the importance of cross-industry collaboration to tackle issues such as greenhouse gas emissions and developing regenerative agriculture.
Plus: H&M to withdraw from Myanmar amid labour abuse reports; SBTi begins internal investigation on its methodology processes; and, UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association calls on government for stable net zero policy environment, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Deepika Mishra, global sustainability consultant at US Cotton Trust Protocol, and farmer Mead Hardwick from Hardwick Planting talk with Ian Welsh about what the transition to regenerative agriculture practices for the cotton sector can look like. They discuss the tangible benefits from these practices on farmland and the importance of data gathering in improving resource efficiency and cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
This week: At Innovation Forum's sustainable apparel and textiles conference in New York, Toby Webb spoke with Talha Khan, chief executive of Pakistan Environment Trust. They talked about barriers to delivering bottom-up initiatives and financing the cleaner energy transition in Pakistan.
Following the conference, Toby talked with Karimah Hudda, founder of illumine.earth. They discussed circularity, scope 3 and data, plus the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration and maintaining balance in regulation and design innovation.
And: Ecuador votes against new oil sector development in the Amazon; US and EU should focus on lessening animal-based agriculture, warns One Earth journal; World Resources Institute research calls businesses to follow science-based water targets for water resilience, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Rejane Souza, senior vice-president for global innovation at Norway-based fertiliser company Yara International, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the rise and rise of regenerative agriculture. They discuss the role of companies across the value chain in enabling technology and innovation, and the importance of taking a farmer-centric approach.
In this week's briefing, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about what to look out for from World Water Week. This year's focus is to develop innovative water solutions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and poverty. They also discuss Brazil's upcoming carbon market legislation with emissions caps for high-emitting companies. The legislation is designed to protect indigenous communities, farming and forests, and is part of President Lula da Silva’s “green transition” plans.
Plus, Innovation Forum's Tanya Richard highlights some evolving corporate and stakeholder engagement trends, and the value of fostering genuine collaboration. Click here for more information on Innovation Forum's stakeholder engagement services.
This week: At this year's sustainable apparel and textiles conference in New York City, Innovation Forum's Toby Webb talked with Krishna Manda, vice-president for sustainability at Lenzing, about the key discussion points from the supply chain decarbonisation panel session. They discuss the need for collaborative action and the rise of blended finance approaches in agriculture to drive resilience in sourcing practices.
Plus: why plant photosynthesis may not help mitigate climate change impacts after all; SBTi's new name-and-shame policy to drive better commitments from companies; and, global trend of legal challenges towards government and corporate inactivity noted in new UNEP report, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Barbara Dunin, director of ESG, marketing and communications at Beontag, talks with Ian Welsh about the impact of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology for product traceability in supply chains across the apparel sector and beyond. They discuss how tags can help build recycling and circular models and how business can benefit from the technology, for example through carbon footprint measurement and tackling overproduction.
In this week's briefing, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson reflect on a year of the US Inflation Reduction Act, which has directed almost $400bn in federal funding in the US to reduce carbon emissions and reach climate targets. They discuss the success in greater clean energy provision, solar power supply and EV sales, but also discuss where there has been less progress, in areas such as hydrogen and carbon capture technology.
Plus, Innovation Forum's Emily Heslop shares further insight on what to expect at the future of climate action conference in Washington DC from 8th-9th November. Register here for a $300 early-bird discount – the offer expires this Friday, 18th August.
For Schroders’ insights about the Inflation Reduction Act, click here.
This week: after joining the future of food conference in Minneapolis, JoDee Haala, director of public affairs at pork farmers Christensen Farms, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about what is hindering development for more sustainable practices within food value chains, and how we can overcome them.
Plus: quick fire insights from Innovation Forum's Toby Webb and Bank & Vogue's Steven Bethell speaking at the recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference in New York.
And, Gabon moves forward with Africa's first debt-for-nature swap; eight Amazon countries make progress, but no new deforestation commitment; and, California's law to reduce emissions from finished foods, in the news digest with Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson.
Host: Ian Welsh
On-the-spot reflections from Innovation Forum's Toby Webb and Olam Agri's Jordan Lea talking at Innovation Forum's sustainable apparel and textiles conference in New York in June. They discuss the increasing interest in building sustainable apparel supply chains from business and consumers, and the emerging trends of regenerative farming, traceability and transparency and more sustainable sourcing practices in general.
In this week's preview of what's coming up, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the role of International Day of Indigenous Peoples on 9th August in raising awareness on indigenous peoples' right to self-determination, and role in climate action, with particular focus on indigenous youth this year. The topic of youth continues on the 12th with International Youth Day; Ian and Bea discuss the importance of fostering green skills in young people, for the green transition.
Plus, Innovation Forum's Hanna Halmari shares some information on what to expect from the Sustainable Commodities and Landscapes Forum in Amsterdam from 31st October-1st November. Register here for a €300 early-bird discount – the offer expires this Friday, 11th August.
This week: Rejane Souza, senior vice-president for global innovation, at Norway-based fertiliser company Yara International, talks with Ian Welsh about the how to get to grips with regenerative agriculture. They discuss the value chain in enabling technology and innovation, and the importance of taking a farmer-centric approach.
Plus: Incoming sustainability reporting standards for EU businesses; new study suggests the realistic potential of soil carbon sequestration practices; UK government to grant new licences for oil and gas exploration; and, climate change causing more cholera outbreaks, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
During his recent trip to Cambodia, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh spoke with Charles Bedford, chief impact officer at Carbon Growth Partners about the characteristics of a good carbon project and what buyers should look for in REDD+ forest projects. They discuss the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration with active engagement and ownership from all parties, particularly from local communities, to deliver success.
In this week's preview of what's coming up, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about Earth Overshoot Day – this year on 2nd August – when human's annual natural resource use exceeds Earth's ability to regenerate. They also discuss the first African Women and Children Conference in Ghana this week, which will consider the impact of climate change on women and children, acting as a precursor to the African Climate Summit later in the year.
Plus, Innovation Forum's Catie Ball provides further information on what to expect from the Future of Plastics and Packaging Conference in Amsterdam from 3rd-4th October. Register for the conference for a €400 early-bird discount – the offer expires this Friday, 4th August.
This week: Barbara Dunin, director of ESG, marketing and communications at Beontag, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the importance of product traceability using radiofrequency identification (RFID) technology. They discuss the benefit of improving logistical processes and how this can tackle overproduction, ultimately enabling businesses to be closer to achieving their corporate sustainability targets.
Plus: Google reports progress towards 24/7 carbon-free energy goal; SAP asks suppliers to report emissions by 2027; and, major meat study favours a plant-based diet, in the news digest, with Bea Stevenson.
Host: Bea Stevenson
This week: Deepika Mishra, global sustainability consultant at U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol and farmer Mead Hardwick from Hardwick Planting talks with Ian Welsh about the growing potential for regenerative agriculture within the cotton sector. They discuss the current trends of data gathering in resource use and greenhouse gas emissions, and note the importance of resource efficiency alongside the transition to regenerative farming.
Plus: minority of 'sustainable' EU funds align with green taxonomy; EU revising flagship Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations; US Envoy John Kerry meets with Chinese counterpart, in the news digest by Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson.
Host: Bea Stevenson
Matt Inbusch, senior manager at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and Mike Nemeth, senior adviser for agriculture and environmental sustainability at fertiliser business Nutrien talk with Ian Welsh about how nature's role in the global economy is increasingly being valued. They discuss WBCSD's nature-positive roadmaps and navigating the challenges and opportunities of nature-positive agriculture.
This week: On a recent trip to Cambodia, Ian Welsh spoke to Kong Bunchhean, a smallholder farmer living in Sovanna Baitong village in the country’s Southern Cardamom region. Kong reflects on how his and his family’s lives have benefitted from the region’s Redd+ carbon project. This is part of Innovation Forum’s ongoing 'From the Forest Front-line' series in partnership with Everland.
And, at Innovation Forum’s sustainable apparel and textiles conference in New York last month, IF’s Toby Webb and Olam Agri’s Jordan Lea talk about some of the sector trends that emerged from the conference.
In the news: IEA report highlights sharp increase in demand for cobalt and nickel; Western US drought causes a drop in hydropower; and Planet Tracker research finds low interest in biodiversity-specific data from investors.
Marco Albani, CEO of Chloris Geospatial, talks with Ian Welsh about the role of remote sensing data in supporting nature-positive approaches, and how the business case for nature conservation is evolving. They also discuss best practices for reliable carbon accounting.
In this week’s preview of what’s coming up, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, with the theme of accelerating recovery from the coronavirus disease. They also discuss World Population Day, and the implications of rapid population rise.
Plus, Ian shares some information about Innovation Forum’s Autumn conference series, including the Future of Plastics and Packaging, and the Sustainable Landscapes and Commodities conferences in Amsterdam, as well as the Future of Climate Action conference in Washington D.C.
You can go to our website now for the best priced tickets.
This week: Matt Inbusch, senior manager at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and Mike Nemeth, senior adviser for agriculture and environmental sustainability at fertiliser business Nutrien, talk with Ian Welsh about the growing potential for nature-positive approaches across agricultural value chains. They talk about some helpful guidance – including roadmaps from WBCSD – to help navigate the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities from nature-positive agriculture.
Plus: China’s rapid renewable energy surge; hottest day globally, since records began; UK plans to drop flagship COP26 climate pledge; M&S partners with Oxfam and eBay for circular school uniform initiative, in the news digest by Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson.
Host: Ian Welsh
Europe’s agriculture industry, and the farmers at its heart, are under pressure. The challenges faced by farmers are numerous. From the stresses of climate change, rising energy and input prices, as well as the costs associated with the regenerative transition, to the ever-decreasing number of young farmers entering an industry already stretched for both brains and brawn over the coming decades.
In the first of Bayer Crop Science’s ‘Focus on Farmers’ webinar series, we heard directly from farmers on the key barriers to sustainable farming. Our panel of experts responded with a discussion on how supply chain actors can collaborate to scale solutions to these challenges and support farmers in a just transition to regenerative agriculture.
The webinar was moderated by Toby Webb, founder, Innovation Forum.
This webinar was the first in a series held in partnership with Bayer Crop Science.
Rikke Kyllenstjerna, senior vice-president, food chains, at Norway-based fertiliser business Yara International, talks with Ian Welsh about the role of different value chain actors in achieving food sector resilience. They discuss the importance of farmer incentives for carbon reduction and precision agriculture, and the need to develop a sustainable food supply business model through carbon pricing and science-based targets.
In this week's preview of what's coming up, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the UN Human Rights Council panel on the adverse impacts of climate change on the right to food. They also discuss the global Plastic Free July movement, which kicks off again this week.
Plus, Innovation Forum's Emily Heslop provides a first look at what to expect from the Future of Climate Action Conference in Washington DC from 8th-9th November.
Register for the conference here for a $500 early-bird discount.
This week: Charles Bedford, chief impact officer at Carbon Growth Partners, talks with Ian Welsh about what differentiates a good carbon project and, in particular, what buyers should look for in REDD+ forest projects.
And, at Innovation Forum’s recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference in New York, Toby Webb, Cotton Connect’s Alison Ward and Visionspring’s Ramona Hendel-Bejema reflect on some of the key discussions from the event’s panel sessions.
Plus: tropical deforestation up 10% in 2022 says Global Forest Watch; UK’s Climate Change Committee calls for quadrupling of emissions reductions in non-electricity sectors; Nestlé and Earthworm partner on cocoa forest protection project in Côte d’Ivoire; and, long-awaited ISSB standards published, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
At Innovation Forum’s recent Future of Food EU conference, Ian Welsh asks Dom de Ville from the Wine Society, Hanne Søndergaard from Arla Foods, Owen Bethell from Nestlé and Paulig Group’s Lea Rankinen to elaborate on some of the key sustainability issues and innovations that came up at the conference. These quick-fire discussions range in topic from innovative packaging solutions, to net-zero strategies, to evolving human rights legislation.
In this week’s preview, Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the agenda for London’s fifth Climate Action Week, focusing on themes of accelerating the global clean economy, and delivering a fair, inclusive and just climate transition. They also discuss the task of setting up a global biodiversity framework fund, at the 64th Global Environment Facility Council meeting in Brazil.
They also preview of Innovation Forum’s upcoming free webinar with Bayer Crop Science on how best to support European farmers in the regenerative transition. This will take place on 29thJune at 2pm BST. You can register for free here.
Plus a look at what to expect at this year’s Sustainable Plastics and Packaging Conference in Amsterdam on 3rd and 4th October. Register here to save €500 on conference passes.
This week: Marco Albani, CEO of Chloris Geospatial, talks with Ian Welsh about the developing remote sensing technology that can enable better understanding of carbon and other impacts. They discuss how companies can best utilise the data to strive for a nature-positive approach.
Plus: none of the UN Sustainable Development Goals on target for 2030; poor progress at Bonn climate conference; massive investment in developing economies green energy please, say IEA and IFC; and, JBS pulls US ads amid greenwashing row, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Scheffer's head of commercial, finance and sustainability, Fabiana Furlan, talks with Ian Welsh about the potential for more regenerative agricultural techniques for Brazil’s cotton sector and how they can best be implemented. They discuss how a focus on biodiversity and carbon sequestration can help improve soil health and build more robust and fertile
In this week's preview, Ian Welsh talks with Catie Ball about the upcoming sustainable apparel and textiles conference in New York City starting this Wednesday. They discuss what attendees can expect and the key themes that will be discussed over the two days. Registrations are closing soon – you can still register here.
And, Hanna Halmari introduces Innovation Forum's sustainable commodities and landscapes forum to be held in Amsterdam on 31st October-1st November. Register by this Friday 23rd June to save €400 on conference passes.
This week: Rikke Kyllenstjerna, senior vice-president, food chains, at Norway-based fertiliser business Yara International, talks with Ian Welsh about the company’s all value chain approach to carbon reduction that can help deliver long-term food sector resilience. They discuss the importance of precision agriculture and the potential for carbon pricing and cost-sharing.
Plus: Net Zero Tracker says nation-wide net-zero targets are lacking; OECD guidelines for responsible business conduct returns with tougher regulations on climate change and human rights impacts; and, UK House of Lords votes for financial services deforestation-free due diligence checks, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Debbie Shakespeare, senior director for sustainability and compliance, apparel solutions, at Avery Dennison talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about how hi-tech solutions including radio frequency identification – RFID – can help scale circularity in the apparel sector. They discuss the potential of digital traceability in addressing overproduction, and for end-of-life management, re-use and recycling.
This week: at Innovation Forum's future of food conference in Minneapolis, some of the expert participants spoke with Ian Welsh, reflecting on conversations from the conference. They discussed the importance of farmer incentives, regenerative action for long-term resilience and how to best set science-based targets using the FLAG guidance. Hear from Ted McKinney from the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, Regrow's Anastasia Volkova and Thalia Vounaki from FAIRR Initiative.
Plus: University of Leeds research shows developed economies owe $170 trillion on climate reparations; Plastic recycling poses chemical risk; small-scale farming leads to greater agriculture-driven deforestation than large-scale farming, says FAO, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Katherine Hofmann, sustainability strategic initiatives manager at Eastman, and Ed Higgins, director of product development at Stanley Black & Decker, talk with Ian Welsh about their collaborative progress in developing sustainable power tools using chemically recycled plastics and packaging. They share their strategies on providing end of life solutions and scaling these sustainable approaches without sacrificing performance.
In this week's preview, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about this year's World Environment Day focusing on solutions to plastic pollution, following the second negotiation session for the global plastics treaty. They discuss the agenda for the EU green week on how to deliver a net zero world with newly developing EU environmental policies. Ian also shares information on how the UN climate change conference will spark initial conversations ahead of COP28 and catalyse action on the loss and damage fund.
Click here to listen to the podcast on the UN global pact on plastic pollution with Environmental Investigation Agency’s Christina Dixon.
This week: Fabiana Furlan, head of commercial, finance and sustainability at Scheffer talks with Ian Welsh about helping farmers to, overcome reliance on chemical inputs, restore soil health, and rebalance ecosystems. They discuss regenerative farming practices such as crop rotation, nutrient cycling and precision agriculture.
Plus: on-the-spot interview at the future of food conference in Minneapolis with Rod Snyder, senior agriculture advisor to the administration at the US Environmental Protection Agency and Ian Welsh. They discuss progress within the US agricultural sector and voluntary vs regulatory incentives for sustainable agriculture.
And, potential for CO2 capture with Greenland's rock ‘flour’; UNEP's guidance on building a circular textile sector across the value chain; CDP calls 1,600 companies to report environmental data; Mars bar trialling recyclable paper packaging in the UK, in the news digest by Bea Stevenson.
Host: Bea Stevenson
Chief sustainability officer at Sime Darby Plantation, Rashyid Anwarudin talks to Ian Welsh about the importance of flagging labour rights breaches to deliver truly responsible sourcing supply chains. They discuss Sime Darby Plantation's responsible recruitment procedures and policies to mitigate typical migrant worker risks, from origin and destination countries.
This week: Debbie Shakespeare, senior director, sustainability and compliance, apparel solutions, Avery Dennison and Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh talk about how technology can be a catalyst for the development of circularity in apparel supply chains. They discuss the importance of digital traceability in extending the life of a product, through consumer education and authentication.
Plus: UK Climate Change Committee warns against government inaction on green jobs; G7 supports ‘temporary’ use of natural gas; France implements ban on short-haul flights; Science-Based Targets Network publishes new framework on nature, in the news digest.
Host: Bea Stevenson
Left vulnerable from the degradation linked to conventional farming, food crops world-over are increasingly exposed to extreme impacts of climate change. For the agri-food industry, regenerative agriculture offers a vital opportunity to re-nourish agricultural land and build up system resilience, whilst relying on and supporting farmers. To implement this at scale, there is a need for strong leadership and willing collaboration across whole value chains.
In this webinar, we heard about the approaches, tools and technologies that leading brands are using to drive this collaboration. Our panel discussed:
• How agri-food leaders can build partnerships to drive agricultural system resilience through regenerative agriculture
• How jurisdictional sourcing approaches can enable businesses to support farmer livelihoods and regenerate landscapes
• What are the available tools and technologies to monitor and optimise agricultural ecosystem health?
The panel:
• Anastasia Volkova, CEO and co-founder, Regrow
• Jay Watson, director, regenerative agriculture, General Mills
• Janelle Meyers, chief sustainability officer, Kellogg Company
Moderator: Toby Webb, founder, Innovation Forum
This webinar was hosted in partnership with Regrow.
Founding director and director of sustainable sourcing at Brodie partners, Georgie Erangey and Dave Pendlington, follow up with Ian Welsh on some of the key topics discussed at Innovation Forum's recent responsible sourcing and ethical trade forum, including evolving corporate attitudes in supply chain risk and transparency. They highlight remediation and the involvement of procurement professionals as key pillars of corporate transparency.
In this week's preview of what's coming up, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about how this year's International Day for Biological Diversity is catalysing action on commitments made at COP15 in Kunming. They also discuss the agenda for the second meeting of the Transitional Committee, charged with establishing a Loss and Damage fund for developing countries.
Plus, Innovation Forum's Emily Heslop shares final updates on the future of food conference coming up next week in Minneapolis on 31st May-1st June.
Click here to register to the resilient agriculture webinar on Tuesday 22nd May at 1pm BST, hosted in partnership with Regrow.
This week: Katherine Hofmann, sustainability strategic initiatives manager at Eastman, and Stanley Black & Decker’s director of product development, Ed Higgins, share with Ian Welsh how they are collaborating to develop sustainable power tools including using recycled plastics. They discuss the future of sustainable innovation in power tools production, sustainable packaging and how better design can mean products can be fully recyclable.
Plus: UN report says plastic pollution could be slashed by 80% by 2040; EU countries to finalise 42.5% renewable energy target; EU places ban on destruction of unsold clothing; and, auto manufacturers implemented in battery supply chain abuses, in the news digest with Bea Stevenson.
Host: Ian Welsh
Ben Aschenaki, delivery unit lead and rebuild facility lead at Regeneration, talks with Ian Welsh about the role of agroforestry in delivering long term resilience in the coffee sector, and the potential for coffee sensitively harvested from within standing forests. With incentives such as increased land productivity, and boosting farmer incomes as they gain better access to international markets, they also discuss the importance of landscape governance models.
The meat sector appears to be at a crossroads. There has been much coverage of the rise and fall (and rise?) of the alternative meat industry. Whilst some critics flag plummeting sales and lower stock prices, others have questioned nutrition and sustainability claims.
Simultaneously, evidence continues to mount that we have no choice but to move away from our current land and carbon-intensive meat industry.
In this special webinar, we tried to cut through media bias and counterproductive polarisation, to find a sensible route forward. We asked our panel whether it’s possible to have a market in which animal meat and meat alternatives with genuine human and planetary health benefits can co-exist.
Our panel discussed:
• What is the forecast for the future of the ‘fake meat’ industry?
• What are the current and projected consumer trends around meat/alternative meat?
• Why zero-sum positioning is unhelpful to the climate and health agenda, and how can we ensure that nutritious and sustainable meat and meat alternatives win out and co-exist.
The panel:
• Samantha Werth, executive director, US Roundtable for Sustainable Beef
• Peer Ederer, founding director, GOAL Sciences / programme and science director, Global Food and Agribusiness Network
• Andy Shovel, founder and co-CEO, THIS
This webinar was part of our "big debate" series and was moderated by Ian Welsh.
In this week's preview of what's coming up, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the G7 summit and G20 meeting this week focusing on climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and just energy transition. They also discuss ongoing high consumer food prices as UK prime minister Rishi Sunak is set to meet with supermarket bosses and farmers.
Plus, Innovation Forum's Catie Ball introduces the future of plastics and packaging conference returning this year in Amsterdam on 10th-11th October.
This week: Rashyid Anwarudin, chief sustainability officer at Sime Darby Plantation, talks with Ian Welsh about why developing truly responsible commodity sourcing supply chains means seeking out labour rights breaches and remediating them. They discuss Sime Darby Plantation’s strategies to ensure workers are treated ethically including responsible recruitment procedures and grievance mechanisms.
Plus: further reflections from the recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference in Amsterdam with Ola Bakowska from Circle Economy, Patagonia's Nick Allen and Umer Rehman from Soorty Enterprises.
And, renewables to be the biggest source of the world's electricity, says the International Energy Agency; Circle Economy’s new report shows economical potential for the global south in adopting a circular approach; World Green Building Council shares how companies can make the transition into circular design, end of life disassembly and recycling materials; and, Ecuador closes $1.63bn debt-for-nature financing facility, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Scott Kelly, senior vice president at Risilience, talks with Ian Welsh about how apparel brands can go beyond planning and implement effective net-zero plans by 2050. They discuss the importance of measuring emission sources then setting a net-zero plan and interim targets, and how to be transparent in reporting progress.
Please note that this is an audio recording of a webinar containing slides and presentations. To view the video recording, click here.
As part of Nestlé’s pledge to source up to 50% of its key ingredients regeneratively by 2030, this live virtual event featured updates of progress to date and deep dive into some case studies.
We discussed the role of the food and beverage industry in scaling up regen ag and broader nature-based solutions to address the impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss and soil degradation – through protecting and enhancing livelihoods.
Hearing live from senior Nestlé colleagues, alongside industry experts, farmers and local project managers, they discussed topics such as:
• Nestlé’s regenerative agriculture approach, and the progress and challenges encountered so far.
• How regenerative agriculture programs are working on the ground, taking dairy farming in Chile, and coffee farming in Vietnam as case studies.
• The outlook for the future of regenerative farming, and the next steps needed to bring it to scale.
This discussion was moderated by Ian Welsh, publishing director at Innovation Forum.
This webinar was hosted in partnership with Nestlé.
Innovation Forum collaborates with leading companies to deliver bespoke stakeholder engagement, research and sustainability communications services. Partners gain access to our network and cross-industry experience to promote positive change in their chosen areas. Our bespoke projects are a chance to utilise our decades of experience in sustainable business to create an effective programme, make connections, and gain insightful feedback from key industry experts.Click here for more information about our stakeholder engagement and communications services.
In this week's preview of what's coming up, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the World Fair Trade Day on Saturday 13th focusing on regenerative business for future economy including topics of smallholder farmers and sustainable agriculture. They also discuss the continued rise in supermarket food prices — despite wholesale prices coming down — due in part to energy costs, production and packaging, and transportation.
Plus, Innovation Forum's Catie Ball shares details about some sessions to take place at the sustainable apparel and textiles conference USA in New York on 21st-22nd June.
Click here to register to the future of meat debate webinar on 11th May at 3pm BST.
This week: Brodie partners' founding director, Georgie Erangey, and director of sustainable sourcing, Dave Pendlington, talk with Ian Welsh about developing ethical sourcing regulation from the EU and other jurisdictions and why procurement professionals are ever-more involved in tackling corporate human rights risks.
Plus: insights from Hanne Søndergaard from Arla Foods, Paulig Group's Lea Rankinen and Nestlé's Owen Bethell from this week’s future of food conference in Amsterdam.
And, wealthy nations to meet $100bn climate pledge, three years late; why loss and damage funding must not create more debt for the global south; Barclay’s bank cracks down on deforestation for beef; and, LinkedIn highlights need for green upskilling for increasing sustainability roles, in the news digest by Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson.
Host: Ian Welsh
Click here to register to the future of meat debate on Thursday 11th May at 3pm BST.
Anurag Gupta, managing director at Usha Yarns, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about how pre-consumer recycled cotton and post-consumer PET can be used to create new yarns. They compare the footprint of recycled and virgin fibres and discuss the drivers for developing the next generation yarns for the apparel sector.
This week: Ben Aschenaki, delivery unit lead and rebuild facility lead from Regeneration talks with Ian Welsh talk about the potential of an agroforestry approach and forest coffee supply chain. They discuss the importance of encouraging farmers to steer away from monocultural practices through providing incentives, training, and linking smallholders to international markets.
Plus: US pledges funding to curb deforestation in the Amazon; key vote strengthens new EU corporate due diligence rules; EU strikes deal to set binding sustainable fuel targets for aviation; and, global EV sales to increase by 35% in 2023, in the news digest by Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson.
And, quick fire insights from the recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference in Amsterdam from European Commission's Malgorzata Golebiewska, Brittany Sage Brown from Kraft Heinz and CottonConnect's Alison Ward.
Host: Ian Welsh
Matt Hamiltion, senior advisor on traders and inclusive value chains at Oxfam America shares with Ian Welsh some results from Oxfam's latest Moving the Middle report, assessing big agribusinesses on their policies and implementation plans. The companies are evaluated across five issue areas: women's empowerment, land inequality, smallholder equity and transparency. They also debate the need to go beyond commitments and begin implementation to sustain a just food system for the long-term.
In order to hit targets on sustainability issues such as emissions, waste and ethical work conditions, companies must work with suppliers to implement changes on the ground. Asking suppliers to shift behaviour and protocol can be challenging, and so incentives are often needed.
As part of the theme for Earth Day 2023 to “Invest in Our Planet”, this special webinar had panellists share the different types of incentives and approaches that encourage suppliers to implement sustainable changes in farms and factories. They gave proven examples of incentives that have worked, whilst discussing:* The potential challenges and pitfalls of communicating with supply chain workers around new sustainability initiatives * Best practice for approaching discussions with suppliers to drive progress in factories and farms * How to work with suppliers to build sustainable policies and initiatives that work for the business, the supplier, and workers on the ground
The panel:* Kate Larsen, director ESG, human rights, sustainability in supply chains advisory, SupplyESChange * Mr Sathya Raghu V Mokkapati, co-founder and president, Kheyti * Saif Khan, technical director, Footprints
This webinar was moderated by Ian Welsh, publishing director, Innovation Forum.
In this week's preview of what's coming up, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the ten-year anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse, and why despite the best efforts of many in the apparel sector, the same challenges persist a decade later. They also discuss the upcoming webinar Innovation Forum is hosting with Nestlé on 27th April, at 3pm CEST, with the focus on regenerative agriculture.
Plus, Innovation Forum's Hanna Halmari looks ahead to this week’s sustainable apparel and textiles conference in Amsterdam, and gives some last-minute updates and information for attendees.
This week: Scott Kelly, senior vice president, Risilience shares guidance with Ian Welsh on how apparel brands can implement effective net-zero plans by 2050. They discuss the importance of measuring carbon emissions first, then creating a concrete plan to reduce emissions with interim targets set along the way.
Plus: Greenpeace and other groups take the European commission to court over green investment taxonomy; FAO report says climate change is compounding inequalities for women in agriculture; billions more in funding needed to protect tropical forests, says Energy Transitions Commission; and, CDP launches plastics disclosure platform, in the news digest by Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson.
Host: Ian Welsh
Hear some on-the-spot reflections at the recent responsible sourcing and ethical trade forum in London from Clifford Chance’s Rae Lindsay, Fiona Wheatley from Bakkavor and the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre’s Phil Bloomer, talking with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh.
They highlight the importance of mandatory human rights due diligence in supplier engagement through in-depth investigation of tier 3 and 4 suppliers. They also discuss the need to initiate real executive leadership and collaboration to drive progress.
In this week’s preview of what’s coming up, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the 6th Nordic Conference on Climate Change Adaptation where stakeholders share key lessons learned from their policy approaches in adaptation across cities and municipalities. They also discuss potential impacts from the Extinction Rebellion four-day peaceful protest at the UK houses of parliament this week. Plus they look forward to Innovation Forum’s webinar discussing ESG and incentives that work coming up on Friday 21st April to mark Earth Day 2023. Click here to register for this webinar (21st April, 10 am UK time) or to receive the recording in your inbox after the event.
Plus, Innovation Forum's Emily Heslop shares an update on some of the discussion points on the agenda at the future of food USA conference on 31st May and 1st June in Minneapolis.
This week: Anurag Gupta, managing director of Usha Yarns, talks with Ian Welsh about products the company is developing from pre-consumer recycled cotton combined with PET plastic. They discuss the potential for sustainable fibres becoming mainstream, the importance of increasing the value of waste and developing products that don’t require virgin material use.
Plus: further reflections from the recent responsible sourcing and ethical trade forum from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Ruth Thomas and eBay’s Chris Gale. They highlight the importance of access to finance for rural SMEs can aid development and the need for migrant worker empowerment programmes.
And, the era of clean power potentially imminent says new Global Electricity Review from thinktank Ember; the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market launches core market principles; US senators investigate big brands on migrant child labour; UK's Advertising Standards Authority bans Etihad ads for greenwashing, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Click here to register for the ESG through the supply chain webinar (21st April 11am CET) and click here to join the regenerative agriculture webinar with Nestlé (27th April 3pm CET).
Olivier Tichit, director of sustainability at Musim Mas, talks with Ian Welsh about the potential for “verified deforestation-free” programmes to counter the challenges generated by the impending EU deforestation-linked products ban. They discuss the need to proactively halt deforestation by working at a landscape level and engage in multi-stakeholder collaboration, alongside verification to recognise progress.
In this week’s preview, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about the World Bank annual spring meetings discussing the global economic outlook with a focus on climate change and sustainable development. They also discuss the urgent need to improve traceability in the cocoa sector with continued issues of deforestation and child labour.
Plus, Innovation Forum’s Tanya Richard shares information on an upcoming webinar discussing implementation of regenerative agriculture at scale, hosted in partnership with Nestlé. Click here to join the webinar on 27th April at 2pm BST.
This week: Matt Hamilton, senior advisor for inclusive value chains at Oxfam America, highlights the key insights from Oxfam's latest behind the brands report benchmarking the activities of the world’s biggest agribusinesses, including on empowering women, land rights, transparency and accountability. He shares its findings and provides recommendations for global agribusiness, downstream companies and investors.
Plus: EY research questions credibility of corporate net zero strategies; EU’s draft energy directive pushes 2030 renewable energy target to 42.5%; Aldi's ambitious target for all LEAF-certified UK fresh produce; and, continuing accusations of “waste colonialism” with the US shipping post-consumer plastic to Mexico, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
For Oxfam's new report, click here.
Andreas Hansen, senior policy advisor of ocean and conservation finance at The Nature Conservancy, talks with Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson about the new UN framework to protect marine biodiversity in international waters. They discuss the potential business impacts for seafood supply chains and how the treaty recognises the oceans’ role in climate change mitigation.
In this week’s preview of what’s coming up, Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about why the World Health Organisation, celebrating its 75th anniversary this week, is focusing on climate change in this year’s World Health Day, and business implications. They also discuss the potential implications of impending carbon tax increases in Canada and how this reflects carbon pricing trends more generally.
Plus, Innovation Forum’s Natasha Bodnar gives an update on some of the participants and discussion points on the agenda at the future of food conference on 3rd and 4th May in Amsterdam
This week: During Innovation Forum’s responsible sourcing and ethical trade event in London, some of the expert participants spoke with Ian Welsh, reflecting on conversations from the conference. They discussed the continued need for multi-stakeholder collaboration, conducting deep-dive research on suppliers and ensure due diligence is not just a box-ticking exercise. Hear from Rae Lindsay from Clifford Chance, Bakkavor’s Fiona Wheatley and Phil Bloomer from Business and Human Rights Resource Centre.
Plus: Climate groups call on 30 insurance companies to stop underwriting fossil fuels immediately; UN fact-finding mission finds EU complicit in Libya migrant abuses; Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures releases its final draft framework; EU to go ahead on phase-out of internal combustion cars and vans by 2035, after deal with Germany, in the news digest with Innovation Forum’s Bea Stevenson.
Brendan May, sustainable business commentator and chair of Robertsbridge, talks with Ian Welsh about the key sustainable business trends from corporate net-zero models and evolution of how companies tackle climate change and other pressing challenges. They discuss the need for deforestation to be flagged in multilateral trade deals, the unintended consequences of regulatory tightening, why banning palm oil would be a disaster and regenerative agriculture’s potential.
We know that upcycling, recycling, and the use of recycled materials are pillars of a circular apparel industry. However, challenges to scale remain around the downgrading of recycled materials, powerful vested interests in virgin fibre production, and rapid growth in fashion consumption. Apparel brands must play a significant role in tackling these issues to limit the use of virgin fibres, and re-shape the industry. We discussed:
• What are the barriers and challenges in using and re-using recycled materials for apparel, and how can brands overcome these?
• The role of business in helping to build and scale textile recycling infrastructure
• How brands can effectively engage with consumers in circular fashion
• The tools and models available for measuring the impact of using recycled fabrics
The panel:
• Nienke Steen, global lead apparel, textiles and footwear, Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute
• Anna-Karin Dahlberg, director of sustainability, Lindex
• Steven Bethell, founder, Bank & Vogue
This webinar was moderated by Tanya Richard, head of research and stakeholder engagement at Innovation Forum.
In a preview of what's coming up this week, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about what to look out for in the UK government's refreshed net-zero strategy, and contrast it with other approaches in in the US and EU. They also discuss the first international zero waste day to be held on 30th March to raise awareness of zero waste initiatives.
And, Catie Ball provides further information on some of the discussion points coming up at the sustainable apparel and textiles conference USA on 21st-22nd June in New York City. Plus Emily Heslop talks about what to expect at the responsible sourcing and ethical trade forum in London this week.
This week: Olivier Tichit, director of sustainability at Musim Mas, talks with Ian Welsh about some unintended consequences of EU’s new regulation banning the import of deforestation-linked products into the bloc. They discuss how the development of “verified deforestation-free” programmes, with third party verification, might be a solution that keeps markets open for imports from higher risk growing regions.
Plus: the high risk of missing 1.5C or 2C warming pathways, concludes IPCC's new synthesis report; CDP's new research shows insufficient environmental impact reporting and disclosure; oyster mushrooms to consume cigarette butts in Australian trial, in the news digest.
And, a preview of what to expect from key panel sessions, and who will be taking part, at the future of climate action virtual conference in June, from Innovation Forum's Natasha Bodnar.
Host: Ian Welsh
Bayer’s head of ethics and social impact, Janina Lukas, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about how business can adapt and engage in changing legislation on ethics and social impact. They talk about the continued need for companies to go beyond compliance, and how regulation can create a level playing field. However, they also discuss the flaws in a “one size fits all” approach.
In a new preview of what’s coming up, Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about what to look out for in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s latest report summing up its recent conclusions in what should be a crucial policy document. They also discuss the upcoming UN water conference in New York where the Water Action Agenda will be launched.
And Hanna Halmari provides insights into some of the panels coming up at the sustainable apparel and textiles conference on 25th and 26th April in Amsterdam.
In a new preview of what’s coming up, Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about what to look out for in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s latest report summing up its recent conclusions in what should be a crucial policy document. They also discuss the upcoming UN water conference in New York where the Water Action Agenda will be launched.
And Hanna Halmari provides insights into some of the panels coming up at the sustainable apparel and textiles conference on 25th and 26th April in Amsterdam.
This week: Senior policy advisor for ocean and conservation finance at The Nature Conservancy, Andreas Hansen, talks with Innovation Forum’s Bea Stevenson about the new UN draft agreement to protect offshore marine biodiversity. They talk about the new framework on environmental impact assessment in the high seas and its business impacts.
Plus: CDP investors now request corporate plastics pollution disclosure; why microplastics pollution is even more of a problem than feared; and, bottle and can deposit return scheme controversy in Scotland, in the news digest.
And, some details on conference sessions coming up at the future of food USA conference in Minneapolis on 31st May-1st June from Innovation Forum’s Emily Heslop.
Host: Ian Welsh
Tom Thackray, director of decarbonisation at the Confederation of British Industry, talks with Ian Welsh about the role of UK business in driving forwards on net zero commitments, and the inevitable challenges the necessary transition will throw up. They discuss the opportunities for greater energy efficiency and affordability from low-carbon technologies, the need for increasing accessibility for all business to such technology, and the importance of action that brings benefits now.
This week: Brendan May, sustainable business commentator and chair of Robertsbridge, reflects with Ian Welsh on the key sustainable business global trends and challenges, and how companies should engage on them. They discuss the dangers of complacency when tackling climate change and biodiversity loss, and how greenwashing-derived sensitivity has led to greater corporate transparency.
Plus: deforestation inflicting local rainfall loss for farmers, according to Nature; Brazilian wine sector’s modern slavery challenges; UK's first fully recyclable savoury snacks flexible packaging from PepsiCo; and EU set to tighten ESG rules for pension funds, in the news digest.
And, insights on what’s coming up at some of the panel discussion sessions at the responsible sourcing and ethical trade forum in London on 29th-30th March from Innovation Forum's Emily Heslop.
Host: Ian Welsh
Recently, corporate use of voluntary carbon markets and verified emissions credits has come under intense scrutiny and debate. On one side, reporting in the Guardian and elsewhere has claimed that most certified credits do not represent genuine carbon reductions. On the other side, certifying bodies and others supporting the use of voluntary carbon markets and projects tackling deforestation have stoutly defended verified emissions reduction credits and the science behind the certification.Certainly, the voluntary carbon markets are imperfect; challenges include establishing baselines and accounting methodology. Nevertheless, carbon projects, including REDD+ projects, are perhaps the best method we currently have of getting finance to indigenous communities so that they can value their forests with the trees standing.In this special webinar, we had a frank and transparent debate about the challenges and solutions. We asked experts how we can move forward to ensure that finance from voluntary carbon markets reaches projects that prevent deforestation and contribute to tackling climate change. We discussed:* The problems that the recent criticisms have highlighted, and the counter arguments * What players in the carbon markets can do to ensure the science and other methodologies are as good as they can be * What companies tackling their Scope III emissions need to know when it comes to carbon credits * The process of continual reform necessary to ensure that funds from voluntary carbon markets go to credible and worthy projects
The panel:* David Antonioli, CEO, Verra * Bea Natzler, team leader, people and business, Climate Change Committee * Samuel Gill, co-founder and president, Sylvera
This webinar was moderated by Ian Welsh, director of publishing at Innovation Forum.
Peter McAllister, executive director of the Ethical Trading Initiative, talks with Ian Welsh about the complexities of ethical trade and emerging corporate engagement to untangling the risks within these systemic issues. They discuss what good regulation looks like and some of the unintended consequences of corporate human rights due diligence.
This week: Janina Lukas, head of ethics and compliance at Bayer, talks about the impacts of ethics and social impact policy on business. Talking with Ian Welsh, she discusses the challenges of corporate due diligence and the importance of peer collaboration and putting people at the core of risk management.
Plus: US measures to crack down on child labour; final talks for UN High Seas Treaty; Golden Agri-Resources and IOI Group part company with the High Carbon Stock Approach initiative; and, Lufthansa ad banned in UK for greenwashing, in the news digest from Bea Stevenson.
And, Natasha Bodnar gives an update on the upcoming future of food conference in Amsterdam on 3rd-4th May.
Host: Ian Welsh
The WEF has identified biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse as one of the fastest deteriorating global risks over the next decade. With close ties to biodiversity loss throughout their value chains, many apparel brands are seeking to measure, monitor, and reduce their impacts on nature.Several approaches to measuring corporate biodiversity performance have emerged, forming a complex landscape for businesses to navigate. Before they can act to transform supply chains and the ecosystems they touch, brands must understand how to measure their impacts. In this webinar, we discussed:• The tools and frameworks available for measurement, including mapping tools and natural capital accounting• What is the outlook for alignment on biodiversity measurement and valuation for businesses?• How brands can use the TNFD Framework to report and verify their biodiversity impacts• Best practice from brands building nature-positive strategies todayThe panel:• Liesl Truscott, director – industry accountability & insights, Textile Exchange• Amanda Parkes, chief innovation officer, PANGAIA• Franklin Holley, director, Conservation InternationalThis webinar was moderated by Tanya Richard, head of research and stakeholder engagement at Innovation Forum.
CEO and co-founder of WNWN Food Labs Ahrum Pak talks with Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson about a sustainable alternative to chocolate created from cereal and legumes. They discuss how cocoa-free products have the potential to positively disrupt the cocoa sector, and the need for addressing the sensitivities of existing supply chains to ensure no unintended negative impacts on traditional cocoa suppliers.
This week: Tom Thackray, director of the decarbonisation programme at the Confederation of British Industry, talks with Ian Welsh about ways for business and government to collaborate in the race to net zero. They discuss the impact of government in steering business innovations and progress in green technologies and renewable energy deployment.
Plus: not enough progress on corporate deforestation commitments says Global Canopy's Forest 500 report; International Energy Agency's global methane tracker calling oil, gas and energy sector to cutting methane emissions; and, students vote for all vegan menus at the University of Cambridge, in the news digest.
And, Innovation Forum's Hanna Halmari shares further updates on the sustainable apparel and textiles conference in Amsterdam on 25th-26th June.
Host: Ian Welsh
Click here to register for the carbon debate webinar with Verra, UK Climate Change Committee and Sylvera on 1st March, 2pm GMT/9am EST.
Andrew Wallis, CEO of anti-slavery NGO Unseen, talks with Ian Welsh about the importance of scrutiny and collaboration to protect migrant workers. They discuss the absence of a UK independent anti-slavery commissioner, the need for better legislation enforcement, and how to create an environment where “good” business can thrive.
This week: Peter McAllister, executive director of the Ethical Trading Initiative, explores the complexities of human rights and ethical trade for business in a challenging global environment. He talks about changing costs pressures and evolving regulatory landscapes – including EU human rights due diligence legislation – and the patterns of stakeholder engagement that are emerging.
Plus: PVH pays Haiti garment workers $1m after supplier factory closure; US senators question SHEIN CEO about forced labour ties; Indonesia and Malaysia in talks with EU over new deforestation regulation; and, “forever chemicals” found in Arctic ice posing new risk to wildlife, in the news digest with Bea Stevenson.
And, an update on the upcoming future of climate action and how to tackle scope 3 GHGs virtual conference on 12th-14th June from Innovation Forum's Natasha Bodnar.
Host: Ian Welsh
Tiffany Rogers, director of fair compensation and member engagement at the Fair Labor Association, talks with Innovation Forum's Hanna Halmari about the impacts of corporate living wage commitments to improve worker rights in the supply chain. They discuss the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration in scaling living wage initiatives, improving corporate expertise and communicating with workers on the ground.
Listen to the webinar on implementing living wage policies with Wendy Savage and Alex Katz from Patagonia.
This week: Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson talks with Ahrum Pak, CEO and co-founder of WNWN Food Labs about the launch of first cocoa-free “chocolate” made from cereals and legumes. They discuss how the product has been developed and the potential implications for the chocolate industry of such alternative innovations.
Plus: ClientEarth activists sue Shell’s directors over climate strategy; plastic recycling rates still eclipsed by virgin plastic production says Minderoo Foundation research; and, new WWF biodiversity risk filter for corporate risk assessment, in the news digest.
And, Innovation Forum's Catie Ball gives an update on the Sustainable Apparel Textiles USA conference on 21st-22nd June in New York City.
Host: Ian Welsh
Michelle Grogg, vice president for corporate responsibility and sustainable development at Cargill, talks with Ian Welsh about managing current disruptors to the food supply chain and delivering long-term food resilience. They discuss the importance of having farmers at the centre of collaboration efforts, and what food companies can do to provide support through livelihoods development, technology programmes and market integration.
This week: Andrew Wallis, CEO of anti-slavery NGO Unseen, talks about the ongoing challenges for migrant worker protection for business in the UK and beyond. He discusses the importance of good human rights legislations to establish the right level playing field, and shares some examples of what good collaboration looks like.
Plus: a new Conservation International and We Mean Business Coalition survey shows strong corporate dedication to meet climate targets, including using carbon offsets, despite on-going debate over their certification; why the planet is on the brink of critical climate thresholds according to Stanford and Colorado State Universities; more detail of the UK's nature-positive payments for farmers scheme; and Shopify highlights sustainability-conscious consumer choices despite current economic climate, in the news digest.
And, further information on the responsible sourcing and ethical trade forum taking place in London on 29th-30th March in London from Innovation Forum's Emily Heslop.
Host: Ian Welsh
Phil Bloomer, executive director of the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, reflects with Ian Welsh on global collective efforts and collaboration on business, human rights and the environment – as highlighted by the international collaboration to help Ukraine, for example. They talk about the implementation of regulation, the role of technology, responsible investors and companies, and what human rights integration in the just transition should look like.
This week: Tiffany Rogers, director of fair compensation and member engagement at the Fair Labor Association talks with Innovation Forum's Hanna Halmari about how apparel business can make living income commitments, as part of a new “state of apparel” content series. They discuss the challenges in implementing living wage programmes and guidance on corporate responsible purchasing practices.
Plus: CDP's non-disclosure campaign encouraging companies to make commitments more than ever before; incoming plastics and aluminium containers deposit return scheme in the UK; avoiding the risk of smallholder palm oil farmer marginalisation from EU's new due diligence regulations; and, KPMG UK's research finds potential employer's ESG decision making and corporate commitments being a determining factor in job search, in the news digest.
And, Innovation Forum's Emily Heslop provides updates on the upcoming future of food USA conference taking place in Minneapolis on 30th May-1st June.
Host: Ian Welsh
Anke Schulmeister-Oldenhove, WWF senior forest policy officer, UN policy office, talks with Innovation Forum’s Bea Stevenson about the EU's new deforestation-linked products ban. They discuss what the legislation will look like for business once entered into force with customs controls and heightened infringement prosecution, and the significance of due diligence risk assessments for EU imports and exports.
This week: Cargill's vice-president for corporate responsibility and sustainable development, Michelle Grogg, talks about the necessary action points that can deliver global food resilience amid disruptions such as extreme weather events and the war in Ukraine. She discusses the importance, for the long-term, of future-proofing farmers and engaging in smarter collaborations across organisations and sectors.
Plus: climate change failures tops 10-year risks in World Economic Forum’s 2023 Global Risks Report; Danone to reduce 30% absolute methane emissions by 2030; and, world’s economy becoming less circular according to new Circularity Gap report, in the news digest.
And, an update on the future of food conference to be held in Amsterdam on 3rd-4th May from Innovation Forum's Natasha Bodnar.
Host: Ian Welsh
Supply chain sustainability is a key corporate goal. In a fast-changing environment, much business discussion has centred around the need to adapt and strive towards sustainability throughout the value chain.In this webinar, we discussed useful insights on sustainable supply chains collected in our recent survey and hear from expert panellists in an engaging conversation analysing key trends for 2023.The panel:• Dr Simon Lord, expert adviser, Independent• Dr Emily Goetsch, head of research — UK, AcreThis webinar was moderated by Ian Welsh, director of publishing at Innovation Forum.
Bara Robyn, partnerships and development lead at Earthworm Indonesia, talks with Ian Welsh about Earthworm Foundation's project with a palm oil business, Laot Bangko, to drive sustainability within the palm oil sector in Indonesia. They discuss the challenges of deforestation, land tenure and labour issues with Laot Bangko’s section head of the sustainability and smallholder scheme, Wahyudi Putro Widodo, and present their progress in sustainability policy development, conflict mapping and resolution, and progress on no deforestation, peat or exploitation (NDPE) palm oil production.
This week: Phil Bloomer, executive director of the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, talks about some reasons for optimism for business and human rights this year. He discusses the positive changes in public perception that are helping to drive corporate action, and why there is greater willingness from governments to cooperate on commitments such as the just transition and the outcomes from the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Plus: further proof of land conversion impacts from corporate zero-deforestation commitments from University of York; backlash from human rights groups on the continued lack of a UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner; Know the Chain's new benchmark shows continuing ICT sector’s supply chain labour rights failures; and, new UN report predicts recovery of the ozone layer hole by 2040, in the news digest.
And, insight on the upcoming sustainable apparel and textiles conference held in Amsterdam on 25th-26th April from Innovation Forum's Hanna Halmari.
Host: Ian Welsh
Join the conversation on sustainable supply chain trends for 2023 at the webinar on Wednesday 18th January at 2pm GMT: register via this link.
John Morrison, CEO of the Institute for Human Rights and Business, talks with Ian Welsh about a moment of opportunity for human rights and forced labour issues following the recent Fifa World Cup in Qatar. They discuss human rights risks and opportunities for businesses with increasing traceability, and requirements from trade and investment communities, and the growing prospects for companies engaging on human rights agenda as conversations on the just transition and green economy develop.
This week: Anke Schulmeister-Oldenhove, senior forest policy officer at WWF in Brussels, talked with Bea Stevenson about the incoming EU regulations banning imports of products linked to deforestation. They discussed the paradigm shift within the agricultural sector that this will drive, the impacts of a due diligence approach and the limitations of the new regulation.
Plus: Shell to pay €15m to Nigerian communities impacted by oil pipeline leaks in 2004; the World Bank's evolution roadmap showing lending commitment to address climate change; technology’s potential to cut 40% of costs in delivering the SDGs, according to Force for Good initiative; and, Mercedes-Benz Energy partners with Lohum to supply second-life batteries, in the news digest.
And, updates from Innovation Forum’s Emily Heslop about the upcoming responsible sourcing and ethical trade conference to be held on 29th-30th March in London.
Host: Ian Welsh
Environmental Investigation Agency's ocean campaign leader Christina Dixon talked with Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson about the priorities for the United Nations global pact on plastic pollution, in the lead up to the first negotiation session which took place in late 2022. They discussed the shared urgency to tackle plastic pollution and the importance of having a legally binding instrument for transparent plastic production reporting, agreement on definitions and financing.
This week: Another chance to hear the two most popular podcast interviews of 2022.
At Innovation Forum's future of climate action conference, Rob Cameron, vice-president and global head of public affairs and ESG engagement at Nestlé, spoke about why companies need to continue to focus on carbon, take immediate action at scale, and the potential benefits from regenerative agriculture. He argued that there will be no transition to a low carbon economy unless it is a “just transition”, and put the case for always following the science in corporate action on climate change.
And, Josh Tosteson, president of Everland, spoke about the new Forest Plan to tackle deforestation at scale through rapidly developing new REDD+ forest projects in threatened landscapes around the world, and accessing the unprecedented levels of climate finance via the voluntary carbon markets. He also addressed the main criticisms of REDD+ projects; how to prevent deforestation from simply leaking outside the project boundary, and how to establish baselines to measure deforestation reduction.
And, Innovation Forum’s Catie Ball introduces the upcoming sustainable apparel and textiles USA conference, taking part on 21st-22nd June 2023 in New York City, including an exclusive offer for podcast listeners.
Host: Ian Welsh
As the world’s greatest carbon sink, the ocean and its coastal ecosystems are an essential part of the solution to the climate emergency. Blue carbon projects protect and restore marine ecosystems, such as tidal marshes, seagrasses and mangroves – which can sequester up to ten times as much carbon as a land-based forest.Companies have a vital role to play in blue carbon. By investing in projects, business can scale the supply of high-quality blue carbon credits and simultaneously meet their own net-zero and nature positive commitments.In this webinar, we discussed:• Why coastal ecosystems of mangroves, seagrasses and salt marshes are imperative to reaching 1.5°C targets• How blue carbon projects can provide income, subsistence resources, and additional co-benefits for local communities• How will carbon accounting in blue carbon work in practice? And what is the role of business in scaling the voluntary blue carbon market?The panel:• Dr. Whitney Johnston, director of ocean sustainability, Salesforce• Ben Scheelk, program officer, The Ocean Foundation• Dr. Jennifer Howard, vice president, blue carbon program, Conservation International• Liz Guinessey, manager, blue carbon innovation, VerraModerated by Ian Welsh, director of publishing, Innovation Forum
This week: Partnerships and development lead at Earthworm Indonesia, Bara Robyn, talks with Ian Welsh about the importance of working closely with local stakeholders and highlighting their capability in driving sustainability within the palm oil sector in Indonesia. They are joined by Wahyudi Putro Widodo, section head of the sustainability and smallholder scheme at palm oil business Laot Bangko, an Earthworm partner, and they discuss conflict mapping and resolution, NDPE scoping and monitoring forest cover.
Plus: EU's new carbon tariffs on imports for decarbonisation; science-based target setting commitments from the apparel sector with Sustainable Apparel Coalition's new decarbonisation initiative; ongoing disagreement over appointing biodiversity protection funding donors and recipients at nature COP15 in Montreal, in the news digest.
And, information about the upcoming future of food USA conference to be held on 31st May-1st June in Minneapolis with an exclusive discount code for podcast listeners.
Host: Ian Welsh
Some on-the-spot reflections at the recent sustainable landscapes and commodities forum in Amsterdam from Tesco's Anna Turrell, Anita Neville from Golden Agri-Resources, Craig Tribolet from APRIL, Glenn Hurowitz from Mighty Earth, Josh Tosteson from Everland, Patrick Houbry from Airbus, Michiel Hendriksz from FarmStrong Foundation, Eloisa Menguzzo from PGGM and Innovation Forum senior associate Peter Stanbury, talking with Ian Welsh.
They highlight the use of science-based targets and satellite monitoring, the need for transparency and sustainable sourcing, and opportunities for voluntary carbon markets and balancing between regulation and incentives to end commodity-driven deforestation.
This week: John Morrison, CEO of the Institute of Human Rights and Business, talks with Ian Welsh about the prospects for a higher profile for human rights and forced labour issues following the Fifa World Cup in Qatar and the COP27 conference in Egypt. They discuss the importance of ensuring a just transition as the world economy decarbonises and some reasons for optimism in 2023, including the increase in consumer-driven business ethics.
Plus: EU's new regulation banning all products linked to deforestation revealed; more corporate biodiversity commitments and actions needed, says CDP; World Benchmarking Alliance’s Nature Benchmark shows looking beyond corporate climate goals is imperative; and, biodegradable packaging startup Notpla wins £1m grant from the Earthshot Prize, in the news digest.
And, Innovation Forum's Emily Heslop introduces the responsible sourcing and ethical trade conference coming up in March 2023 in London, and reveals an exclusive discount for podcast listeners.
Host: Ian Welsh
In a warming world, farmers remain among the most vulnerable to the increasing environmental hazards brought on by climate change. To mitigate these impacts, business must collaborate with farmers to build their capacity to adapt and adopt climate-smart practices for more resilient livelihoods.
In this webinar, our panel discussed:
- How can business enable income diversification for smallholder farmers?
- What are the leading strategies, tools, and technologies to help farmers transition to climate-smart agriculture?
- What role does regenerative agriculture play in helping to increase climate resilience?
The panel included:
- John Steel, CEO, Cafédirect
- Hardeep Desai, head of farm operations, CottonConnect South Asia
This webinar was moderated by Tanya Richard, head of research and stakeholder engagement at Innovation Forum, and hosted in partnership with CottonConnect.
Biome Maker's co-founder and chief scientific officer, Alberto Acedo, talks with Ian Welsh about the company's BeCrop soil health testing technology to drive more sustainable farming. They discuss the benefits of testing soil health, allowing farmers to monitor their production, and the biological and chemical conditions of soil to improve their agricultural management practices.
This week, Christina Dixon, ocean campaign leader at the Environmental Investigation Agency talks with Innovation Forum’s Bea Stevenson about the prospects for a United Nations global pact on plastic pollution as the first negotiation session commences. They discuss why voluntary measures have not tackled the plastic pollution problem, despite its high public profile.
Plus: more than half major palm oil companies failing to evaluate supplier risk of deforestation, says ZSL; Ahold Delhaize's ambitious decarbonisation initiatives; Vodafone asking consumers to trade in devices to reduce network waste; Rolls-Royce and EasyJet testing green hydrogen-powered aero engine, in the news digest.
And, Innovation Forum's Hanna Halmari shares details about the upcoming sustainable apparel and textiles conference in Amsterdam in April 2023. Use discount code “podcast” for a €500 discount on conference passes, extended to 6th December for podcast listeners.
Host: Ian Welsh
Circularium Africa lead advisor and Global Plastic Action Partnership consultant Clem Ugorji talks with Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson about how to improve the current waste collection infrastructure in west Africa, and communicating with consumers about end-of-life disposal. They discuss the challenges caused by a lack of waste segregation talk about the opportunities that can realise the value from post-use plastic and boost recycling rates in the region.
During Innovation Forum’s recent future of plastics and packaging event in Amsterdam, some of the expert participants spoke with Ian Welsh, reflecting on conversations from the conference and focusing in particular on how business can build packaging solutions that deliver impact at scale.
Hear from the Consumer Goods Forum’s Ignacio Gavilan, Jodie Roussell from Nestlé, Camiel Steffanie and Sofie Vergucht from Eastman, Trivium Packaging’s Jenny Wassenaar and Christina Dixon from the Environmental Investigation Agency.
This week: Business and climate journalist Mike Scott reflects with Ian Welsh on the recent COP27 climate conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, evaluating the outcomes and commitments made. They discuss the progress on loss and damage, why commitments on phasing out fossil fuel use were weakened and assess the chances of maintaining a 1.5C warming pathway. There is an ever-greater need for climate adaptation for businesses and clearer commitments from governments, they conclude.
Plus: the US Food and Drug Administration approves lab-grown meat production for the first time; Nestlé to roll out home compostable paper-based coffee capsules in France and Switzerland; cocoa supply row continues in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire over farmer income premiums; and, critical feedback from COP27 about the conference processes itself, in the news digest.
And, Innovation Forum's Natasha Bodnar introduces the Future of Food conference coming up in Amsterdam in May 2023.
Take the Innovation Forum survey by clicking here and gain useful insights on sustainability supply chains with exclusive first access. Survey closes 27th November.
Proforest's Africa regional director, Abraham Baffoe, and deputy director for conservation and land use, Mike Senior, talk with Ian Welsh about what effective landscape approaches look like in practice. They identify positive nature, social and climate implications and opportunities for multi-stakeholder collaboration. They discuss what good policies look like to ensure producer voices are heard, create incentives and transparency, and mitigate unintended consequences hindering progress.
This week: Isabella Tonaco, vice-president for strategy execution and marketing, renewable polymers and chemicals at Neste, and Mezbah Sabur, founder of Circularise, talk with Innovation Forum's Toby Webb about the two companies’ partnership to establish digital solutions for a transparent and traceable chemistry value chain. They discuss how blockchain transparency can counter challenges in mass balance monitoring and share what sustainable chemistry at scale might look like.
Plus: insight from Patrick Houdry at Airbus, Eloisa Menguzzo from Dutch pension sector non-profit PGGM and Innovation Forum senior associate Peter Stanbury, speaking with Ian Welsh at Innovation Forum's recent sustainable landscapes and commodities conference in Amsterdam.
And: Lula da Silva's strong commitments to end Amazon deforestation at COP27; apparel brands pledged for low-carbon alternative fibres in initiative from Canopy; corporate net zero targets will require doubling of current pace of change, says Accenture; and, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy and Changing Markets Foundation report highlights the scale of meat and dairy farming emissions, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Take Innovation Forum's survey to gain useful insights on sustainability supply chains with exclusive first access to results. Survey available here.
Rupert Day, farmer livelihoods advisor at Cargill Cocoa and Chocolate, talks with Ian Welsh about how the Cargill Cocoa Promise programme is designed to help smallholder farmers become “agripreneurs” that are more resilient to shocks, while building community capacity. They discuss the continuing need to focus on farm incomes, and what good multi-stakeholder initiatives that help drive active collaboration and impact look like.
Rupert Day, farmer livelihoods advisor at Cargill Cocoa and Chocolate, talks with Ian Welsh about how the Cargill Cocoa Promise programme is designed to help smallholder farmers become “agripreneurs” that are more resilient to shocks, while building community capacity. They discuss the continuing need to focus on farm incomes, and what good multi-stakeholder initiatives that help drive active collaboration and impact look like.
Reckitt’s global head of sustainability David Croft gives some in-person insights from the COP27 meetings in Egypt. He reflects, talking with Ian Welsh, on what progress was made in the opening few days as the conference leaders scrambled to keep the 1.5C warming pledge fully in focus. They discuss the importance of non-siloed solutions, some reasons for optimism, and what future COP meetings should focus on to avoid the accusations of greenwash that have been levelled at the Sharm el-Sheikh conference. Ian Welsh also briefly rounds up some of the other events of the first week.
Reckitt’s global head of sustainability David Croft gives some in-person insights from the COP27 meetings in Egypt. He reflects, talking with Ian Welsh, on what progress was made in the opening few days as the conference leaders scrambled to keep the 1.5C warming pledge fully in focus. They discuss the importance of non-siloed solutions, some reasons for optimism, and what future COP meetings should focus on to avoid the accusations of greenwash that have been levelled at the Sharm el-Sheikh conference. Ian Welsh also briefly rounds up some of the other events of the first week.
This week: Alberta Acedo, co-founder and chief scientific officer at Biome Makers, talks about how the company’s BeCrop technology can test soil health to drive improvements in agricultural sustainability. He discusses the benefits of identifying the soil metrics that help farmers identify and monitor biological and chemical properties of soil to provide effective solutions for sustainable agricultural management.
Plus: quick fire insights from Golden Agri-Resources' Anita Neville, Mighty Earth's Glenn Hurowitz and Everland's Joshua Tosteson, speaking at Innovation Forum's sustainable landscapes and commodities conference in Amsterdam.
And: funding for loss and damage due to climate change and a proposed two-year halt in debt payments from nations impacted by climate-related disasters, discussed at COP27; a more-rapid shift to regenerative agricultural practices needed according to Sustainable Markets Initiative taskforce's report; and, a growing row between Indonesia and the EU over legal timber and deforestation due diligence, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Please complete Innovation Forum’s five-minute survey and get exclusive first access to useful insights on sustainability supply chain trends. Survey available here.
Proforest's deputy director for company collaboration Veronique Bovee, and landscape coordinator for Indonesia Mila Nuh, talk with Ian Welsh about their landscape and livelihoods programmes. These tackle deforestation and human rights issues, and facilitate smallholder inclusion. They discuss the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration between district and national governments, local communities and companies, with a bottom-up approach to achieve forest protection and improved community livelihoods that is beneficial for all.
This week: Clem Ugorji from the Global Plastic Action Partnership, formerly vice-president for public affairs communications and sustainability for west Africa at Coca-Cola, talks with Bea Stevenson about the reality of waste collection infrastructure in the region, and ways to create value and incentives for plastic collection and waste segregation.
Plus, insight from Tesco’s Anna Turrell, APRIL’s Craig Tribolet and FarmStrong Foundation’s Michiel Hendriksz, speaking with Ian Welsh this week at Innovation Forum's sustainable landscapes and commodities conference in Amsterdam.
And, in the news digest with Bea Stevenson: Ellen MacArthur Foundation says corporate plastic recycling reuse targets ‘unlikely to be met’; Lula victory in Brazil spurs hope for the Amazon; Tesco and WWF on mandatory farm food waste reporting; and, Microsoft's president warns of sustainability talent shortage.
Host: Ian Welsh
Leah Samberg, lead scientist, global policy, at Rainforest Alliance, and McDonald's sustainability director, nature and climate, Pete Garbutt, talk with Ian Welsh about new guidance developed by the Accountability Framework initiative in partnership with the Science Based Targets initiative and Green House Gas Protocol on land use change and further target setting, accounting for impact and disclosure. They discuss McDonald's strategy to reduce deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions and focus on how the guidance will aid towards accounting challenges, targeting alignment and routes to success through collaboration.
This week: Mike Senior and Abraham Baffoe from Proforest discuss how landscape approaches can work in practice, and the growing momentum over the past few years from companies making commitments and investments – through the Consumer Goods Forum’s Forest Positive Coalition for example. They talk about the leadership that is necessary from grower country governments, and why science-based targets for nature are going to be a key future innovation. Collaboration will be necessary, they argue, to ensure incentives for sourcing companies are aligned with countering deforestation and land use change in higher risk regions.
Plus: Mondelēz International’s new $600m investment in cocoa sourcing sustainability; deforestation rates slowed 6.3% in 2021 according to latest Forest Declaration Assessment; H&M, Unilever, and Nestlé among those calling for mandatory nature impact and disclosure by 2030; and, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority proposes new clampdown on greenwashing in 2023, in the news digest from Innovation Forum’s Bea Stevenson.
Host: Ian Welsh
Juliet Ermer and Sarah Laidler from the Carbon Trust talk with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about decarbonisation in the packaging sector, and what is needed to enable recycled plastic content to compete with virgin. They discuss the prospects for a legally binding UN plastics treaty by 2024 and consider legislation on extended producer responsibility, pros and cons of chemical recycling and what good policy on consistency in packaging design can look like.
For companies working towards their net-zero and nature-positive commitments, the need for clear and reliable intelligence on natural capital is vital. Innovative remote-sensing solutions can be an important enabler for improving business decisions with such data.
This webinar, our expert panel discussed how remote-sensing data can be utilised to support company action for net-zero and nature-positive supply chains. We explored the science and best practice, as well as the challenges for integration with other supply chain data and existing business processes. In brief, we talked about:
• The challenges that food, land use and agriculture companies face when collecting and applying natural capital data.
• How business can integrate remote-sensing based natural capital intelligence with other critical supply chain data such as asset location, supplier information and land ownership.
• The importance of high-quality natural capital intelligence to drive collective action and multi-stakeholder collaboration for sustainable supply chains and landscapes.
• How utilising this data can accelerate existing sustainability, procurement, and reporting processes.
Our panel:
• Andrew Wilcox, Senior Manager, Sustainable Sourcing & Digital Programs, Unilever
• Rob Emanuele, Geospatial Architect, Microsoft
• Anita Neville, Chief Sustainability and Communications Officer, Golden Agri-Resources
• Alessandro Baccini, Co-founder and CSO, Chloris Geospatial
This webinar was moderated by Ian Welsh, director of publishing at Innovation Forum, and hosted in partnership with Chloris Geospatial.
This week: Rupert Day, farmer livelihoods advisor at Cargill cocoa and chocolate, discusses some of the sector innovations that are making a real difference for producer communities, and why keeping farm incomes considerations front and centre of supply chain strategy remains vital.
Plus, comment from Christina Dixon, Environmental Investigation Agency, and Jenny Wassenaar, Trivium Packaging, both speaking at the recent future of plastics and packaging conference in Amsterdam.
In the news digest: biodiversity crisis outlined in WWF’s Living Planet Report; Consumer Goods Forum’s plastic coalition predicts 800,000 tonnes of chemically recycled plastic required in 2030; and, Net Zero Tracker compares public and private companies.
And, Innovation Forum’s Hanna Halmari gives an update on Innovation Forum’s upcoming sustainable landscapes and commodities conference, in Amsterdam on 1st-2nd November.
Host: Ian Welsh
Rahul Raj, co-founder of Sasya Produce talks with Ian Welsh talk about the company's priority to support farmers to implement sustainable agricultural practices and open new international markets. They discuss the future of food supply chains and the company’s five-year plan for regenerative agriculture and improving smallholder farmer livelihoods.
Farmers are at the core of sustainable commodities production; however too often, they are not given a seat at the table.
Ahead of our Sustainable Landscapes and Commodities conference in November, our online panel of farmers from across the globe discussed:
• The challenges they have faced this year and are likely to face in the year ahead. • Their priorities for the future of their farms and families. • What they need from food companies to secure their livelihoods, and future sustainable food production. • Practical examples of specific initiatives that have benefited farming communities and driven a positive impact of the ground.
Join our panel of farmers:
• Stephen Lansana, palm oil farmer and inaugural secretary, Ngoyai Gbaayegie Farmers Group, Sierra Leone • Kule Francis Baita, coffee and fruit farmer and board secretary, Bukonzo Organic Cooperative Union, Uganda • Jorge Bianciotto, crop farmer and board, Sociedad Rural de Pergamino, Argentina • Ashirafu Kihongosi, sunflower and soybean farmer and project training lead, Clinton Development Initiative, Tanzania
This webinar was moderated by Ian Welsh, publishing director, Innovation Forum.
Owen Bethell, environment impact lead from the global public affairs team at Nestlé, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about Nestlé's priorities in climate advocacy through engaging with all stakeholders within the supply chain to achieve net zero by 2050. They discuss companies' duty to collaborate with farmer organisations, governments and most importantly peer companies to create collective climate action.
This week: Veronique Bovee, senior project manager, and Mila Nuh, southeast Asia regional landscape coordinator, at Proforest, talk about why preserving forests and ecosystems can mean adopting taking a pragmatic approach in working landscapes. They discuss some of the challenges encountered at projects in Indonesia, the importance of collaboration with indigenous communities and how to ensure transparency to maintain trust.
And, comments and insights from the future of plastics and packaging forum in Amsterdam with the Consumer Goods Forum’s Ignacio Gavilan, Nestlé’s Jodie Roussell, and Camiel Steffanie and Sofie Vergucht from Eastman.
Host: Ian Welsh
Innovation Forum and Everland present a podcast focusing on the Wildlife Alliance Southern Cardamom REDD+ Project from the recent webinar, How REDD+ is working to save Cambodia's forests.
The project is located in the Cardamom rainforest landscape, one of the last unfragmented rainforests remaining in southeast Asia and is a critical part of the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot. We’ll hear about the unique ‘boots-on-the ground’ enforcement partnership between the project, Cambodia’s Environment Ministry and the Cambodian military that prevents more than 3,000,000 tons of carbon emissions annually and protects 497,000 hectares of tropical rainforest in South-West Cambodia.
Tune into over conversation with the panel moderated by Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh:
- Suwanna Gauntlett, CEO, Wildlife Alliance, Southern Cardamom REDD+ project
- Sophany Touch, livelihoods manager, Wildlife Alliance, Southern Cardamom REDD+ project
Renata Nogueira, South America sustainability lead at Cargill, talks with Ian Welsh about partnering with farmers in Brazil in developing the sustainable agricultural practices necessary for the company to become deforestation and conversion-free by 2030. They discuss how farmer-driven programmes and collaboration benefit all stakeholders within food value chains, with environmental regularisation, restoration of degraded lands and protection of native vegetation.
This week: Sarah Laidler and Juliet Ermer from the Carbon Trust talk about the evolving impacts of packaging, what good policy looks like, and potential routes to packaging decarbonisation. They also discuss the significant challenges that remain preventing plastic packaging moving to truly circular reuse and recycling models.
Plus: CEOs expect recession in 2023 and contemplate pausing ESG programmes, according to KPMG report; Nestlé halts sourcing palm oil from Indonesian supplier accused of land and human rights abuses; how better waste management could enable net-negative emissions for cities; and, Tesco’s plans to halve food waste in operations by 2025, in the news digest, compiled by Bea Stevenson.
Host: Ian Welsh
Rhett Butler, founder of Mongabay, and Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb talk about the latest trends in tackling deforestation in the world’s tropical forests. They discuss the increasing focus on nature-based solutions and the necessity for indigenous communities to be involved in conservation projects. Butler also explains why the move from simply thinking about tree planting to sophisticated ecosystem restoration is the sort of game-changing focus shift to be celebrated.
More from Rhett Butler on why the Amazon forest’s future could depend on the Brazilian presidential election available here.
This week: Leah Samberg, Rainforest Alliance's lead scientist, global policy, and lead on the Accountability Framework initiative, and Pete Garbutt, sustainability director, nature and climate, at McDonald’s, discuss just-released guidance developed by AFi in partnership with the Science Based Targets initiative and Green House Gas Protocol. They talk about how the guidance can support companies in aligned target setting, accounting and disclosure for deforestation, ecosystem conversion and land use change emissions.
Plus: Chatham House urges the forest sector to prioritise establishing more resilient land and forest economies; seven German citizens suing the federal government over air pollution; and, EasyJet to halt all carbon credit use, in the news digest.
And Innovation Forum's Emily Heslop gives an update on the future of plastics and packaging conference coming up on the 11th and 12th October in Amsterdam.
Host: Ian Welsh
The new AFi, SBTi and GHG Protocol land use change guidance is available here.
This week: Leah Samberg, Rainforest Alliance's lead scientist, global policy, and lead on the Accountability Framework initiative, and Pete Garbutt, sustainability director, nature and climate, at McDonald’s, discuss just-released guidance developed by AFi in partnership with the Science Based Targets initiative and Green House Gas Protocol. They talk about how the guidance can support companies in aligned target setting, accounting and disclosure for deforestation, ecosystem conversion and land use change emissions.
Plus: Chatham House urges the forest sector to prioritise establishing more resilient land and forest economies; seven German citizens suing the federal government over air pollution; and, EasyJet to halt all carbon credit use, in the news digest.
And Innovation Forum's Emily Heslop gives an update on the future of plastics and packaging conference coming up on the 11th and 12th October in Amsterdam.
Host: Ian Welsh
The new AFi, SBTi and GHG Protocol land use change guidance is available here.
Tiphaine Aries, consultant at the Carbon Trust, talks with Ian Welsh about how companies are responding to the pressures from stakeholders to plan for net zero emissions, set targets and be transparent on progress. They discuss the new Route to Net Zero Standard from the Carbon Trust, the specific challenges tackling scopes 1, 2 and 3 emissions and some pointers to look for that demonstrate success in terms of progress over the coming years.
Tiphaine Aries, consultant at the Carbon Trust, talks with Ian Welsh about how companies are responding to the pressures from stakeholders to plan for net zero emissions, set targets and be transparent on progress. They discuss the new Route to Net Zero Standard from the Carbon Trust, the specific challenges tackling scopes 1, 2 and 3 emissions and some pointers to look for that demonstrate success in terms of progress over the coming years.
All materials have impacts. Whether it be fossil fuel inputs, land and chemical use, or human rights issues, brands are keen to show verifiable, data driven improvements in their sourcing choices. There are emerging solutions, and materials with lower impact coming on the market at scale today. Presently, we need a more honest conversation about the factors driving brand choices, and the circular solutions that exist in the global market place.
This webinar discussed how brands can make the right impact driven choices to separate true circular from recycling. The expert panel also looked at: * Why choice and design matter so much, in terms of choosing the right materials to lower brand and supply chain impact fastest * How sourcing companies can communicate with apparel designers around the true impact of material choices * Whether communicating a full production narrative showing real, verifiable impact enable greener customer choices
Panel members: * Lucita Jasmin, director of sustainability & external affairs, APRIL * Sarah Hayes, sustainability business expert circularity, H&M * Megan Stoneburner, director of materials, Textile Exchange * David Quass, senior director sustainability, VF Corporation
The discussion was moderated by Toby Webb, founder of Innovation Forum.
This webinar was hosted in partnership with APR.
All materials have impacts. Whether it be fossil fuel inputs, land and chemical use, or human rights issues, brands are keen to show verifiable, data driven improvements in their sourcing choices. There are emerging solutions, and materials with lower impact coming on the market at scale today. Presently, we need a more honest conversation about the factors driving brand choices, and the circular solutions that exist in the global market place.
This webinar discussed how brands can make the right impact driven choices to separate true circular from recycling. The expert panel also looked at: * Why choice and design matter so much, in terms of choosing the right materials to lower brand and supply chain impact fastest * How sourcing companies can communicate with apparel designers around the true impact of material choices * Whether communicating a full production narrative showing real, verifiable impact enable greener customer choices
Panel members: * Lucita Jasmin, director of sustainability & external affairs, APRIL * Sarah Hayes, sustainability business expert circularity, H&M * Megan Stoneburner, director of materials, Textile Exchange * David Quass, senior director sustainability, VF Corporation
The discussion was moderated by Toby Webb, founder of Innovation Forum.
This webinar was hosted in partnership with APR.
This week: Insight from Rahul Raj, co-CEO of Indian vegetable supplier Sasya Produce. The company specialises in high quality packaged products and is working to integrate regenerative agriculture techniques with smallholder farmers in its vertically integrated supply chain.
Plus: new International Energy Agency and International Renewable Energy Agency report into decarbonisation rates; the EU’s 153m tonnes of food waste problem; Primark to pull back from sourcing in Myanmar following Ethical Trading Initiative report; and, Barry Callebout on track to reach full direct traceability by 2005, in the news digest.
And Innovation Forum’s Hanna Halmari gives an update on the sustainable landscapes and commodities conference, coming up on the 1st and 2nd November in Amsterdam
Host: Ian Welsh
This week: Insight from Rahul Raj, co-CEO of Indian vegetable supplier Sasya Produce. The company specialises in high quality packaged products and is working to integrate regenerative agriculture techniques with smallholder farmers in its vertically integrated supply chain.
Plus: new International Energy Agency and International Renewable Energy Agency report into decarbonisation rates; the EU’s 153m tonnes of food waste problem; Primark to pull back from sourcing in Myanmar following Ethical Trading Initiative report; and, Barry Callebout on track to reach full direct traceability by 2005, in the news digest.
And Innovation Forum’s Hanna Halmari gives an update on the sustainable landscapes and commodities conference, coming up on the 1st and 2nd November in Amsterdam
Host: Ian Welsh
Goetz Martin, director for sustainability and strategic projects at Golden Agri-Resources, discusses with Ian Welsh why companies are now really taking emission reductions seriously. They talk about the role of monitoring and carbon pricing in tackling deforestation, what good collaboration looks like, and why working with indigenous communities is essential for impact on tackling deforestation and emissions reduction at scale.
Goetz Martin, director for sustainability and strategic projects at Golden Agri-Resources, discusses with Ian Welsh why companies are now really taking emission reductions seriously. They talk about the role of monitoring and carbon pricing in tackling deforestation, what good collaboration looks like, and why working with indigenous communities is essential for impact on tackling deforestation and emissions reduction at scale.
This week: Owen Bethell, environmental impact lead, global public affairs, at Nestlé, talks about the company's decarbonisation strategy, and the need for corporate climate advocacy, working with governments, peer companies and suppliers. He argues that this collaboration is integral to bringing increased sustainability impact and making progress at scale towards Nestlé’s net-zero targets. Plus: land conversion for agriculture remains the greatest driver for deforestation; indigenous communities calling for a new pact preserving 80% of the Amazon forest by 2025; tougher EU deforestation regulation on the cards; and, Patagonia's owner transfers company stock into charitable trust to tackle climate change, in the news digest. Host: Ian Welsh
This week: Owen Bethell, environmental impact lead, global public affairs, at Nestlé, talks about the company's decarbonisation strategy, and the need for corporate climate advocacy, working with governments, peer companies and suppliers. He argues that this collaboration is integral to bringing increased sustainability impact and making progress at scale towards Nestlé’s net-zero targets. Plus: land conversion for agriculture remains the greatest driver for deforestation; indigenous communities calling for a new pact preserving 80% of the Amazon forest by 2025; tougher EU deforestation regulation on the cards; and, Patagonia's owner transfers company stock into charitable trust to tackle climate change, in the news digest. Host: Ian Welsh
Britvic’s supply chain director Nigel Paine talks with Ian Welsh about how the £2bn soft drinks business goes about identifying its material impacts, setting targets to reduce them in collaboration with supply chain partners, and how net zero strategy should focus on efficiencies. They discuss how, for example, making bottles lighter can cut thousands of tonnes of plastic in packaging, and the importance of a balanced approach to counter unintended consequences of actions.
Britvic’s supply chain director Nigel Paine talks with Ian Welsh about how the £2bn soft drinks business goes about identifying its material impacts, setting targets to reduce them in collaboration with supply chain partners, and how net zero strategy should focus on efficiencies. They discuss how, for example, making bottles lighter can cut thousands of tonnes of plastic in packaging, and the importance of a balanced approach to counter unintended consequences of actions.
Chiara Vitali, senior consultant at Robertsbridge, discusses with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh some new research into trends in patterns of meat eating and how consumer behaviour is changing in different markets. They talk about the environmental and healthy-eating concerns that encourage consumers to turn to more plant-based diets including meat alternatives, and the public and business policy levers that can drive change.
Chiara Vitali, senior consultant at Robertsbridge, discusses with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh some new research into trends in patterns of meat eating and how consumer behaviour is changing in different markets. They talk about the environmental and healthy-eating concerns that encourage consumers to turn to more plant-based diets including meat alternatives, and the public and business policy levers that can drive change.
This week: Renata Nogueira from Cargill discusses how to work with suppliers in Brazil to prevent land conversion and report degraded ecosystems. And Tiphaine Aries from the Carbon Trust talks about corporate net zero planning and a new route to net zero standard.
Plus: Selfridges builds its resale, repair, rental and refill model; brands still have cotton sourced from Xinjiang in apparel lines; the impacts of Antarctic krill fishing; and, new carbon credit insurance scheme, in the news digest.
And, Innovation Forum’s Emily Heslop gives an update on the future of plastics and packaging conference coming up on 11th and 12th October.
Host: Ian Welsh
This week: Renata Nogueira from Cargill discusses how to work with suppliers in Brazil to prevent land conversion and report degraded ecosystems. And Tiphaine Aries from the Carbon Trust talks about corporate net zero planning and a new route to net zero standard.
Plus: Selfridges builds its resale, repair, rental and refill model; brands still have cotton sourced from Xinjiang in apparel lines; the impacts of Antarctic krill fishing; and, new carbon credit insurance scheme, in the news digest.
And, Innovation Forum’s Emily Heslop gives an update on the future of plastics and packaging conference coming up on 11th and 12th October.
Host: Ian Welsh
Assistant professor of environmental policy at ETH Zürich Rachael Garrett and Musim Mas’s director of sustainability Olivier Tichit talk with Ian Welsh about their collaboration engaging smallholder farmer communities to deliver the data and traceability that palm oil buyers require. They discuss the importance of not divesting from higher risk sourcing regions and why there is still work to be done to ensure that due diligence regulation delivers the impacts intended.
Assistant professor of environmental policy at ETH Zürich Rachael Garrett and Musim Mas’s director of sustainability Olivier Tichit talk with Ian Welsh about their collaboration engaging smallholder farmer communities to deliver the data and traceability that palm oil buyers require. They discuss the importance of not divesting from higher risk sourcing regions and why there is still work to be done to ensure that due diligence regulation delivers the impacts intended.
Environment and human rights expert Etelle Higonnet, formerly senior advisor at the National Wildlife Federation, talks with Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb about how environmental and human rights regulations are changing worldwide, in particular around procurement and importation of commodities and products linked with high-risk production regions. They discuss the pressing need for regulatory harmonisation, and how developing capacity in monitoring and enforcement can help get ahead of potential breaches, resolving them before they escalate.
Environment and human rights expert Etelle Higonnet, formerly senior advisor at the National Wildlife Federation, talks with Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb about how environmental and human rights regulations are changing worldwide, in particular around procurement and importation of commodities and products linked with high-risk production regions. They discuss the pressing need for regulatory harmonisation, and how developing capacity in monitoring and enforcement can help get ahead of potential breaches, resolving them before they escalate.
This week: Goetz Martin, director for sustainability and strategic projects at Golden Agri-Resources, talks about how ambitious brand targets are now driving emissions reductions in palm oil supply chains. Investors and palm oil customers are asking lots of questions about the GHG impact of the commodity, and expect data verification and transparency.
Plus: new Diageo scheme to incentivise regenerative agriculture from east African smallholder farmers; further Qatar migrant worker abuses alleged as World Cup looms; and, ESG screening banned by state governor for Florida $228bn state pension funds, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Krishna Manda, vice-president for corporate sustainability at Lenzing, the textile sector fibre manufacturer, talks with Ian Welsh about how the business has established a net zero strategy. They discuss the importance of board-level ownership and incentives, how to establish science-based targets, the need to signal to stakeholders that you are serious and the importance of near-term target setting to achieve long-term goals.
This week: Insight from soft drinks manufacturer Britvic’s supply chain director Nigel Paine into the company’s carbon reduction and net zero strategy, developing better supply chain relationships. He talks about how Britvic’s brands are moving to lightweight recycled plastic bottles, and how to ensure that efficiencies in one area don’t cause greater impacts elsewhere.
And Robertsbridge’s Chiara Vitali discusses some new research into plant-based meat alternatives and interventions that can effectively reduce consumption.
Plus: supplier finance incentive scheme from Coca-Cola Europacific Partners and Rabobank, new EU ESG benchmark labelling scheme on the cards, the looming fertiliser supply crisis, and new water resource sustainability campaign for big companies and investors from Ceres, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Ian Suwarganda, head of policy and partnerships at Golden Agri-Resources, talks with Ian Welsh about how regulatory changes in the EU, US and elsewhere are impacting the palm oil sector. In particular, they discuss how well-meaning rule changes can in fact de-incentivise companies to encourage the changes they should at suppliers and, rather, encourages them to divest and source from markets with lower perceived social and environmental risks.
At the recent online future of food conference, Anastasia Volkova, CEO of Regrow, Britt Lundgren, director of organic and sustainable agriculture at Stonyfield Farm, and Carmen Barker Lemay, head of strategic partnerships at the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction, joined Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb. They talked about how business can drive effective action on soil health throughout agricultural supply chains and reduce environmental impact in line with net zero targets.
This week: Palm oil company Musim Mas's director of sustainability Olivier Tichit, and assistant professor of environmental policy at ETH Zürich Rachael Garrett, talk about the evolving role of smallholder farmers in supplying the palm oil sector, and the risks that some farmers may be excluded from certain markets as buyers and brands demand ever-greater supply chain traceability.
Plus: fruit pickers for UK supermarkets found to be paying recruitment fees; UN oceans treaty on the horizon; implications of new US climate legislation; and, lab-based palm alternative to come to market, in the news digest.
And, Innovation Forum’s Hanna Halmari gives an update on how November’s sustainable landscapes and commodities conference is coming together.
Host: Ian Welsh
At Innovation Forum’s recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference Toby Webb was joined by Anurag Gupta, managing director at Usha Yarns, and Madeleine Michell, social conscience communications officer at Toast. They discussed how to overcome the barriers to circularity, and in particular how companies can facilitate and simplify recycling infrastructure to persuade companies to take part.
This week: Krishna Manda, vice-president for corporate sustainability at textile sector fibre manufacturer Lenzing talks about what an effective net zero strategy looks like. This includes getting interim targets right, aligning incentives across the business and with suppliers, and how to avoid tensions between short term targets and long term goals.
Plus: Brazilian cerrado green bond scheme for farmers backed by Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose and Barry Callebout; Stockholm University study shows all rainwater contaminated; big apparel brands’ offcuts firing polluting brick kilns; and, University of Oxford rates impacts of 57,000 UK food and drinks product lines, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Zalando’s CEO Robert Gentz has stated that the apparel industry must “abandon the fast fashion business model within the next ten years”. The steep environmental costs of the take-make-waste system are obviously incompatible with the recent net-zero pledges of countries, cities, and businesses. If this is the start of the end of fast fashion, what does the apparel business model of the net-zero future look like?
In this opening panel from Innovation Forum’s recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference, leading sustainability professionals from across the apparel industry debate the business model transformation required and what sustainable growth looks like.
Session panel, led by Innovation Forum's Toby Webb:
- La Rhea Pepper, CEO, Textile Exchange
- José Arguedas, head of corporate responsibility and sustainability, River Island
- Liz Hershfield, senior vice-president of supply chain and sustainability, J Crew Group
- Lucita Jasmin, director of sustainability and external affairs, APRIL
James Ede, group sustainability lead for starches, sweetners and texturisers at Cargill, and Andrew Voysey, head of impact and carbon at Soil Capital, talk with Ian Welsh about why regenerative agriculture has become so much a part of the food sector’s decarbonisation plans. They discuss how regen agri brings together the opportunities to deal with carbon emissions, as well as water use, soil health and biodiversity risks. What’s crucial, they argue, is the need for verified data that provides farmers and their customers with the evidence they are progressively cutting carbon emissions and other impacts.
This week: Representatives of the winning projects from WWF and Tesco’s Innovation Connections programme for agricultural supply chain entrepreneurs, receiving up to £150,000 each, talk about their projects and how they will impact at scale. Talking with Ian Welsh are Casey Woodward, founder and CEO of AgriSound, Branston agronomy director David Nelson, Oliver Kynaston, carbon calculator manager at Farm Carbon Toolkit, Chirrup project lead Conrad Young, and Future by Insects chief executive Evelyn Peters.
Plus: concerning new road development in the Amazon; indigenous rights impacts from land speculators; India’s new carbon market for heavy emitting sectors, and UK retail chain Morrisons goes carbon neutral in its egg supply chain, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Dr Suwanna Gauntlett, founder and CEO of anti-deforestation NGO Wildlife Alliance, talks with Ian Welsh about how protection of forests on the ground is essential to halt deforestation in Cambodia. They discuss the drivers of deforestation in the country, not least from speculators clearing forest for illegal land sales. In addition, they talk about how REDD+ projects provide carbon market finance that enhance indigenous people’s livelihoods through economic development as well as funding for professional law enforcement personnel.
Birgitte Holter, head of green and low carbon fertilisers at Yara, and Claes Johansson, head of sustainable development at Lantmännen, talk with Ian Welsh about how their collaborative approach is enabling lower emission fertilisers for fossil-fuel-free food supply chains. The creation of green ammonia using hydrogen from electrolysing water, using renewable electricity, is the key process that Yara has developed in partnership with Lantmännen.
Ian Suwarganda, head of policy and partnerships at Golden Agri-Resources, speaks to Ian Welsh about going beyond compliance with new due diligence regulations, to transform entire supply chains for better worker safety and wellbeing. They discussed the role of government and the value-driven consumer, and reasonable expectations for consumer-facing brands in supply chain transformation.
Plus: emissions from power generation to decline by 0.3%; Brazil’s Supreme Court rules Paris Agreement a human rights treaty; IMF launches a new gender strategy; and Dow and Mura Technology partner to scale advanced plastics recycling in EU and US, in the newscast.
At IF's Future of Climate Action Conference, Rob Cameron, global head of public affairs and ESG engagement at Nestlé, spoke to Ian Welsh about why companies need to continue to focus on carbon, take immediate action at scale, and the potential benefits from regenerative agriculture. He argued that there will be no transition to a low carbon economy unless it is a “just transition”, and put the case for always following the science in corporate action on climate change.
Josh Tosteson, president of Everland, outlines a new plan to tackle deforestation at scale through rapidly developing new REDD+ forest projects in threatened landscapes around the world, and accessing the unprecedented levels of climate finance via the voluntary carbon markets. He also addresses the main criticisms of REDD+ projects; how to prevent deforestation from simply leaking outside the project boundary, and how to establish baselines to measure deforestation reduction.
This week: Sam Szoke-Burke, senior legal researcher at the Columbia Centre on Sustainable Investment in New York, and Ikal Ang’elei, co-founder and director of Friends of Lake Turkana in Kenya talk about the impact of the renewable energy sector on the human rights of local peoples during the deployment phase of wind and solar projects. Land rights abuses are among the key risks for companies and their suppliers.
Plus: microplastics found in beef and pork by new Plastic Soup Foundation sponsored research; the Lisbon Declaration signed by 150 nations at UN oceans conference; Mighty Earth keeps pressure on the soy sector and links to Cerrado biome conversion; and, Volvo set to leave European auto industry group over speed of conversion to all-electric vehicles, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Nick O’Flaherty, director of UNSTUCK, and Sarah Maurer, head of new product development at Chobani, talk with Innovation Forum’s Emily Heslop about UNSTUCK’s market-driven model that partners with consumer brands to enable suppliers to support refugees with employment, and to help them rebuild often shattered lives. They discuss the importance of identifying suppliers that are already working with refugees, and how consumer brands can use such initiatives to engage their customers.
At Innovation Forum’s recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference, Toby Webb was joined by Anke Ehlers, managing director for global corporate responsibility at Aldi Süd, and Remco Kouwenhoven, social innovation lead at Fairphone, for a session where the discussion focused on what the apparel sector can learn from living income programmes in other industry sectors.
This week: James Ede, Group Sustainability Lead for Starches, Sweetners and Texturisers at Cargill, and Andrew Voysey, Head of Impact and Carbon at Soil Capital, speak to Ian Welsh about why both businesses and farmers are increasingly interested in the shift towards regenerative agriculture. They discussed how actors are working together within supply sheds to enable farmers to evidence regenerative outcomes; demonstrating the business case for regenerative farming; and the proof and features of growth in the area.
Plus: The US Supreme court rules against the EPA; India’s single-use plastics ban; The EU, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana come together with the cocoa sector for an Alliance on Sustainable Cocoa; and The Sustainable Apparel Coalition pauses its use of the Higg Index.
Host: Bea Stevenson
Ian Welsh talks to business and climate strategy expert Iain Watt about some of the challenges for companies in getting to net-zero emissions. He argues the need to recognise that science mandates that timeframes are very tight for 1.5C and 2C pathways – and that leading companies may have to do more than their fair share, to stay within our carbon budget.
This week: Dr Suwanna Gauntlett, founder and CEO of anti-deforestation NGO Wildlife Alliance, talks about how better law enforcement to prevent illegal forest clearance, combined with developing better economic prospects for local communities, can really impact deforestation. She talks about the importance of bringing benefits to these local people, through REDD+ project development, for example, which provide the finance via the global voluntary carbon markets that is necessary.
Plus: UN continues to push for biodiversity agreement; Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance’s new research into what realistic carbon pricing needs to look like; and, Blackrock calls for proposed SEC reporting guidelines to align more closely with the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures, in the news digest.
And, Innovation Forum’s Emily Heslop gives an update on the upcoming plastics and packaging conference, coming up in Amsterdam in October.
Host: Ian Welsh
As companies strive to meet their net-zero targets, they must rapidly reduce their supply chain emissions. Leading companies are beginning to go one step further to develop ‘insetting’ programmes that actively remove carbon from the atmosphere. In the complex world of carbon accounting, it is still unclear who can count a carbon removal and when.
This webinar assessed the frameworks that are needed to incentivise the right actions from brands. There was discussion on how business can balance emissions reductions and removals in an effective climate strategy, with some examples of current reductions and removals programmes. An expert panel also considered:
- the headline challenges around calculating and claiming supply chain emissions removals;
- the opportunities to cut carbon, enhance land use, and claim benefits; and
- potential unintended consequences to avoid in developing guidance.
Panel members:
- Conor McMahon, global climate delivery manager, Nestlé
- Dr Goetz Martin, director, sustainability and strategic projects, Golden Agri-Resources
- Hannah Birge, director of agriculture, Nebraska, The Nature Conservancy
- Tilmann Silber, global lead, thriving nature, Barry Callebaut
The discussion was moderated by Toby Webb, founder of Innovation Forum.
This webinar was hosted in partnership with Nestlé.
This week: Rob Cameron, global head of public affairs and ESG engagement at Nestlé, talks about why companies need to continue to focus on carbon, take immediate action at scale, and the potential benefits from regenerative agriculture. He also argues that there will be no transition to a low carbon economy unless it is a “just transition”, and puts the case for always following the science in corporate action on climate change.
Plus: Carlsberg’s new fibre bottle pilot; US Xinjiang product ban’s impact on cotton supply chains; UK pension scheme transparency on 1.5C targets; and, EU to crack down on greenwashing, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Innovation Connections from Tesco and WWF is a new accelerator programme that has paired pioneering start-ups with Tesco suppliers to fast-track innovation in the supply chain.
In May, a group of finalists pitched head-to-head in front of a panel of experts from Tesco and WWF, with five exciting projects each awarded funding of up to £150,000. Innovation Connections is part of a long-term partnership between Tesco and WWF that aims to halve the environmental impact of the average shopping basket.
In this podcast, Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh speaks with representatives from the five projects.
- Casey Woodward, founder and CEO of AgriSound
- David Nelson, agronomy director at Branston
- Oliver Kynaston, carbon calculator manager at Farm Carbon Toolkit
- Conrad Young, project lead at Chirrup
- Evelyn Peters, chief executive at Future by Insects.
For more detail on the Innovation Connections programme and the winning projects click here.
This week: Josh Tosteson, president of Everland, outlines a new plan to tackle deforestation at scale through rapidly developing new REDD+ forest projects in threatened landscapes around the world, and accessing the unprecedented levels of climate finance via the voluntary carbon markets.
Plus analysis of some of the outcomes from Innovation Forum’s Future of Climate Action conference from the Scope 3 Peer Group’s Oliver Hurrey.
And, big brands backing new $250m fashion climate fund from the Apparel Impact Institute; Procter & Gamble’s new ambitious water targets; Net Zero Tracker queries credibility of many corporate net-zero plans; and, new ocean plastic concerns, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Anant Ahuja, head of organisational development at Indian apparel manufacturer Shahi Exports, talks with Ian Welsh about the importance of long-term relationships between brands and manufacturers to allow for the investment necessary to get the sector to net zero. Ahuja points out despite the long return on investment for renewable energy projects, many factory owners are keen to make the transition. In a wide ranging discussion, they also talk about some of the immediate impacts of climate change, with increasing heat waves for example, on factory workers.
This week: Birgitte Holter, head of green and low carbon fertilisers at Yara and Claes Johansson, head of sustainable development at Lantmännen talk about the role of green fertilisers in developing food supply chains that do not rely on fossil fuels. They also discuss how to identify the right partners when developing business models that can really deliver innovation and change.
Plus: Global Fashion Agenda calls for apparel sector action to meet climate goals; $16tn of assets aligned with 2050 net-zero says Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative; G7 agrees to de-carbon electricity supply; and, new plan to counter deforestation proposes 75 new REDD+ projects.
And, Innovation Forum’s Emily Heslop previews the Future of Food conference coming up in Minneapolis on 14th and 15th June.
Host: Ian Welsh
Caroline Ledl, head of product management, textiles, at the Lenzing Group talks with Ian Welsh about how bio-based waste materials can be used to create fibres that compete with traditional materials and create high-quality apparel and textiles. A barrier to growth is lack of collecting and recycling capacity – and there is significant innovation required to move to a blend with 50% and more recycled content – but Ledl believes that the sector can deliver.
It’s clear that animal feed supply chains in their current form are unsustainable for industrial animal production systems. To keep up with increasing global demand for meat, alternatives to the traditional feedstocks should be considered. So, what role can insect protein play?
In this webinar, an expert panel discussed how insects are developing as an alternative protein, the opportunities for scale and impact, and the regulatory and financial environment needed to make it happen.
Panel:
- Sara Walton, sector lead, agri-food standards, BSI
- Arnold van Huis, emeritus professor, laboratory of entomology, Wageningen University
- Cindy Dunston Quirk, CEO and founder, Scout & Zoe’s Premium Pet Products
- Adrian Charlton, principal scientist, Fera Science
This discussion, held in partnership with BSI, was moderated by Toby Webb, founder of Innovation Forum.
This webinar discussion, the latest in Innovation Forum’s “From the front-line battle to stop deforestation by 2030” series, features an expert panel discussing how private-sector investments are helping to end deforestation, protect threatened wildlife and fund significant economic development activities for local communities.
The webinar was held in Stockholm as part of the United Nations Environment Programme’s World Environment Day celebrations, and featured representatives from groundbreaking forest conservation REDD+ projects in Kenya, the DRC, Colombia and Cambodia. The panel talked about community-based conservation and their successes stopping deforestation, and the challenges involved.
Panel:
- Joseph Mwakima, community relations manager, Wildlife Works, Kasigau Corridor REDD+ project
- Cara Barund, conservation office manager, Wildlife Works, Kasigau Corridor REDD+ project
- Neneth Freund, francophone Africa liaison, Wildlife Works, Mai Ndombe REDD+ project
- Lider Sucre, regional director for Latin America, Wildlife Works
- Chaly Y, GIS and communications officer, Tumring REDD+ project
- Rithiny Teng, national strategic manager, Wildlife Conservation Society, Keo Seima REDD+ project
- Suwanna Gauntlett, CEO, Wildlife Alliance, Southern Cardamom REDD+ project
Host: Ian Welsh, Innovation Forum
The webinar was sponsored by Everland – click here for Everland's Forest Plan.
This week: Business and climate strategy expert Iain Watt talks about some of the challenges for companies getting to net-zero emissions. He argues the need to recognise that science mandates that timeframes are very tight for 1.5C and 2C pathways – but that embracing science-based targets has switched ambitions from what looks achievable to what’s necessary.
Plus: up to 1,000 microplastic particles spread per square metre of farmland per year in Europe; retailers not making credible progress on plastic bags say Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Changing Markets Foundation and others; and, $80bn of losses risked without action on deforestation now, according to a new report from the Accountability Framework initiative and CDP, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Bank + Vogue and Beyond Retro co-founder Steven Bethell talks with Ian Welsh about the growth of apparel resale and remanufacturing at scale, and how to “industrialise the used as an input for the new”. Bethell highlights the importance of both physical and chemical recycling for the development of truly circular models in the garment sector.
In the eight years since companies and governments came together under the New York Declaration on Forests committing to end deforestation by 2020, we have instead seen a continued rise in deforestation rates. To meet net-zero goals and ensure a climate resilient future, companies need to quickly accelerate systems and processes to manage their impacts on forests.
In this webinar, our expert panel discussed company best practice to end deforestation across agricultural and forestry value chains and where corporate ambition and action currently stand according to a new report evaluating company progress against the Accountability Framework, using CDP 2021 Forests data.
You can access the Accountability Framework initiative and CDP joint report here.
The session featured the latest case studies showing how companies have integrated leading practices into their business.
Panel:
- Juliana Lopes, ESG, communications and compliance director, Amaggi
- Katerina Elias-Trostmann, head of ESG and sustainability, Brazil, BNP Paribas
- Leah Samberg, lead scientist, global policy, Rainforest Alliance
- Tom Maddox, global director, forests and land, CDP
The session was moderated by Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh. This webinar was held in partnership with the Accountability Framework initiative.
This week: Anant Ahuja, head of organisational development at Indian apparel manufacturer Shahi Exports, talks about how all of the apparel sector’s value chains can work together to decarbonise and transition towards net zero. Ahuja outlines some of the barriers to the shift in business models that are necessary, not least developing long-term supplier-brand relationships.
Plus: further food supply risks from the war in Ukraine; Carbon Tracker highlights lack of credibility in oil and sector climate targets; new $500m circular plastics fund from Alliance to End Plastic Waste; and, Tesco and WWF cooperate on new food supply chains Innovation Connections scheme, in the news digest.
And, Innovation Forum’s Hanna Halmari introduces the 2022 sustainable landscapes and commodities conference, coming up on 1st and 2nd November.
Host: Ian Welsh
For more information about the sustainable landscapes and commodities event in November click here.
David Pettet, global human rights and sustainable supply chain director at Reckitt, talks with Ian Welsh about why taking a holistic approach to human rights risks in supply chains is essential. Pettet argues how internalising auditing processes can lead to closer relationships with suppliers and manufacturers, and why a focus on grievance mechanisms, eliminating recruitment fees and real transparency is necessary.
This week: Caroline Ledl, head of product management, textiles, at the Lenzing Group, talks about the challenges in using recycled content to create high quality fibres that can compete with virgin materials in the apparel sector. She outlines how collaboration on material use and design can help scale up processes and get around the recycling problems stemming from mixed-fibre garments.
Plus, in the news digest: record Amazon deforestation in three out of first four months of 2022; Malaysia to cuts taxes on palm oil exports as prices surge; aviation sector hit only one out of 50 climate targets says charity Possible; and, more than 2,200 companies now signed up to emissions reductions verified by the Science Based Targets initiative
And, some reflection on the discussions at Innovation Forum’s online future of food conference.
Host: Ian Welsh
The potential impacts of due diligence legislation in various jurisdictions are discussed by Freshfield Bruckhaus Deringer’s Elizabeth Forster and Innovation Forum’s Bea Stevenson. They talk about the changing transparency and reporting obligations for companies and how to identify where the risks are, and the need for cultural shift in approach for many businesses.
Ethical Tea Partnership chief executive Jenny Costelloe talks with Ian Welsh about how environmental and, particularly, labour and trafficking challenges are coming to the top of corporate agenda in the tea sector. They talk about ETP’s 2030 strategy and the systemic change that is necessary, particularly to address power imbalances that impact women and children at plantations, and how “radical transparency” needs to become widespread.
This week: Steven Bethell, co-founder of Bank & Vogue and Beyond Retro, talks about the growth of circular economy models re-using and re-purposing pre-used textiles and apparel, including innovation in fibre-to-fibre recycling. He outlines why “used” is increasingly being accepted as an input to “new” and why the need for designing for multiple re-use is a growing trend.
Plus: draft new European corporate sustainability reporting standards out for consultation; research into the impact of switching diets away from beef; and, the UK’s new nationality and borders act raises human rights and trafficking concerns, in the news digest.
And Innovation Forum’s Emily Heslop gives an update on the in-person US-focused future of food conference coming up on 14th and 15th June in Minneapolis.
Host: Ian Welsh
Prof David Grayson, campaigner and former director of the Doughty Centre at Cranfield School of Management, talks with Ian Welsh about some of the changing demands for business around the climate crisis, global inequality and the impacts of globalisation. Grayson also talks about some of the key challenges for companies in making real progress and the opportunities for the investment community shifting approach towards an ESG focus.
David Grayson is co-author of the new Sustainable Business Handbook.
This week: David Pettet, global human rights and sustainable supply chain director at Reckitt, talks about the critical matters that companies must ensure are embedded into their approach to tackling operation and supply chain human rights risks. He discusses how Reckitt identifies the regions and markets where resources should be focused, as part of a holistic cross-business approach to human rights. And, he outlines the importance of worker grievance mechanisms and why recruitment fees are unacceptable.
Plus Innovation Forum’s Natasha Bodnar gives an update on the climate and business action conference that’s coming up from the 7th to 9th June.
Host: Ian Welsh
Mario Rafael Rodriguez, senior associate for LandScale at the Rainforest Alliance, and José Luis López, palm oil and biodiversity programme manager at Solidaridad, talk with Ian Welsh about use of the LandScale system in the Ocosito landscape in Guatemala. In particular they discuss how LandScale has helped identify instances of child labour and forced labour, and other human rights violations.
Innovation Forum’s Bea Stevenson talks with Salla Saastamoinen, director for civil and commercial justice, DG Justice and Consumers at the European Commission about how the EU proposed directive on due diligence corporate accountability will be implemented. They discuss what companies should expect, and how they can align climate and social strategies to meet the new regulation’s requirements.
This week: Jenny Costelloe, chief executive of the Ethical Tea Partnership, discusses how the sector is tackling its environmental and social challenges, and why tea has not been subject to the attention other commodities have had. Costelloe explains why the traditional tea plantation model is becoming outdated, with smallholder farmers becoming principal sector suppliers – and all the farm income and labour risks this brings.
Plus: new regenerative fashion manifesto featuring Stella McCartney, Zalando, Burberry and other big brands; Arla Foods’ food additive pilot to reduce methane emissions from 10,000 cows; and, hydrogen’s greenhouse gas potential 11 times more potent than carbon dioxide, in the news digest.
And Innovation Forum’s Hanna Halmari talks about the upcoming sustainable apparel and textiles conference on the 26th to 28th April. Plus detail of an exclusive podcast listener offer.
Host: Ian Welsh
Innovation Forum founder Toby Webb talks with Jon Entine, director of the Genetic Literacy Project, about the rise of the use of gene editing in agriculture, and how fact-based debate has led to a broader acceptance of such techniques. In a wide-ranging discussion they also highlight how the war in Ukraine will significantly impact global food supply and argue the case for GMO grain to help ease the pressures.
Craig Mills, CEO of Vizzuality, talks with Ian Welsh about how companies are changing the process of engagement with supply chain data. They discuss what best use of corporate sustainability data looks like, and how a move to AI and machine learning has transformed what can be done with it. Mills also outlines how the work of the World Resource Institute and Global Forest Watch has transformed tracking of deforestation, and argues the case for greater free and open data sharing so that innovation and knowledge from tech startups that ultimately fail will not be lost.
This week: Freshfield Bruckhaus Deringer’s Elizabeth Forster and Innovation Forum’s Bea Stevenson talk about some of the new areas of legal risk relating to human rights and environmental impacts that companies need to be aware of, and some of the measures that they can take to mitigate them.
Plus: Oxfam and Save the Children highlight the food supply crisis in west Africa; IPCC’s mitigation report highlighting need for net negative carbon strategy; and, Plastic Soup Foundation research into microplastics in cosmetics, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
IDH’s Matthew Spencer, Proforest’s Ruth Nussbaum and Conservation International’s John Buchanan talk with Ian Welsh about how the SourceUp platform can improve the distribution of value in commodity supply chains, bringing corporate boardrooms and grower communities together. They argue the case for companies engaging more closely with the landscapes they source from and how positive impacts can be scaled up.
Niels Wielaard, founder of Satelligence, and Ian Welsh talk about traceability-to-plantation innovation in palm oil and cocoa supply chains. Wielaard explains why appreciating the complexity of the challenges is important and, crucially, why companies should not shift from sourcing from higher risk countries as a reaction to EU and other due diligence legislation. This could, he argues, simply shift problems to lower risk countries.
This week: David Grayson, campaigner and former director of the Doughty Centre at Cranfield School of Management, and co-author of the new Sustainable Business Handbook, talks with Ian Welsh about the evolving role of business in tackling climate change, global inequality and the impacts of globalisation. Grayson outlines how shifts in emphasis from the investment community in terms of ESG screening is impacting business planning, and welcomes the growth in sustainability bonds. And, they discuss how the pandemic has led companies to rethink their “just in time” approach to supply chains.
And, Innovation Forum senior associate Peter Stanbury and Welsh review some of the main issues that arose during Innovation Forum’s responsible sourcing and ethical trade conference in London, including how to improve value chain data, the importance of grievance mechanisms, how to focus collaboration, and the potential unintended consequences when companies stop working in high risk regions.
Megan Passey, head of knowledge and learning at the International Cocoa Initiative, talks with Ian Welsh about use of cash transfer to farmers to target hazardous child labour in Ghana. They discuss why regular funds direct to farmers can be more effective than single lump sums, and why disconnecting them from payments for their cocoa crop is important.
Toby Webb and Peter Stanbury reflect on Nestlé’s new strategy for the cocoa sector, with the ambition to get to grips with child labour risks, increase farm income and achieve full traceability in the cocoa sector. This will involve farmers having the ability to earn more for their crop alongside making improvements in other areas, including diversifying income and encouraging school enrolment. They argue that Nestlé’s plans represent significant ambition and discuss what the longer-term impacts of this and other initiatives could be.
This week: José Luis López, palm oil and biodiversity programme manager at Solidaridad, and Mario Rafael Rodriguez, senior associate for LandScale at the Rainforest Alliance talk about a collaboration project in the Ocosito landscape in Guatemala using the LandScale framework. In particular, they discuss how LandScale – a new system for measuring sustainability at a landscape level, led by Rainforest Alliance, Verra and Conservation International – has helped to identify human rights and labour risks.
Plus: new research shows that forests, and especially tropical forests, have an even greater role in tempering climate change than previously thought; Nasdaq’s new reference indices tracking carbon price; Ukraine war forces Iceland U-turn on palm oil use in its own products; and UN World Food Programme facing $9bn shortfall, in the news digest.
And, Innovation Forum’s Emily Heslop gives an update on the Future of Food conference coming up in Minneapolis on 14th-15th June.
Host: Ian Welsh
Textile Exchange’s COO Claire Bergkamp and director of Climate+ strategy Beth Jenson talk with Ian Welsh about some impacts of climate change for the apparel and textiles sector. They discuss the challenges around getting to a net zero position by mid-century, via a 45% cut in emissions by 2030, and the willingness of the sector to make the innovations necessary.
This week: Salla Saastamoinen, director for civil and commercial justice, DG Justice and Consumers at the European Commission, talks with Innovation Forum’s Bea Stevenson about how the new EU due diligence directive for companies regarding human rights and environmental impacts will be implemented. They discuss how companies can work to prepare their strategy now to ensure alignment with the proposed regulation, and the potential sanctions for non-compliance.
Plus: new emissions reporting proposals from the US Securities and Exchange Commission; EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism details become clearer; HSBC’s plan to finance the transition to net zero; Swiss Re to stop insuring carbon-intensive energy projects; and, Unilever tracks 188,000 tonnes of palm oil in a blockchain transparency pilot, in the news digest.
And, Innovation Forum's Natasha Bodnar provides an update on June’s climate and business action conference.
Host: Ian Welsh
Leony Aurora, landscapes and partnership lead at the Tropical Forest Alliance, and Patrick Mallet, director of innovations at ISEAL, talk with Ian Welsh about newly released guiding practices from ISEAL designed to help companies address critical sustainability challenges collectively and at scale. The guidance covers where is makes the most sense to invest, how to maximise impact, how to measure effectiveness and what clear and credible communications should look like.
Ian Suwarganda, Golden Agri-Resources’ head of policy and partnerships, sustainability and communications, and Róisín Mortimer, Tropical Forest Alliance lead private sector engagement and programming, talk with Ian Welsh about the impacts of the EU’s importing regulations. While the establishment of a level playing is welcome, they argue that there should be greater awareness of the challenges for smallholders to demonstrate compliance. There is a risk of sourcing into the EU switching away from higher-risk regions, which could mean that the deforestation and other challenges in these areas will not be addressed.
This week: Niels Wielaard, founder of Satelligence, talks about how financial institutions are ratcheting up how they expect companies to engage with their supply chains. He outlines the importance of accurate and up to date data as companies take a due diligence approach to what are complex and challenging issues, and the unforeseen circumstances of simply shifting out of sourcing from higher-risk regions.
And, Megan Passey, head of knowledge and learning at the International Cocoa Initiative, discusses the results of a cash transfer programme to support cocoa farmers in Ghana, and why such initiatives can be more effective than increasing crop price.
Plus, an update from Innovation Forum’s Hanna Halmari on the upcoming sustainable apparel and textiles conference.
In the news digest: the International Platform for Insetting’s new practical guide; Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosure launches first reporting framework; and, ClientEarth sues Shell’s directors over lack of net zero preparation.
Host: Ian Welsh
In this session, recorded at Innovation Forum’s sustainable landscapes and commodities conference, an expert panel examines how landscape approaches are developing. They discuss the work of the Consumer Goods Forum’s forest positive coalition of action and how to set effective and realistic definitions and deadlines. Joining Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb are Barry Parkin from Mars, Magdi Batato from Nestlé, Olivier Tichit from Musim Mas and Christine McGrath from Mondelez International.
Through sequestration, soil plays a pivotal role in mitigating climate change. Improved agricultural practices that promote soil sequestration can help reverse climate change while improving the livelihoods of farmers. However, there is currently no commonly used business standard or approach for measuring carbon in soil.
There are many emerging approaches, and more are on the way. So which current approaches can be used by companies today? In this webinar, we discussed current practices, the opportunities for standardised approaches, and the potential positive outcomes in the race to net zero.
Webinar panel:
- Sophie Throup, head of agriculture, fisheries and sustainable sourcing, Morrisons
- Ian McConnel, director of sustainability – international business unit, Tyson Foods
- Prof Peer Ederer, program and science director, Global Food and Agribusiness Network
- David Fatscher, head of ESG, BSI
The discussion was moderated by Toby Webb, founder, Innovation Forum
This webinar was hosted in partnership with BSI
Michal Zrust, founder of Lestari Capital, talks with Ian Welsh about the Rimba Collective, a palm oil sector led initiative – involving Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Nestlé, Wilmar and others – set up to achieve forest conservation at scale. Zrust argues why conservation needs to be a core part of doing business and how the project plans to deliver $1bn to protect or restore 500,000 hectares of forest, supporting 32,000 individuals in forest communities in southeast Asia over 25 years.
This week: Patrick Mallet, director of innovations at ISEAL, and Leony Aurora, landscapes and partnership lead at the Tropical Forest Alliance, discuss some new guiding practices for companies engaging in supply chain landscape approaches and jurisdictional initiatives – including how actions can best contribute to performance and how to communicate the results of these actions.
Plus: palm oil deforestation levels down in 2021 says new report from Chain Reaction Research; Ukraine conflict’s “global food crisis” according to Yara International; brands scrambling to stop trading in Russia; and, some of the tech needed for any chance of achieving 1.5C warming limit in report from the Energy Transitions Commission, in the news digest.
And, Innovation Forum’s Natasha Bodnar gives an update on May’s future of food conference.
Host: Ian Welsh
Insight into challenges in the natural rubber sector from: Karen Steer, manager at the Rainforest Alliance and rubber lead for the Accountability Framework; Stefano Savi, director of the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber; Philippe de Groot, head of agronomy at SOCFIN; and, Ana Arce, senior manager for corporate sustainability governance at Bridgestone Americas, talking with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh.
They discuss how AFi has partnered with GPSNR and its members to develop a policy framework that addresses the specific supply chain risks in the rubber sector, and how the industry is collaborating to streamline and standardise approaches.
This week: IDH’s Matthew Spencer, Proforest’s Ruth Nussbaum and Conservation International’s John Buchanan discuss the landscape approach collaborative platform SourceUp that links global sourcing companies with grower communities.
And, Innovation Forum’s Hanna Halmari gives an update on the upcoming responsible sourcing and ethical trade conference.
Plus: the latest IPCC report’s gloomy climate change assessments; UN Environment Assembly agrees to broker comprehensive plastic pollution solution; and, soil plastic pollution may be more serious than in the oceans, says FAO, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Emma Thomson, Forest 500 lead at Global Canopy, talks with Ian Welsh about the recently launched Forest 500 update on progress from big companies and financial institutions on deforestation. The big take away is that while many companies have been making big positive commitments, not least at COP26, there is still not the evidence of action on the ground that will be necessary for them to achieve their forest goals.
Textile Exchange’s La Rhea Pepper, Claire Bergkamp and Megan Stoneburner talk with Ian Welsh about the trends emerging from the increasing use of manmade cellulosic fibres in textile and apparel supply chains, and the resultant challenges, not least around avoiding deforestation. As ever, addressing these effectively requires collaboration and sensitive sourcing policies.
This week: Craig Mills, CEO of Vizzuality, talks about how data can best be presented so it is usable and so different functions in a busines can collaborate effectively to drive innovation. Increased frequency of data update – for example for deforestation on a daily basis rather than annual – enables companies to engage with their operations and supply chain in a significantly more dynamic way.
Plus: Singapore sets more punchy future carbon price; more forced labour in Thailand; UK Climate Change Committee to focus on delivery and implementation; and, Tesco removes 1.5bn pieces of plastic from packaging, in the news digest.
And, Innovation Forum’s Natasha Bodnar gives an update on the upcoming business climate action conference.
Host: Ian Welsh
David Antonioli, CEO of standard setting body Verra, explains to Ian Welsh how carbon offsetting can be part of broader corporate emissions reduction programmes, but why offsetting alone cannot move the world economy net zero emissions. He outlines the key characteristics of credible and robust verified emissions reduction credits, and why standard setters have to take a nimble approach to evolve as technology develops.
This week: Karen Steer, manager at the Rainforest Alliance, and lead for the Accountability Framework, Stefano Savi, director of the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber, Philippe de Groot, head of agronomy at SOCFIN, and Ana Arce, senior manager for corporate sustainability governance at Bridgestone Americas, discuss the challenges for sustainable rubber supply chains, and the technology and collaborative solutions being developed to help.
Also, hear from Anna Turrell, head of environment, Tesco, and Sarah Wakefield, head of food transformation, WWF, talking with Toby Webb about the Tesco and WWF Sustainability Innovation Fund for late-stage agricultural sector innovators. Click here for more information.
And, Innovation Forum’s Hanna Halmari gives an update on the upcoming sustainable apparel and textiles conference.
Plus: BNP Paribas, Standard Chartered and UBS join Carbonplace offsets technology platform; Coca-Cola to boost returnable and refillable containers use to 25%; new research pointing to soy-linked deforestation in Brazil; and, new Barclays report shows how UK retailers are ending supplier relationships because of ESG risks, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
In this conference session, recorded at Innovation Forum’s recent sustainable landscapes and commodities conference, joining Toby Webb are: Dann Wensing, CEO, IDH; Mariane Crespolini dos Santos, director of sustainable production and irrigation, Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply; Megan Willis, sustainability director, agricultural supply chains, Asia Pacific, Cargill; and, Michal Zrust, founder and executive director, Lestari Capital.
The panel assess current landscape approaches and what has worked so far. The discussion includes what needs to be done to create the right incentives and finance mechanisms to enable sustainable landscapes at scale.
This week: Ian Suwarganda, head of policy and partnerships, sustainability and communications at Golden Agri-Resources, and Róisín Mortimer, lead private sector engagement and programming at the Tropical Forest Alliance, talk about changing regulatory landscapes in palm oil and other commodities, and unintended consequences of what’s proposed.
Plus, Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb and Peter Stanbury discuss Nestlé’s new plan to tackle child labour and other challenges in its cocoa supply chain. And, Emily Heslop talks about the future of food USA conference that’s coming up in June.
In the news digest: new USDA $1bn climate smart commodities project; Brazil’s Amazon deforestation spike; research suggesting that big brands are going to miss emissions targets; WWF research that says ocean plastic on track to increase for decades; and, Italy enshrines environmental protection in its constitution.
Host: Ian Welsh
Alan McClay, CEO of Better Cotton, talks with Toby Webb about the challenges around market transformation in the cotton sector. Better Cotton’s recently set 2030 target on greenhouse gas emissions is for a 50% reduction per tonne of cotton. Other targets – on lower pesticide use, gender empowerment, farmer livelihoods and soil health – will be released during 2022. For McClay, success will mean delivering real impact and continuously, so that brands will be able to sell cotton products that have the good story that they want to tell.
Transforming the food system and overcoming the many environmental challenges it faces will require innovation at scale. With food production responsible for around a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions and at the centre of many other environmental issues, Tesco and WWF have come together in a project designed to halve the environmental impact of the average UK shopping basket.
In this podcast, Toby Webb speaks to Anna Turrell, head of environment, Tesco, and Sarah Wakefield, head of food transformation, WWF, about the Tesco and WWF Sustainability Innovation Fund. Tesco and WWF are seeking late-stage innovations focused on sustainable agriculture solutions. The fund will support innovators and scale-up companies capable of delivering proven environmental innovations in partnership with suppliers operating in Tesco’s supply chain.
Innovators can find out more on the Sustainability Innovation Fund here. Interested innovators should enquire via the site by 28 February 2022.
The last few years have given rise to a wave of new business models in apparel, built upon the principles of circularity over fast fashion. With apps and platforms popularising resale, rental, and even repair, brands are increasingly looking to offer the same. In this hour-long webinar, an expert panel took a closer look at how circular models are changing the fashion retail landscape, both for brands and the consumer.
Among the points discussed:
- What growth looks like for circular models, and how they can remain sustainable
- How leading brands have integrated circular fashion models into their operations
- What kinds of partnerships circular apps and platforms can have with brands
- The key challenges to implementation, and how these can be overcome in practice
Panel:
- Jade McSorley, co-founder, LOANHOOD
- Gwen Cunningham, lead textiles programme, Circle Economy
- Madeleine Michell, social conscience communications officer, TOAST
The discussion was moderated by Tanya Richard, head of research and stakeholder engagement, Innovation Forum.
In this conference session at Innovation Forum’s recent sustainable landscapes and commodities event, Lucita Jasmin from APRIL, Nicolas Tubbs from WWF, Martin Huxtable from Unilever and Jeremy Manion from Arbor Day Foundation join Ian Welsh to talk about forest and landscape restoration projects, case studies and practices. They discuss the roles of different stakeholders, and in particular the positive impacts sourcing companies can have in a landscape.
This week: Textile Exchange’s Claire Bergkamp and Beth Jenson talk about their new Climate+ strategy, some of the innovations in the textiles and apparel sector that will help companies plot a route to net zero, and their willingness to make the changes necessary.
And, Innovation Forum’s Hanna Halmari gives an update on the responsible sourcing and ethical trade, coming up on 4th and 5th April.
Plus: UN Environment Programme calls for 50% increase up to $285bn investment in nature protection and restoration from G20 countries; Nestlé announces new programme to tackle child labour in cocoa supply chains; new modelling research shows likely impacts of climate change on shifting commodity growing areas; and, how advances in battery and other storage technologies may mean India can cancel new coal power generation and switch to renewables, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
To access the new Textile Exchange report on regenerative agriculture click here.
This week: Mike Korchinsky, founder and CEO of Wildlife Works, talks about how to use market mechanisms to develop effective forest conservation projects utilising climate finance and the voluntary carbon market. He argues why successful projects should community centred as well as biodiversity-driven and ecosystem based.
And, Innovation Forum’s Natasha Bodnar gives an update on the Future of Food event, coming up from the 10th-12th May.
Plus: insurance pay-outs for crop loss in the US impacted by climate change; global resource use hit all-time high in 2021, says Circle Economy; UK animal welfare legislation in doubt; and, Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index highlights human rights and forced labour hotspots, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Farmers are critically important for sustainable commodities production, yet their voices are too often missing from the debate. At Innovation Forum’s sustainable landscapes and commodities conference in December 2021, Rachel Banda, farmer and safety, health and environment officer at the Phata Cooperative in Malawi, Doreen Mtali, farmer from the Demara farming cooperative in Malawi and Zeddy Chepkemoi, a coffee farmer from Kenya, joined Ian Welsh to talk about their perspectives, priorities and challenges. They discussed what they need from food companies to secure farm livelihoods and future production.
Announcements at COP26 have refocused attention on to the need for companies to transparently and immediately eliminate deforestation from their supply chains. However, new Aidenvironment research warns palm oil buyers of the risks from non-palm deforestation by companies in the palm oil sector. This begs the question – how credible are corporate deforestation-free palm oil claims?
In this hour-long webinar, an expert panel discussed:
- Why a focus on palm oil has meant that other deforestation risks haven’t had the profile they perhaps should.
- The critical challenge of “leakage” in terms of where deforestation risks are in value chains.
- Examples of the risks commodity buyers need to look for in non-palm supply chains.
Panel:
- Mark Wong, head of downstream sustainability, Sime Darby Plantation
- Chris Wiggs, programme director, Aidenvironment
- Ruth Nussbaum, co-founder and director, Proforest
- Matthew Leggett, associate director, sustainable commodities and private sector engagement, Wildlife Conservation Society
Moderated by Ian Welsh, Innovation Forum
This webinar was sponsored by Aidenvironment. To access the Aidenvironment research, click here.
This week: Michal Zrust, founder of Lestari Capital, talks about the Rimba Collective, a palm oil sector initiative led by buyers and processors supporting long-term conservation and restoration of forests – aiming for $1bn support over 25 years.
And Global Canopy’s Emma Thomson outlines the findings from the latest Forest 500 report into policies and reporting at the global top 350 companies and 150 financial institutions with deforestation risks. Headline conclusion? Progress on implementation remains slow.
Plus: climate-change-driven natural disasters costed $280bn in 2021 says Munich Re; BlackRock’s Larry Fink says he’s not “woke” to push “stakeholder capitalism”; Burberry links corporate borrowing to sustainability metrics; and, Maersk commits to a net zero journey by 2040, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Knowledge is power, and the key to positive action. As climate impacts increase, the need to empower consumers will become crucial. Trusted brands can play a vital role in educating and enabling communities to act and build climate resilience.
This panel discussion focuses on how a group of organisations, having developed common principles and plans, can use education and behaviour change to put such plans into action.
The panel talk about how technology can be a tool to empower consumers. Apps, social media channels, and monitoring technologies provide opportunities to deliver the information consumers need. These could range from areas such as UV, flood, and air quality warnings, to nutrition/health advice.
Panellists:
- Fiona Ball, group director, Bigger Picture, Sky
- Richard Wright, behavioural science director, Unilever
- Edward Maibach, director, Centre for Climate Change Communication, George Mason University
Moderator: Toby Webb, Innovation Forum
The panel was one part of a half-day workshop run in collaboration with Wallgreens Boots Alliance. Following the discussion, Una Kent, vice president, CSR international, at WBA provides a brief summary of the full event. For the full agenda of the event and recordings of the other sessions click here.
This week: David Antonioli, CEO of Verra, talks about how verified standards on emission reductions can give business the transparency and credibility they need to plot a route to achieving net zero emissions in operations and supply chains. He explains how standards have to continually evolve to adapt to best practice – on biodiversity and social issues as well as emissions – and why carbon offsetting is only part of the solution for decarbonising the global economy.
Plus: the World Economic Forum’s key business risks for 2022; targeting forest finance via the Trillion Trees initiative from Birdlife International, Wildlife Conservation Society and WWF; and, Norway’s Oda retailer’s behaviour-changing consumer engagement on product impact, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Andrew Wallis, CEO of UK-based trafficking and modern slavery organisation Unseen, talks with Ian Welsh about trends in human trafficking and modern slavery. Wallis highlights the positive influence of the finance sector in tackling the challenges, particularly as climate change is an increasing driver of displacing vulnerable populations around the planet. And they discuss the big questions facing FIFA ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Join Andrew Wallis at the Responsible Sourcing and Ethical Trade Forum, 4th-5th April.
Sebastiaan van der Hoek, forestry advisor at Cargill, discusses with Ian Welsh the potential for agroforestry to transform the cocoa sector. He outlines how working with farmers to introduce more trees – whether for fruit or timber, or to promote more biodiversity – is integral to delivery of the Cargill Cocoa Promise, and also why getting incentives right is a crucial part of this process.
Cargill was a sponsor of the recent Innovation Forum sustainable landscapes and commodities event.
This week: La Rhea Pepper, Claire Bergkamp and Megan Stoneburner from Textile Exchange discuss the potential from manmade cellulosic fibres – particularly viscose and rayon – for the apparel and textiles sector. They talk about the challenges of ensuring sustainable supply, particularly for fibres sourced from forests, and how such materials can have a key role as the sector addresses the significant challenges in transitioning to net zero.
Plus: UK farmers set to be paid £1.6bn for re-wilding and environmental sensitivity; France bans plastic wrapped fruit and vegetables; and, better news on deforestation rates in Indonesia down to palm oil sector scrutiny, says Rainforest Action Network, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Tara Luckman, apparel sector expert, and advisor to the US Cotton Trust Protocol, and Dr Mark Sumner from the school of design at the University of Leeds, talk with Ian Welsh about how better data can help business connect with cotton suppliers and farmers. They discuss why a move away from a mass balance approach, and greater traceability, can enable brands to demonstrate to stakeholders how they are meeting impact goals.
As the dust settled from the Glasgow COP26 meetings in November, Lord Deben, chair of the UK’s Climate Change Committee spoke with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about how the progress can be built upon in the coming months. They highlight the presence of big business leaders in the climate debate, some of the practical initiatives that have emerged, and why protestors need to be part of the 2022 COP27 meetings in Egypt. Among the next steps to look out for are net zero commitments that stand up to measurement, and for a real focus on delivery.
This week: To round off the year are extracts from some of the interviews that have featured in the Innovation Forum podcast during 2021.
First up are Sarah Rogerson and Emma Thomson from Global Canopy discussing the 2021 Forest 500 report. Then hear from Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb talking with forest expert Simon Lord about the unintended consequences of just planting trees. Ford’s Jim Gawron gives some insight into the growth of the electric vehicle market. Dole Food’s Xavier Roussel talks about how to engage consumers on sustainability matters. Forest Trends’ Stephen Donofrio gives his views on the rise and rise of the voluntary carbon market. And, Molly Jensen and Rachael Howie, pupils at the High School of Glasgow, discuss the COP26 meetings and their hopes for the future.
Host: Ian Welsh
Nigel Sizer, executive director of the Preventing Pandemics at the Source coalition, and former president of Rainforest Alliance, reflects on some of the outcomes from COP26, welcoming the funding that was announced to help halt deforestation. Speaking with Ian Welsh, Sizer also talks about the links between deforestation and global pandemics and how, much like climate change, it is always those that are least equipped to deal with the challenges that are impacted most. To reduce risks of future pandemics, he calls for forest conservation, controls of the wildlife trade and stronger biosecurity in animal agriculture.
This week: Andrew Wallis, CEO of UK-based trafficking and modern slavery organisation Unseen, talks about where the modern slavery and forced labour hotspots are right now, and the impacts of climate change on forced migration. He also outlines what Fifa should be thinking about ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Plus: Walmart’s new supply chain finance programme with CDP and HSBC; how HSBC plans to exit coal, and why ShareAction isn’t impressed; and, the European Commission outlines new carbon removal proposals for the EU, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Liesl Truscott, corporate benchmarking director at Textile Exchange, Lucita Jasmin, director of sustainability and external affairs at APRIL, and Nigel Sizer, executive director at the Preventing Pandemics at the Source initiative, talk with Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb about some of the findings from the recent Apparel Barometer report, in particular regarding viscose. The discussion includes the challenges of using recycled fibres, the relative impacts of different feedstocks, and the opportunities for increased sustainability from moving from fossil to natural fibres.
In this 30 minute webinar, the latest in the From the Forest Frontlines series, hear from project members and community leaders at the Wildlife Works Mai Ndombe REDD+ project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Congo Basin is home to the world’s second-largest tropical rainforest and the largest carbon sink. The preservation of this forest is critical to mitigating climate change, as well as maintaining biodiversity and the livelihoods of 80 million people.
The Wildlife Works Mai Ndombe REDD+ project protects 300,000 hectares of rainforest and wetlands by addressing the drivers of deforestation and biodiversity loss while improving the well-being of local communities – is achieved through the sale of verified emission reductions credits that are traded on the voluntary carbon market. An average annual reduction of 3.5m tonnes of CO2 equivalent now being achieved. The carbon financing that's generated covers project costs and goes to the community, which funds activities including building schools and medical clinics based on their needs.
The emission reductions are verified by Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and major socio-economic co-benefits by the Climate, Community and Biodiversity (CCB) standard.
Over the past decade, agroforestry nurseries and sustainable farming crops and techniques have been introduced to relieve deforestation pressure on the local community. The project has so far built 10 schools – a total of 28 have been committed to – that are educating over 5,000 students. A new mobile medical clinic has treated thousands of patients who previously had little or no access to health care.
The project is an example of how private-sector investments and the voluntary carbon markets can support and finance community-led forest and biodiversity conservation, while helping companies meet their Sustainable Development Goal and net-zero pledges.
Welcome from: The Honourable Benjamin Toirambe Bamoning, secretary-general for environment and sustainable development, Government of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Panellists:
- Prof Jean-Robert Bwangoy Bankanza Bolambee, DRC country director, Wildlife Works
- Mme Chief Basabo Bolombala
- M Chief Bola Bakali Ba Wema
- M Engokulu Wanza, president of Grand LDC Lokanga
- M Erasme Mboba, teacher at school funded by the Mai Ndombe project
- Dr Bosenge Nswele, medical practitioner
- Mme Anne Bokutu Bolekoka, community representative
Host: Ian Welsh, Innovation Forum
The concept of regenerative agriculture is being hailed as the new paradigm in sustainable supply chains. While it is predominantly food brands that have acted fastest to make significant commitments to regenerative, the future of cotton production could be based on similar practices that aim to restore, renew and replenish the environment. However, big questions still stand on definitions, processes, outcomes, and crucially what this actually looks like on the ground.
In this hour-long webinar, we took a closer look at how regenerative practices can be applied to cotton farming. We discussed:
- How regenerative apparel can be defined and how it differs from sustainable fashion
- The opportunities and challenges for brands, farmers and partners in implementing such program
- The key players in this transition and their roles in ensuring that these practices are scaled
- How to determine the impact and specific outcomes of regenerative programs
Panellists:
- Alison Ward, CEO, CottonConnect
- Rachel Kanter Kepnes, manager of supply chain social responsibility, farms and special programs, Patagonia
- Sheetal Nischal, sustainability projects manager, Primark
- Hanna Denes, Climate+ Strategy, senior manager, Textile Exchange
- Peter Stanbury, senior associate, Innovation Forum
Moderated by Ian Welsh
To view the webinar on video, click here.
Alison Ward, CEO of CottonConnect, and Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb chat in Dublin, while attending Textile Exchange’s Sustainability Conference 2021, about what regenerative agriculture can bring to the cotton sector. They discuss CottonConnect’s 3,000 farm regenerative agriculture pilot programme, how this builds on work developing sustainability in cotton supply chains more generally, and why an approach that focuses more on outcomes than definitions is important.
This week: Sebastiaan van der Hoek, forestry advisor at Cargill, talks about how agroforestry can benefit the cocoa sector, and help the business deliver its sustainability goals, including the Cargill Cocoa Promise. He welcomes the high profile that nature-based solutions had at COP26 and the traction they are gaining more generally.
Plus: global energy intensity improved in 2021 says IEA’s latest Energy Efficiency Report; carbon neutral eggs at Morrisons; Patagonia’s community energy sourcing; and, GRI and CDP collaborate on biodiversity, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
At the Global Landscapes Forum in Glasgow during COP26, the Hon Gary Juffa, governor of Oro province in Papua New Guinea, and Tony Simons, executive director of CIFOR-ICRAF, the body formed by the merger of the CIFOR – Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry, spoke with Ian Welsh.
They discussed a new Resilient Landscapes initiative supported by the national and local governments in Oro province showcasing the importance of nature-based solutions, preserving biodiversity while helping indigenous communities realise the value of their landscape.
Achieving the Paris Agreement targets requires a radical transformation of the world’s food and land use systems. The land sector alone can deliver at least 30% of the mitigation required to reach net-zero.
In this context, companies with a land-use footprint must embrace interventions to conserve and restore forests and other natural ecosystems in the landscapes they source from as part of their climate strategies. To help scale up these investments, carbon accounting frameworks that provide the right incentives are key.
This hour-long webinar assessed what’s required to drive urgency and transformation in the food and land use system. We discussed:
- What is the role of carbon accounting rules to incentivize the right actions for transformation?
- The challenges that need to be addressed to make these incentives work in practice
- The challenges and opportunities for companies with a land-use footprint to invest and scale up natural climate solutions at a landscape level
Our panel:
- Michele Zollinger, global sustainable sourcing for pulp and paper, and climate lead, Nestlé
- Scarlett Benson, co-director of knowledge generation for the food and land use coalition (FOLU), SYSTEMIQ
- Sandra Genee, head of value change initiative, SustainCERT
- Tilmann Silber, strategy lead climate and nature, Barry Callebaut
Moderated by Toby Webb, Innovation Forum
This week: Tara Luckman, advisor to the US Cotton Trust Protocol, and Dr Mark Sumner from the school of design at the University of Leeds, talk about the impacts of a lack of transparency in apparel production, and cotton in particular. They discuss the importance of data, and how the sector can move away from mass balance approach to supply chain sustainability and monitoring, and deliver proper traceability.
Plus: review of the themes that emerged at the Innovation Forum sustainable landscapes and commodities conference.
Host: Ian Welsh
Ian Welsh reports from the second day of the 2021 sustainable landscapes and commodities conference. Among the main discussion points were how landscape approaches are being implemented now, and the challenges encountered; how to properly engage smallholder farmers and other grower communities in corporate decision making; and, how to find sustained finance, at scale, to drive change.
Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh reports on the opening day of the 2021 landscapes and commodities event. Highlights include analysis of the impacts of the outcomes from COP26, what transformational change means in practice for key commodity landscapes, and how evolving corporate procurement policies can deliver on targets.
Coming up on day two are open discussions on landscape restoration, regenerative agriculture and ecosystem services payments for farmers. Plus debate on whether the priorities of business and campaign groups are diverging.
This week: Lord Deben, chair of the UK’s Climate Change Committee, reflects on the outcomes from the COP26 meetings and how momentum can be carried forward over the coming months. A standout from Glasgow, he argues, was the enthusiastic involvement of leaders from big business driving progress forwards.
Plus: PepsiCo targets access to nutritious food; European retailers not doing enough in farmed fish supply chains, says Changing Markets Foundation; and the fashion sector needs $1tn investment to get to a 1.5C pathway according to Fashion for Good and Apparel Impact Institute, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Victor Tamanjong, assistant technical manager for Africa at the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, outlines the history of the palm oil sector in Africa, and the more recent growth of certified crop. He discusses how to engage smallholder farmers with the benefits of certification and adopting a more sustainable approach in general – including market access, training, increased yields and farm income. As in many palm oil growing regions, land tenure is a major challenge – but an approach that respects local land-holding customs is proving to be successful. With Ian Welsh.
Peter Williams, president of the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction, talks with Ian Welsh about how funding for developing world grower communities can best focus on economic empowerment, alongside health, food systems, environmental and health matters. They also discuss why better climate resilience is essential, and how this can be achieved.
This week: Nigel Sizer, executive director of the preventing pandemics at the source coalition, talks about the relationships between deforestation and pandemic prevention, and why taking action to preserve forests is an essential human health imperative.
Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb summarises a session focusing on what the apparel industry can learn from the food sector – at the Textile Sustainability Conference 2021 in Dublin – featuring Tina Owens, senior director, food and agriculture impact at Danone North America, Dave Fitzgerald, head of responsible sourcing at Kellogg, and forest and agriculture expert Simon Lord.
And Narni Brooke-Adil gives an update on all the news about the upcoming Innovation Forum sustainable landscapes and commodities conference from 30th November to 2nd December – and details of an exclusive podcast listeners discount on event passes.
Plus news of the EU’s due diligence deforestation regulations; new Value Chain initiative from Gold Standard and SustainCERT to help companies plot their route to scope 3 net zero; and, US $1tn infrastructure investment and jobs legislation signed into law by President Biden.
Host: Ian Welsh
In the final update on the COP26 climate talks, Ian Welsh and climate journalist Mike Scott give their impressions on the events in Glasgow and reflect on the new climate pact that emerged, debating if it was just about as good as could have been expected.
Among the pact highlights they consider are the agreements on deforestation, coal and methane, and the drawing up, finally, of rules on how the global carbon markets will work. And, around the central question of the entire event of whether we can keep to 1.5C of warming – as COP26 president Alok Sharma conceded, it’s arguably still alive, but even if it is, it’s only just
The link between climate change and human health is clear. Now we need business to step up and define its role in adaptation as well as mitigation.
So, what can companies – and in particular business coalitions – do to make a substantive difference on building human resilience?
This webinar panel discusses what business can do now and in the future to drive consumer awareness, risk management, and mitigation strategies that work in real life. The panel assesses what objectives collaborative initiatives should set and how they should seek to deliver.
Panellists:
- David Croft, global director, sustainability, environment and human rights, Reckitt
- Fiona Adshead, chair, Sustainable Healthcare Coalition
- James Gomme, director, people and society, WBCSD
Moderator: Una Kent, vice president CSR international, Walgreens Boots Alliance
As the scheduled end of the COP26 meetings approaches, in the latest update from Glasgow news about how the final agreement is coming, or not, together, and the major remaining sticking points. Thursday saw announcements from the C40 cities group’s chair Sadiq Kahn on $1bn investment in Latin American city green transport, and the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance gained some new recruits.
Plus: Ian Welsh goes back to class and speaks with two members of the eco group – Molly Jensen and Rachael Howie – at the High School of Glasgow.
In the latest update from the COP26 meetings in Glasgow from Ian Welsh, news of how the first draft of the proposed end of summit agreement was received and the surprise joint declaration from China and the US on cutting emissions over the coming decade. Plus more countries and car makers agree to eliminate fossil fuel powered vehicles by 2040, and the rise and rise of iconic Scottish soft drink Irn Bru – it’s latest fan being US congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez.
And expert insight from Kate Nkatha, commercial director of Fairtrade Africa, about what she hopes will come out of the Glasgow meetings to help farming communities in Africa and elsewhere.
The latest update from Glasgow on the COP26 meetings with Ian Welsh. As Barack Obama wows the city on Monday and Tuesday, reality strikes with the Climate Action Tracker report that suggests 2.4C warming is on the cards. There was positive news with 22 governments aligning on clean technology for industry via the Mission Innovation programme. And Nicola Sturgeon and Nancy Pelosi lead debate on the impacts of climate change on women.
Plus insight from Accenture global lead on sustainability services Peter Lacy, reflecting on progress so far and what to look out for over the rest of the week.
In the latest daily update on the COP26 meetings in Glasgow, Ian Welsh reports from the three-day Global Landscapes Forum, where he was joined by the Hon Gary Juffa, governor of Oro province in Papua New Guinea, and Tony Simons, executive director of CIFOR-ICRAF, the body formed by the merger of the Centre for International Forestry Research and the World Agroforestry Centre. They talk about a new initiative supported by the national and local governments in Oro province showcasing the importance of nature-based solutions, preserving biodiversity while helping indigenous communities realise the value of their landscape.
Plus: news of what to look for as the COP negotiations move into the second week, and a significant announcement from the Consumer Goods Forum’s Forest Positive Coalition of Action.
In the latest daily update from Ian Welsh on the COP26 meetings in Glasgow, news from energy day as 190 countries and organisations pledge to quit coal – though the US, China, India and Australia continue to drag their heels. And, how national declarations have now shifted the world to a 1.8C pathway (and improving).
With insight and comment from corporate sustainability expert and veteran COPwatcher Mike Barry, and Una Kent, vice-president for CSR International at WallgreeensBootsAlliance and a native of Glasgow.
The key environmental issues related to climate change are clear. But what about the human side? How well does business understand the human implications, and what are the challenges and opportunities they can act upon?
In this webinar session, a panel of expert speakers from business, NGOs, academia, and public health explore the relevant issues for business. They discuss what companies are doing today and where the agenda will head post COP26. The session highlights how business needs to now respond positively, and more substantively, to the climate crisis health agenda.
- Dr Richard Smith, chair, UK Health Alliance on Climate Change
- Dr Aaron Bernstein, interim director, the centre for climate, health and the global environment at the Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health
- Suzy Parker, commercial leader, global sustainability, GSK Consumer Health
- Marc Donovan, chief pharmacist, Boots UK
Moderator: Toby Webb, Innovation Forum
Scott Steedman, director general, standards, at BSI, explains to Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh why engaging on the climate crisis should be a focus of business standards and how the recent London declaration commitment to embed climate science in all standards is an important development. They talk about how the ambitions of the declaration will play out on a practical level as all business sectors decarbonise.
The latest daily podcast on the events at the COP26 meeting in Glasgow with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh. On finance day, UK chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak announced that London will become the first financial centre that’s “net zero aligned” and that big UK companies will be mandated to set out their own plans for net zero emissions. Janet Yellen, US treasury secretary, quadrupled commitments for climate finance to $11bn a year. And, news that the world is now on a pathway to keep warming to under 2C. Today’s guest is Sarah Rogerson, corporate performance manager at Global Canopy, who helps analyse the implications of the big deforestation commitments and how the momentum can be captured and maintained.
In the latest daily podcast covering the COP26 meetings in Glasgow, Ian Welsh speaks to Mighty Earth founder and CEO Glenn Hurowitz. They react to the leaders’ declaration on forests and land use committing 110 countries to eliminate deforestation by 2030, the first big announcement of the conference – and Hurowitz gives some detail on a new pledge from UK and European supermarket chains not to source meat or dairy linked to deforestation.
In the news round up, detail of the 80-nation pledge to cut methane emissions by 30% this decade. Plus, Colombia’s 30% for nature in 2022 commitment, international collaboration on clean tech standards and policies, and China called out for lack of presence at the meetings, once again.
The first daily podcast covering the COP26 meetings in Glasgow, with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh. All the news from the opening day as delegates struggled with train delays and venue queues, and including reflection on the opening comments from David Attenborough, Boris Johnston, Joe Biden and Narendra Modi’s 2070 net zero pledge for India. Plus insight from climate journalist Mike Scott on what to look out for over the coming days.
This week: Local managers and community leaders explain how a REDD+ project in Kenya is preserving 200,000 hectares of forest and benefitting 120,000 local people. Plus, insight from Apparel Insider’s Brett Mathews about how the new EU product environmental footprint label will impact the apparel sector, and why some brands need to take care about their marketing using sustainability messaging. And, Innovation Forum’s Narni Brooke-Adil gives an update on the upcoming sustainable landscapes and commodities conference at the end of November.
In the news digest: in the run up to COP26, explanation how we get to $100bn+ climate finance for the developing world; Australia and Saudi Arabia lay out their net zero plans; and, the climate impacts of plastic production.
Host: Ian Welsh
For the complete audio of the REDD+ project webinar, click here.
Stephen Donofrio, director of Forest Trends’ Ecosystem Marketplace project, and co-author of the State of the Voluntary Carbon Markets 2021 report, explains to Ian Welsh why the carbon markets are set to exceed $1bn in 2021. He says why he thinks they will continue to grow as companies voluntarily take action to decarbonise their operations and broader impacts as far as they can, using credible offsets to account for what’s left.
Cassandra Austen, senior economist at Vivid Economics, Joe Robertson, senior advisor for sustainable finance at EAT, and member of the secretariat of the Good Food Finance Network, and Nicolas Ambanya, chief production officer, Twiga Foods, talk with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about a new report – Regenerative Agriculture: An opportunity for businesses and society to restore degraded land in Africa.
They talk about the crucial role of regenerative agriculture in land restoration, developing food supply chain resilience and increasing food security. Regen agri practices increase crop productivity, enhance soil fertility, improve water retention, and create other ecosystem services, generating extensive economic, mitigation, adaptation and social benefits. Pilot projects show that eventual 68% to 300% crop yield increases are possible. The report finds that regenerative practices in Africa could be adding more than $15bn in gross value added per year by 2030, increasing up to $70bn by 2040 (one fifth of the current agricultural GDP of sub-Saharan Africa).
Download the new report here.
This week: Peter Williams, president of the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction talks about the work of the institute in the rural communities of southeast Asia and Africa, some of the factors that are necessary points of focus for effective development projects, and the IIRR’s climate smart village model.
Plus: Una Kent, vice-president CSR international, at WallgreenBootsAlliance on her thoughts about the key points from a half-day conference on climate change and human health co-hosted by WBA and Innovation Forum.
And, COP26 momentum builds despite Russia and China apparent no-shows; UN biodiversity COP pledges net-positive impacts; Credit Suisse fined for Mozambique tuna sector corruption; and La Isla Network’s work on potential climate change impacts on agriculture commodity supply chains worker health gaining traction, in the news roundup.
Host: Ian Welsh
Musim Mas director of sustainable supply chain Oliver Tichit tells Ian Welsh that he wants to see progress towards more collaboration, better financing, climate resilience in agriculture and better use of renewable energy in a rural setting as outcomes from COP26. Also on his wish list for palm oil smallholders is financial inclusion so that the banking sector adapts its approach making it relevant for grower communities and helping them develop more resilience, not least to tackle climate change.
Musim Mas was a sponsor of Innovation Forum’s future of food conference series.
Textile Exchange’s La Rhea Pepper, Claire Bergkamp and Megan Stoneburner talk with Toby Webb about the challenges for the apparel sector in growing recycling of polyester – still the most used fibre in the industry.
Mechanical recycling of PET plastic bottles to make polyester fibres is relatively straightforward. More difficult is scaling up the chemical recycling processes that could allow for mixed fibre garments to reprocessed into virgin fibres.
Scott Steedman, director general standards at BSI, outlines the background to the new London declaration commitment to embed climate science in all standards. He explains how standards – designed to be bodies of knowledge on what best business practice looks like – can assess carbon footprints, environmental impacts and all the climate change challenges that must be front and centre as the world economy decarbonises.
Plus: some reporting from this week’s future for plastics conference, picking up on some of the emerging themes from the event’s sessions and networking. There was a lot of positivity around the collaboration potential, but equally sober realism at the challenges involved in tackling plastic pollution, and developing the waste collection infrastructure systems, that can then lead to reuse and recycling at scale.
And: detail about what’s coming up on 20th October at free-to-attend half-day workshop on how business can empower, educate and build community resilience on climate change and human health. Event participants WBA’s Una Kent and Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb highlight how the discussion will focus on where the role of the private sector can make a real difference. Click here for full details and to register.
Host: Ian Welsh
Alan Kroeger, head of supply chains and natural climate solutions at Satelligence, and Ian Welsh talk about the open dialogue that can lead to the cooperation required for companies to tackle their emissions at pace and scale.
Kroeger argues for better incentives for companies to act quickly – government and multilateral finance can help growers deliver so their buyer clients can themselves meet targets. They discuss the role of radical solutions such as scaling carbon credits using remote sensing data to leverage funding for forest communities worldwide.
Satelligence was a sponsor of Innovation Forum's future of food conference series.
This week: Stephen Donofrio, co-author of the new State of the Voluntary Carbon Markets 2021 report, and director of Forest Trends’ Ecosystem Marketplace project, talks about why the voluntary carbon markets are set to top $1bn in 2021, and the drivers for this. Primarily these are corporate awareness of emissions and desire to set in place how to achieve a net zero footprint. Donofrio also argues that it is a “myth” that businesses are engaging in offsetting without decarbonising operations and supply chains concurrently.
Plus: Mars, McDonald’s and Marks & Spencer announce new and challenging decarbonising targets; why palm oil buyers may have inadvertent timber deforestation risks, says Aidenvironment; and, embedded sustainability management practices leads to better overall company performance, according to Accenture and the World Economic Forum, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
With discussion on how companies can build a market-driven solution to finance forest and wildlife conservation, benefit local communities and meet SDGs, this webinar was broadcast live from the Wildlife Works Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project in Kenya.
The project protects over 200,000 hectares of dryland forest, an important ecosystem with rich biodiversity. Located between the Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks, the region serves as a vital corridor for more than 300 species of wildlife, including 2,000 wild elephants.
The emerging marketplace for REDD+ carbon offsets provides funds for the project to support social programmes that impact around 120,000 local people. Long-term jobs for local communities have replaced unsustainable and destructive sources of income such as poaching, subsistence agriculture and illegal tree harvesting.
In 2011, the project was successfully validated and verified under the Verified Carbon Standard and the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standard. It was then the world's first REDD+ project to receive issuance of carbon credits and also the first Verified Carbon Standard REDD+ mega-project, in that it will result in the avoidance of over 1.5m tonnes of emissions per year for 30 years.
Joining live from the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ project were:
- Lenjo Mwandoe, community relations manager
- George Thumbi, agribusiness and forestry manager
- Seraphine Charo, carbon committee representative
- Mercy Ngaruiya, founder of an environmental women’s group
- Eric Sagwe, head ranger
Host and moderator: Ian Welsh, Innovation Forum
This week: Oliver Hurrey, founder of the scope 3 peer group and the sustainable procurement pledge, and Ian Welsh discuss some of the talking points from Innovation Forum’s climate action conference. While tackling the climate crisis is clearly daunting, there is a sense of urgency and positivity, with business beginning to get to grips with tough scope 3 emissions. And big brands are increasingly requiring their suppliers to have clear decarbonising plans in place – getting to net zero is going to be a necessary license to trade.
Plus: all the latest about the upcoming future of plastic event from Innovation Forum’s Natasha Bodnar.
Xavier Roussel, sustainability and marketing director at Dole Foods, and Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb discuss how augmented reality experiences from QR codes and other technology solutions can help brands use sustainability messages to market products. Roussel explains how the next steps will involve providing consumers information to calculate carbon footprints – many customers are now engaged with the full story behind the products they buy.
Avedis Seferian, CEO of global social compliance non-profit WRAP, talks with Peter Stanbury, co-author of Innovation Forum’s new Sustainable Apparel Barometer 2021, about the report’s key themes. Among their discussion points: the pros and cons of second versus third party auditing; the explosion in the number of audit standards and the subsequent challenges of compliance for factories; the on-going need to accept that there is no one-size-fits all solution; and, why some brands still need to think about actually achieving social compliance rather than being seen to do it.
WRAP was a research partner for the Sustainable Apparel Barometer.
This week: Oliver Tichit, director of sustainable supply chain at Musim Mas, talks about what he wants to see from the COP26 meetings, and the challenges of translating outcomes from government level meetings to on-the-ground challenges. He also discusses how the pandemic has highlighted resilience in the palm oil industry, and some solutions that can help smallholder farmers gain access to mainstream sources of finance – a long term problem for a sector characterised by having growers in remote places.
Plus, Innovation Forum’s Hanna Halmari outlines some highlights from the upcoming climate action conference.
And: PepsiCo’s new sustainability framework; Carbon Tracker and Climate Accounting Project report says top corporate emitters are not fully disclosing risks; and, Gambia is the only country on track for 1.5C according to Climate Action Tracker, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Sign up here for the free carbon solutions webinar, live from Kenya’s Kasigau Corridor REDD+ project on 30th September at 2pm UK/9am ET.
Paloma López and Sean Ansett, co-founders of Future Fit Foods talk with Toby Webb about their vision for convenience foods that are healthy and efficient to transport. They discuss the benefits of using the latest freeze-drying techniques that preserve flavour and retain nutrients – and mean that the cost and footprints of transporting the water to consumers are eliminated.
Jodie Roussell, senior public affairs manager for packaging and sustainability at Nestlé, talks with Ian Welsh about evolution in use of plastics in packaging, shifting to different materials, and the growth of reuse and refill models. They discuss how these change shopping habits and, crucially, the importance of addressing consumer concerns over packaging performance.
This week: Alan Kroeger, head of supply chains and natural climate solutions at Satelligence, talks about eliminating emissions from forest commodity supply chains, the role of nature-based solutions in achieving this, and how companies can navigate their way through the challenges using the right data. And, RSPO’s Victor Tamanjong discusses the state of play for sustainable palm oil in Africa.
Plus: European Union pledges another €8bn for developing world climate action; new air carbon capture and storage plant opens in Iceland; and, the rapid growth of the voluntary carbon markets in new report from Ecosystem Marketplace, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
The Carbon Trust’s director for implementation and e-mobility Myles McCarthy talks with Ian Welsh about some of the positive solutions emerging that can deliver decarbonisation at the rate necessary. They discuss some of the detail to look for from the outcomes of the COP26 meetings, how companies are becoming more sophisticated in how they are working to cut their emissions across scopes 1, 2 and 3, and the positive impact of science based targets.
The Carbon Trust was a sponsor of Innovation Forum's future of climate action conference.
Launching the Sustainable Apparel Barometer 2021, this webinar features discussion of the challenges and opportunities in viscose production, how transparency in the cotton sector is evolving and what needs to be done to drive greater social compliance within apparel supply chains.
An expert panel lay out the findings of the new research and share some common themes and conclusions that can be applied across the apparel sector.
- Don’t “keep it simple”: Avoid broad brush approaches and communicate complexity in an open, honest and credible manner
- Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate: The urgent need for more, better collaboration, especially between the corporate sector and government agencies, and vertically within industry
- Business model transformation: How sustainability can and must be placed at the centre of decision-making
- Towards a stronger sustainability strategy: The key lessons across the three chapters that can be applied to develop stronger sustainability strategies
Panel:
- La Rhea Pepper, CEO, Textile Exchange
- Avedis Seferian, president and CEO, WRAP
- Tara Luckman, sustainable fashion and textiles consultant and advisor to the US Cotton Trust Protocol
- Craig Tribolet, sustainability operations manager, Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings Limited (APRIL)
Host: Dr Peter Stanbury, senior associate, Innovation Forum
The Sustainable Apparel Barometer was formed thanks to the support of Textile Exchange, WRAP, US Cotton Trust Protocol and APRIL.
This week: Xavier Roussel, sustainability and marketing director at Dole Foods, talks with Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb about how technology is changing how brands can engage with their consumers. Virtual reality and interactivity are to the fore as consumers become better informed, and increasingly expect to know where products come from and how they’re grown.
Plus an update about the upcoming sustainable commodities and landscapes conference. And, many COP26 delegates yet to get their UK government covid-19 vaccinations; palm oil’s stranded assets; Europe’s banks too slow on decarbonising, says ShareAction; and, Mondelez International’s new €2bn green bond, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Jason Glaser, co-founder and CEO of La Isla Network talks with Ian Welsh about the real dangers for outdoor workers, including in agricultural supply chains, from increased heat stress while in the field or on construction sites. They discuss the potential impacts of climate change and how these risks are spreading to previously temperate latitudes. Glaser argues why companies must take this seriously, not least because of the reputational risks around “sleepwalking into a scandal” allowing workers producing basic commodities to come to harm.
This week: La Rhea Pepper, Claire Bergkamp and Morgan Stoneburner from Textile Exchange talk with Toby Webb about developing more sustainable polyester for the apparel sector, the rise of chemical recycling and other transitions in infrastructure necessary to grow the market for recycled material at scale.
And, news about the launch of Innovation Forum’s Sustainable Apparel Barometer 2021 and some of the report’s conclusions.
Plus: why net zero might not be enough for 1.5C pathway says Climate Crisis Advisory Group; Singapore-listed companies climate disclosure mandates; WWF and others call for new UK supply chain deforestation rules to be tightened; and, up to 50% of the world’s tree species under threat according to State of the World’s Trees report from Botanic Gardens Conservation International, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Click here to sign up to the free Sustainable Apparel Barometer webinar on Thursday 9th September at 1pm UK time.
At the recent Innovation Forum Future of Food conference, Nicko Debenham, vice president and head of sustainability at Barry Callebaut, and Taco Terheijden, director, cocoa sustainability at Cargill and talked about supply chain traceability and use of data with Toby Webb.
They discussed the importance of getting quality data about smallholder farmers without disrupting farm activities, and why it the process is frequently expensive and labour intensive. And then, ensuring that the data is used effectively is equally important and just as challenging. The discussion includes the merits of data sharing to help alleviate farmer survey fatigue and to enhance sector transparency.
This week: Nestlé’s Jodie Roussell, senior public affairs manager for packaging and sustainability, talks about challenges developing lower-impact packaging and thinking about how to encourage re-use and refill solutions, and the dangers of unintended consequences of simply switching away from using plastic.
Plus, an update from Innovation Forum’s Hanna Halmari about the upcoming climate action conference. And, big US food companies failing to address scope 3 emissions; Swiss mandatory climate reporting rules; Glasgow city venues denied for climate damaging companies at COP26; new CDP water resources tool; and, John Lewis and Waitrose partner on wool, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Daniel Baertschi, food and agriculture sector lead at Quantis, argues the case for developing a whole-system approach to developing food supply that is less impactful. Talking with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh, he points out some practical steps in product diversification and ingredient sourcing that can make a big difference, including thinking more strategically around shortening supply chains and leveraging existing value chain relationships. Part of the solution is thinking about traditional farming practices while using the latest technology to preserve and enhance soil health and improve yields.
Quantis was a sponsor of Innovation Forum’s recent Future of Food conference series.
This week: Myles McCarthy, director for implementation and e-mobility at the Carbon Trust, talks about the big climate challenges for business in the run-up to COP26. He argues that while there are some big step-change targets being set across industries, the challenge now is in making the progress necessary at scale and pace, and developing the technology and models that will be required.
And, Toby Webb and Peter Stanbury discuss the next steps in Innovation Forum’s action research project into smallholder farmer resilience.
Plus: implications of IPCC’s latest report; New York pension fund reviewing fossil fuel assets; Lidl UK to be carbon neutral by 2022; Barry Callebout, Nestlé and Proforest develop sustainable coconut supply chain scorecard; and, new apparel transparency pilot involving Next, New Look and H+M Group, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
For an extended conversation between Toby Webb and Peter Stanbury on Innovation Forum’s smallholder resilience research, click here.
Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb and Peter Stanbury talk about why entire value chains have to be sustainable and that a narrow focus just on smallholder farmers in isolation is not the best approach. They discuss some of the factors that encourage more resilient rural development and farm income encompassing market forces – including a necessary move from just a “don’t cut down the forest” conversation to one encompassing ecosystem services and carbon sequestration, for example.
The Innovation Accelerator: Building resilient smallholder supply chains report can be downloaded here.
Epidemiologist Jason Glaser, CEO of La Isla Network, talks about the risks for any company with commodity supply chains around high temperatures and agricultural worker health. While these have been researched in tropical regions for some time, climate change impacts mean that agricultural workers in more temperate zones are now at risk. There are some simple strategies to follow – but, as Glazer argues, significant collaboration is necessary, now.
And, forests expert Simon Lord and Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb debate some of the challenges around reforestation and forest restoration.
Host: Ian Welsh
Eunice Oduro, project manager at anti-poverty NGO CARE, and Samuel Apana, Cargill’s cocoa sustainability lead in Ghana, talk with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about the long-term collaboration project between Cargill and CARE to improve the livelihoods of smallholder cocoa farmers in west Africa. Among the issues the collaboration has targeted include increasing yields and farm incomes, empowering women farmers and encouraging younger farmers to stay in the sector, and people-centred community action plans.
For more information on the Decade of Impact in Cocoa Communities report click here
Samuel Avaala, general manager of Benso Oil Palm Plantation in Ghana, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about how the business uses the Accountability Framework to help engage non-certified suppliers so they align with BOPP’s no deforestation, no damaging of peat lands and no exploitation commitments. They talk about how the framework can be complementary to membership of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil’s certification scheme.
This is latest in a series of content supported by the Accountability Framework initiative. The Accountability Framework – set up by a coalition of 24 members to accelerate progress and improve accountability for ethical supply chains in agriculture and forestry – has recently passed the second anniversary of its launch. A number of the coalition members have recognised the achievements of the past two years – click here for more information.
This week: Daniel Baertschi, food and agriculture sector lead at Quantis, discusses how making the right choices for food companies – thinking about regenerative agriculture practices and a strong focus on soil health – can make significant impacts on reducing carbon emissions. While urgent action is required right now, the necessary changes to food production processes may take, he argues, a generation to become a reality.
Plus: growing spat over detail of EU climate plan; Science Based Targets initiative fully shifts to 1.5C trajectory; FSC drops Indonesian palm oil’s Korindo; and, Greenland cancels all oil and gas sector development, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
At Innovation Form’s recent Future of Food conference, Erin Priddle, northern Europe regional director at the Marine Stewardship Council, Tracy Cambridge, responsible sourcing director for Europe at Thai Union, Mark Zimring, director, large scale fisheries programme at The Nature Conservancy and Dave Robb, SeaFurther sustainability programme lead at Cargill, discuss with Ian Welsh how the seafood sector should respond to growing market concerns about the impact of climate change, overfishing and biodiversity loss.
Among the discussion they consider how fishing quotas and fishing management plans should be set in the face of shifting wild fish stocks and increasing demands from consumers. They also talk about the role of aquaculture and of certification.
This week: Taco Terheijden, director, cocoa sustainability at Cargill, and Nicko Debenham, vice president and head of sustainability at Barry Callebaut, talk with Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb about how companies can have positive impacts in supply chains through enhancing traceability and the data necessary to achieve this. The discussion, focusing on the cocoa sector, was recorded at the recent Innovation Forum Future of Food conference.
Plus: UN Convention on Biological Diversity’s Paris-style goals; insurance sector’s new net zero alignment; independent governance body to be established for voluntary carbon markets; and, the US gets tougher on companies with China forced labour risks, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
At the recent future for climate action conference, Marie-Pierre Bousquet Lecomte, science-based targets implementation director at Danone, Robert Horster, global sustainability lead for agricultural supply chains and food ingredients at Cargill, Conor McMahon, climate delivery manager at Nestlé, and Joshua Tosteson, president, Everland, joined Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb to talk about how to implement natural climate solutions. While many of these have been around for a while, their alignment within climate change strategy, combined with better collaboration and focus is now where best practice is.
Felicitas Weber from the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about some of the key conclusions from the recently-published latest Know the Chain benchmark into the forced labour risks in big apparel sector companies and investors.
The good news is that all the companies benchmarked have improved their performance at least a little. The less good is that there remains generally a significant difference between what companies say they should be doing compared with what they are doing in practice – with luxury brands not typically performing well.
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This week: Samuel Avaala from Benso Oil Palm Plantation in Ghana, talks about how to work with suppliers to improve traceability and transparency from non-certified sources, to tackle deforestation and ensure sustainable supply. The discussion includes how initiatives and tools, including the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and the Accountability Framework help, and the need for careful alignment of farmer incentives so the entire value chain benefits.
Plus: new food eco labelling scheme, backed by Nestlé, Tyson Foods, Sainsbury’s and others, to cover all environmental impacts; southeast Asian working group on standards for corporate communications on sustainability; and, PepsiCo backing PET bottles with unlimited recyclability, in the news round up.
Host: Ian Welsh
Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb talks with Sir Ian Boyd, professor of biology at the University of St Andrews, and former chief scientific adviser to the UK government on food, environment and rural affairs. They discuss why food production is one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise and the massive challenges around resource inefficiencies, and why techniques like controlled system farming might become essential to unlock food sector efficiency. And they debate the pros and cons of regenerative agriculture.
Please note: this interview was recorded in late May.
This week: Eunice Oduro, project manager at anti-poverty NGO CARE in Ghana and Samuel Apana, Cargill’s cocoa sustainability lead in Ghana, talk about their long-term partnership that has helped secure the sector’s long term future, building farm resilience and empowering rural communities.
Plus: Target’s new targets; University of Cambridge’s plastic polymer from soy proteins; International Monetary Fund calls for $75 carbon price; and Lego bricks from recycled plastic bottles, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
At Innovation Forum’s recent future for climate action conference, Julia King, Baroness Brown of Cambridge, chair of the Carbon Trust, and chair of the adaptation sub-committee of the UK’s Committee on Climate Change – the statutory non-departmental body set up to advise the United Kingdom and the devolved UK governments and parliaments on tackling and preparing for climate change – speaks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh. Their wide-ranging discussion includes prospects for the upcoming COP26 meeting in Glasgow, the urgent need for business to adapt to climate change and the possible implications for public policy around corporate greenhouse gas emissions.
In 2010, Nestlé made a commitment to end deforestation in its supply chain. In this webinar, join Nestlé's forest and sustainable sourcing leaders along with additional experts who will discuss what is needed to achieve a ‘forest positive’ future. They will consider how land rights intersect with conservation; the role satellite monitoring can play in combatting deforestation; and, how we can go beyond fighting deforestation to support active reforestation where it's needed most.
Panellists:
- Emily Kunen, climate delivery leader for forests, Nestlé
- Bastien Sachet, executive director, Earthworm Foundation
- Benjamin Ware, head of sustainable sourcing and climate delivery, Nestlé
- Andy White, coordinator, Rights and Resources Initiative
- Fabiola Zerbini, regional director for Latin America, Tropical Forest Alliance
Moderator: Toby Webb, founder, Innovation Forum
This webinar was supported by Nestlé.
This week: Expert insight from Cargill’s Dave Robb, Thai Union’s Tracy Cambridge, the Marine Stewardship Council’s Erin Priddle and the Nature Conservancy’s Mark Zimring on how the seafood sector should respond to market concerns on climate change and shifting fish stocks, and the role of business in managing these effectively.
And the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre’s Felicitas Weber discusses the key findings in the latest Know the Chain benchmark research into big apparel sector companies and the forced labour risks in their supply chains.
Host: Ian Welsh
Pina Gervassi, FSC’s climate director, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about the benefits from transparency in forest-based raw material supply chains, and the innovation in newly certified sectors including rubber and bamboo. They discuss the credibility that can come with certification and how growers can develop value from ecosystem services by moving from thinking about performance to impact.
FSC was a sponsor of the recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference.
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Danone’s Marie-Pierre Bousquet Lecomte, Nestlé’s Conor McMahon, Cargill’s Robert Horster, and Everland’s Joshua Tosteson join Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb to discuss how to implement natural climate solutions that deliver large scale greenhouse gas reduction. The panel talks about why such solutions are featuring ever-more prominently at the forefront of corporate commitments and strategy.
Plus: investors worth $41tn demand greater government effort on climate change via the Investor Agenda; Global Witness links Chinese banks with deforestation; US egg farmers embracing regenerative agriculture; and Waitrose ups recycled plastic in packaging, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Patricia Quijandría, director for the tropical Andes at Rainforest Alliance is joined by project partners Camila Olmedo, from agriculture commodities trader Ecom, and Jose Carlos Apaéstegui from finance provider Norandino to discuss with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh a LandScale programme pilot project in Lamas Province, northern Peru. They discuss the challenges aligning stakeholder expectations and targets, and how taking a landscape approach can help provide solutions.
This podcast is supported by LandScale.
Eduardo Rojas-Briales, forestry professor at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, and a board member of PEFC, talks with Ian Welsh about the potential for the forestry sector providing sustainable fibre for the apparel sector and others. They also debate the role of properly managed forests in biodiversity preservation and tackling climate change.
PEFC was a sponsor of Innovation Forum’s recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference.
This week: Sir Ian Boyd, professor of biology at the University of St Andrews, talks with Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb. Their discussion includes the potential impacts of COP26 on agriculture and food supply systems, and why the food sector needs to become between five and 10 times more efficient.
Plus: brand and retailer coalition calls for stronger EU anti-deforestation regulation; consumer concern on climate and biodiversity increasing, says Economist Intelligence Unit and WWF report; Pirelli launch FSC-certified tyres; paper-based bottles from Absolut, Carlsberg and Diageo; the rise of green steel; and, ExxonMobil and Chevron mugged by shareholder activists, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Please note that Innovation Forum’s future of food event, referred to in the podcast, is from 15th-17th June. Click here for details.
This week: Julia King, Baroness Brown of Cambridge, chair of the Carbon Trust and from the UK’s Committee on Climate Change, talks about what business should hope for from COP26. Strong policy measures are necessary for the acceleration to net zero, but companies need to be ready to adapt to changes that will come even within a 1.5C pathway. Baroness Brown was speaking at Innovation Forum’s Future of Climate Action conference.
Plus: Pina Gervassi, FSC’s climate director, discusses how visibility and transparency in supply chains can deliver on climate and deforestation targets. She gives insight into how rubber suppliers, for the apparel sector and others, are working hard to lower impacts. And she outlines how businesses – for example in the wine sector – can access value from ecosystem services.
Host: Ian Welsh
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At Innovation Forum’s recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference, Textile Exchange COO Claire Bergkamp talked with Ian Welsh about what she hopes will be the positive impacts from the upcoming COP26 meeting for the apparel sector. They talk about some of the key potential policy changes that might emerge and what business leaders should be doing to prepare for them.
Textile Exchange was a sponsor of the sustainable apparel and textiles event.
Antje Fehling, brand services manager for Europe at Bluesign talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about the difficulties in data alignment in apparel sector supply chains. Their discission includes insight into how brands can work towards minimising social and environmental risks, identifying knowledge gaps, and the importance of engaging with suppliers as long-term partners.
Bluesign was a sponsor of Innovation Forum's recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference.
To reach net zero by 2050, companies must deliver on tough scope 3 climate targets through innovation, circular systems and natural climate solutions. This webinar explores what this means in practice within the food industry. We delve into the role that natural climate solutions play in company climate strategies to 2050, exploring the challenges and opportunities of such intervention in companies’ supply chains.
Our panel considers the barriers to implementing NCS in company supply chains, including unclear accounting rules, lack of strong incentives and the need for a shift in mindset, as well as potential solutions. They also examine the internal and external incentives needed for companies to embrace NCS approaches in the landscapes they source from, and analyse current natural landscape conservation and restoration projects and how they’re chosen given the scale for action needed today.
Panel:
- Emily Kunen, climate delivery leader, forests, Nestlé
- Jon Dettling, global director – services and innovation, Quantis
- Gary Paoli, co-founder, Lestari Capital
Hosted by Toby Webb, Innovation Forum
This webinar is supported by Nestlé. For more info about Nestlé’s forest positive strategy, click here
Steven Bethell, founder of Bank & Vogue and Beyond Retro, talks with Ian Welsh about the massive potential for what can happen to all the apparel items that are donated to charities that can’t be re-sold. Bethell outlines how repurposing can maximise the value in what has traditionally been regarded as “waste” and argues the case for “innovative solutions to the crisis of stuff”.
Bank & Vogue was a sponsor of Innovation Forum’s recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference.
This week: Eduardo Rojas-Briales, forestry professor at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, and a board member of PEFC, on the potential for forests to provide sustainable regenerative fibre for the apparel sector at scale, and why this could be a solution to be the microplastics pollution problem.
Plus: International Energy Agency calls for immediate end to fossil fuel development; Shell shareholders revolt backing tougher fossil fuel targets; 94% of Brazilian logging illegal says WWF; big soy companies accused of having deforestation in supply chains; big plastic companies keep growing capacity; and, Lidl’s carbon-neutral cheese, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
To take advantage of the podcast listener discount to attend the Future of Food conference 15th to 17th June, click here and use code SUB20 at the checkout.
Anastasia Volkova, CEO of Regrow, outlines to Ian Welsh the benefits for farmers who can transparently prove to their customers and other stakeholders the changes and innovations they implement, such as regenerative agriculture and other improvements – including accessing carbon markets. For buyers and brands, transparency brings greater certainty while working towards long-term sustainability targets.
Regrow was a sponsor of the recent Future of Food USA conference.
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This week: Representatives from Rainforest Alliance, agriculture commodities trader Ecom and finance provider Norandino discuss the implementation of a LandScale programme pilot in a coffee and cocoa growing region in Lamas Province, northern Peru. They talk about how to establish landscape-level targets, assessments and incentives, tackle deforestation, and build more resilient ecosystems and long-term farm incomes.
Plus: serious tea sector impacts from climate change says Christian Aid; Shell and ExxonMobil back €2bn Netherlands carbon capture project; McDonald’s antibiotic use disclosure; how Nestlé gets milk from peas; and, electric vehicles to be cheaper than combustion-based this decade, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
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The Genetic Literacy Project’s Jon Entine and Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb talk about why gene editing has yet to make significant impact in the agriculture sector. Entine explains how gene editing mimics what happens in nature, enhancing qualities and eliminating problems. They discuss the differences between gene editing and genetic modification, and why the former should not be bundled together with the latter as regulators and brands catch up with the potential of science.
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This week: Antje Fehling from Bluesign on some techniques that help apparel companies really get to know their supply chain – and why it’s unavoidable that this necessary process requires significant effort. And, Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb and forests expert Simon Lord talk about some of the unintended consequences of simply just planting trees to counter deforestation. As they explain, it’s a lot more complicated than that.
Plus, in the news roundup: French and German climate change targets revealed; the UK’s Co-op slashes prices of plant-based meat alternatives; supermarket chains threaten to stop buying from Brazil; and, could legacy coffee variety be a climate-change proof supply solution?
Host: Ian Welsh
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Jim Gawron, manager in the Ford commercial vehicle team, talks with Ian Welsh about how electrification of corporate fleets can be taken to scale – tackling corporate scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions in the process. Gawron outlines why the commercial vehicle sector in particular is one where electric vans and trucks can be very competitive when compared with combustion-based alternatives, taking entire vehicle life costs into consideration. They also talk about the public policy changes and the right incentives that can help.
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This week: Textile Exchange’s COO Claire Bergkamp on how to prepare for this year’s COP26 meeting, the outcomes that are likely, and her hopes for the apparel sector. Plus Steven Bethell, co-founder of Bank & Vogue and Beyond Retro, on the huge resource potential in post-consumer textiles. In parallel with maximising resale and upcycling, he outlines how chemical recycling techniques and better data analysis of fabrics, can lead to fibre-to-fibre recycling at scale.
Host: Ian Welsh
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National Wildlife Federation’s Simon Hall, senior manager for tropical forests and agriculture, talks with Ian Welsh about what the route to getting to grips with deforestation risks can look like. The first step is to get away the reactionary crisis management approach and, rather, take a more mature approach with a supplier engagement programme that includes thoughtful incentives to drive behaviour change.
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Innovation Forum’s “Innovation Accelerator” action research programme recently published ground-breaking research on how companies can enable smallholder development beyond siloed purchasing and initiatives.
Through 80+ interviews with those on the front lines of smallholder engagement, we uncovered opportunities for sourcing companies to link directly with smallholders growing a variety of crops.
Many of these, beyond those sold as commodities, can help lift communities out of poverty if market access can be enabled. This is linked with the increasing interest in “decommoditisation” and how that can deliver the transparency needed in supply chains.
Using a sustainable commodities marketplace approach, the discussions in this 60-minute webinar focus on how buyers can increase broad based economic development in supplier countries by sourcing multiple crops and collaborating on sourcing opportunities for smallholder communities.
Speakers:
- Goetz Martin, head of sustainability implementation, Golden Agri-Resources
- Alison Ward, CEO, CottonConnect
- Ruth Thomas, director, Global Agribusiness Action on Equitable Livelihoods (GAA-EL)
- Silke Peters, team leader, sustainable agricultural supply chains initiative, GIZ
- Lea Rankinen, director, sustainability and public affairs, Paulig Group
- Dr Peter Stanbury, senior associate, Innovation Forum
Moderated by: Toby Webb, founder, Innovation Forum
For the recent report, see here: https://www.innovationforum.co.uk/research/innovation-accelerator
And for a summary article and podcast see here: http://sustainablesmartbusiness.com/smallholder-supply-chains-how-to-make-sustainability-sustainable/
This week: Anastasia Volkova, CEO of Regrow, talks about the challenges for producers to be able to demonstrate implementation of regenerative agricultural practices, and other improvements, to the rest of the value chain, and why this will increase in importance as carbon markets develop.
Plus: US to cut emissions by 50% this decade, UK to cut 78% by 2035; Land O’Lakes, McDonald’s, General Mills and Cargill getting in on carbon markets; and PepsiCo to roll out regenerative agriculture techniques over 7m acres, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
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Five years on from the Behind the Brands campaign, Oxfam America’s Matt Hamilton talks with Ian Welsh about progress in the food and beverage sector. They talk about the contrasts between the stretching targets companies set at the top and the difficulties implementing those at the local level. Their discussion includes land rights, climate change, the locations where companies are doing well and less well, and the move from reactivity to proactivity.
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Cargill’s sustainability director for animal nutrition and health, Heather Tansey, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about how methane emissions from cattle can be mitigated and controlled. There are a number of techniques that can help, including rumen modifiers added to cattle diets that significantly reduce the methane – a highly potent greenhouse gas – that cattle belch while eating.
Cargill is a sponsor of Innovation Forum’s Future of Food conference series.
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This week: To eliminate emissions in operations – and to tackle scope 3 supply chain emissions – widespread electrification of corporate fleets is pretty much essential. Jim Gawron, from Ford’s electric commercial vehicles team, talks about the potential for the new products coming to the market. Companies think in terms of total cost of ownership – and electric trucks and vans have low on-going costs over entire vehicle life. He argues that the route map to full electrification requires progress on enabling vehicle supply, significantly more charging facilities, public education about the practicalities of electric vehicles and appropriate public policy incentives.
Plus: Unilever, Microsoft and Walmart CEOs among the 300 backing Biden’s new environmental commitment; New Zealand to make the finance sector report on climate risks; as little as 3% of land has healthy biodiversity; and, Nike’s new sneaker take-back and refurbish scheme, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Gotz Martin from Golden Agri-Resources catches up with Ian Welsh about some of the big palm oil sector's challenges and reflects on the findings from the recent Innovation Forum led research into smallholder farmers.
Martin argues that smallholder farming remains stuck in a poverty trap because demands for low costs at buyer companies are not sufficiently linked to sustainability targets, and they discuss some of the funding models and new market models that can help.
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This week: Simon Hall, senior manager for tropical forests and agriculture at the National Wildlife Federation, discusses why the best approach to company deforestation risks have evolved from dealing with immediate reputation crises into a more thoughtful and strategic approach. There’s a need to think about units of production, traceability through supply chains, reporting and providing information, and verification of the process.
Plus: tree loss up 12% in 2020 says Global Forest Watch; carbon offsets review at the Nature Conservancy; and, H+M launches new Innovation Stories series, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
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Jon Entine, who leads the Genetic Literacy Project, a science communication non-profit, joins Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb to discuss chemicals and science in agriculture. Their robust discussion covers topics such as glyphosate, copper sulphate, gene editing and the science and impacts of both synthetic and organic chemicals in food and wine.
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This week: Oxfam America’s Matt Hamilton discusses the conclusions from the new Shining a Spotlight report into progress on commitments and implementation at the world’s biggest food and beverages brands. This looks into progress over the five years since Oxfam’s Behind the Brands campaign that focused attention on brand supply chain impacts on climate change, and environmental and social issues more generally. While brands have set stretching global goals, making progress on-the-ground is where the real challenges remain.
Plus: 20% of big business now committed to net zero; why climate change will impact national credit ratings; Tesco’s climate manifesto; and, peak meat in 2025, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
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In the first of an occasional podcast series, sustainability expert Simon Lord and Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb talk about some of the challenges around reforestation and forest restoration. They discuss why it’s often simpler to just plant more trees rather than try to restore degraded forest – but that just planting without proper planning can lead to monoculture and will not recreate biodiversity and soil fertility.
Some useful links:
The challenges of forest restoration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-0iE4vICCc
https://www.dw.com/en/when-planting-trees-does-more-harm-than-good/a-56940591
https://theconversation.com/regrowing-a-tropical-forest-is-it-better-to-plant-trees-or-leave-it-to-nature-156777
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-03-08/a-tree-planting-program-in-mexico-may-encourage-deforestation
Jeff Tkach, chief impact officer at the Rodale Institute, and Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb talk about how regenerative apparel should be defined, and what can be learnt from the innovation in regenerative agriculture more broadly. They also debate why regenerative is not reinventing the sustainable apparel wheel or the latest greenwash fad.
This discussion was part of a workshop held by Innovation Forum ahead of the sustainable apparel and textiles conference to be held online on 27th-29th April. Full details here. Delegates have access to the full workshop recording.
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This week: Heather Tansey, sustainability director for animal nutrition and health, talks about the innovations that can tackle methane emissions in dairy and beef cattle. And, Ruth Farrell, textiles marketing director at Eastman Naia talks with Andrés Ortolana, chain of custody manager at FSC Italy about developing sustainable wood fibre supply for the apparel sector.
Host: Ian Welsh
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Reflecting on recent Innovation Forum research, one of the project partners, Silke Peters, team leader in the sustainable agriculture supply chains and standards programme at GIZ, talks with Ian Welsh about some of the solutions that make a difference to smallholder farm incomes. She highlights diversification of crops, with essential access to markets and long term relationships with buyers, as crucial elements in developing real resilience. They also discuss cross commodity solutions more generally.
To download Innovation Forum’s Innovation Accelerator: Building resilient smallholder supply chains report click here.
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Toby Webb speaks with Grant Rosoman, senior forests campaigner at Greenpeace, about the organisation’s new report – Destruction: Certified. The discussion includes reference to Ikea, FSC, RSPO, soy certification, Rainforest Alliance and other schemes.
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Gotz Martin, head of sustainability implementation at Golden Agri-Resources, explains why food systems face a big problem if smallholder farming communities can’t become more resilient and escape endemic poverty traps. He outlines some of the factors necessary to achieve this. While strong palm oil prices can help in the short term, there are clear deforestation risks if the sector as a whole expands to meet demand.
Plus: new Greenpeace report slams forest certification schemes; 8bn drinks containers thrown away in the UK says CPRE; Oxfam research says big food and beverage companies unable to translate effectively global commitments to local level; and, shipping sector aims for $5bn zero emissions research fund, in the news roundup.
Host: Ian Welsh
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Business has lost its purpose, says Prof Andy Hoffman from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, talking with Ian Welsh. He says that, in the face of crises such as climate change and income inequality, a restructure of how companies regard success is now required.
Hoffman argues the case for corporate legacy, meaning and purpose and not just pursuit of profit above all else, and embedding environmental and social issues across business school curricula – not in sustainability siloes.
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Neste’s Lars Börger, Covestro’s Lynette Chung, Unilever’s Marika Lindstrom and Werner Bosmans from the European Commission debate with Toby Webb the developing practical solutions to the challenge of new materials and what they are made from and, specifically, the innovations that they hope to see in 2021. To listen to the full extended discussion, click here.
Plus: why we need a pandemic-level reduction in GHG every two years; $8tn of investment pledged to go net-zero; eBay’s certified refurbished circular economy solution; and, Burger King UK eliminates more single use plastics, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
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In the first of a new quarterly podcast series, Textile Exchange CEO La Rhea Pepper talks with Innovation Forum founder Toby Webb about how organic cotton practices can help transform the sector as a whole. They debate the case for a soils-first approach and how regenerative agriculture can be a real game-changing solution for cotton and for producer communities more broadly.
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This week: Silke Peters from the sustainable agriculture supply chain initiative at GIZ talks about the challenges involved in developing effective multistakeholder collaboration to help smallholder farmers across different commodities. And, in the run up to this year’s conference, another chance to hear how Cargill CEO David MacLennan opened 2020’s Future of Food USA event, in conversation with Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb.
Plus: why Boohoo’s links to forced labour might mean a US import ban; UN assessment highlights need for Paris agreement action; and why deforestation news from Indonesia isn’t that good after all, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
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Alison Ward, CEO of CottonConnect, talks with Ian Welsh about the durability of cotton supply chains and why apparel brands can gain from working directly with producers to really develop transparency. Representing 75% of all cotton farmers, and with the livelihoods of 350 million people at stake, working with smallholders in particular leads to gains for brands and everyone in the value chain. The keys are helping farmers to diversify their crops, and gain access to markets and finance.
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This week: Andy Hoffman, professor at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, on why business has to evolve to embrace sustainability across functions and accept that profit is only one measure of success. Business may be the problem, he argues, but is also clearly the solution.
Plus: H&M and Ikea developing new low impact fibres from forests; Sainsbury’s to take back and recycle plastic films; palm oil’s SE Asian deforestation impact down 58% year on year in 2020 says Chain Reaction Research; and, AB InBev takes up $10.1bn sustainability-linked loan facility, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Jessie Cato, natural resources and human rights programme manager at the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, talks with Ian Welsh about the significant human rights risks that exist in the supply chains of low carbon technology manufacturers.
As demonstrated by the BHRRC’s tracker of companies producing six transition minerals – lithium, cobalt, copper, nickel, zinc and manganese – required for the manufacture of electric vehicles, solar panels and wind turbines, brands in the low-carbon sector need to take care to ensure transparency in their supply chains. A failure to do so could impact the speed at which their customers can reach their net-zero ambitions.
This week: Hear Musim Mas’s Olivier Tichet outline his ‘magic ingredients’ for landscape level solutions for agricultural commodity supply chains: everyone must be involved; all parties must be committed to change; and, there must be acceptance that change takes time.
Plus: new commitments from BNP Paribas on Amazon soy and beef sourcing; a concerning increase in land grabs by the extractive and agriculture sectors from indigenous peoples says the Forest Peoples Programme; PwC says that listed companies out-perform privately-owned firms on sustainability commitments; Maersk’s ‘carbon neutral’ ship by 2023; and Jaguar all-electric by 2025, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Sarah Rogerson and Emma Thomson from Global Canopy talk with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about the conclusions of the latest Forest 500 report. 2020 no-deforestation targets were universally missed, and the new research highlights a lack of deforestation commitments from investors and the finance sector in general, particularly in North America.
Forest 500 also shows that perhaps recent focus on palm oil has led to more commitments in that sector than, for example, soy and other commodity supply chains with significant deforestation risk.
This week: Alison Ward, CEO of CottonConnect, discusses how brand buyers can work with cotton producer communities to access markets and finance, and how to identify and mitigate some of the serious human rights risks in the broader apparel sector.
Plus: Nestlé and Shell plot their routes to net zero emissions; H&M and others working on new circular fashion partnership in Bangladesh; and CDP uncovers $120bn of potential supply chain environmental risks, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
In this extended discussion, hear experts from Neste, Covestro, Unilever and the European Commission talk about scalable, affordable solutions to the sustainable materials challenge. The panel demonstrate progress, debate some difficult questions and highlight what is possible during 2021, a vitally important year, of course, for the climate.
Hear about Neste’s views on scalable, lower-greenhouse-gas-impact innovative materials. And, how Unilever plans to change purchasing policy from fossil-based to circular materials through to 2025. Learn what Covestro is doing to develop scale in production and distribution of lower GHG materials. And hear how the European Commission believes smart policymaking can maximise the upside, and minimise the downside, whilst encouraging innovation, products at scale and sustainable growth.
Panel:
- Lars Börger, vice president brand owner management, Neste
- Lynette Chung, chief sustainability officer, Covestro
- Marika Lindstrom, vice president, procurement – packaging, and beauty and personal care, Unilever
- Werner Bosmans, policy officer – circular economy, European Commission
Hosted by Toby Webb, Innovation Forum
This discussion was supported by Neste.
This week: Jessie Cato from the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre talks about the latest tracker following the forced labour risks in the supply chains of the minerals necessary to transition global energy supply to renewables. Lithium, cobalt, copper, nickel are among the elements required for solar panels, batteries and wind turbines, and have significant supply chain human rights challenges.
Plus: Chatham House and UNEP report says food supply is responsible for 86% extinction risks; WWF’s plan for dairy to get to net zero; PepsiCo joint venture with Beyond Meat; UK renewables supply beat fossil fuels in 2020; and GM to be zero tailpipe emissions by 2035, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
ZSL’s Eleanor Spencer and Ian Welsh talk about the latest SPOTT survey into transparency and strength of corporate commitments on deforestation at the palm oil sector’s top 100 companies. As ever progress across the sector is mixed, with leading companies – particularly suppliers to big consumer-facing brands – continuing to drive best practice, but many others achieving a score of zero across the 180 indicators assessed.
This week: Global Canopy’s Sarah Rogerson and Emma Thomson discuss the latest Forest 500 report, which highlights the lack of deforestation policies at financial institutions and the lack of consistency of approach across commodities for many sourcing companies. They discuss the need for a due diligence approach to deforestation for business, and what the legislation that can help looks like.
Plus: BlackRock letter to CEOs calls for climate action; Ikea’s new 2030 forest positive agenda; and, how a circular economy can mitigate 39% of annual emissions, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Nathalie Walker, director for tropical forests and agriculture at the National Wildlife Federation, talks with Ian Welsh about the new legislation that is going to require companies to take a tougher approach to environmental and human rights issues when sourcing. She welcomes the positive approach from the new Biden administration in the US, particularly around fossil fuel divestment and encouraging investment in new low emission technology.
Listeners please note that this interview was recorded in late December.
National Wildlife Federation was a sponsor of the recent sustainable landscapes and commodities conference.
Ying Xuen Hoe, project manager, Proforest Southeast Asia, Rashyid Redza bin Anwarudin, head, group sustainability, Sime Darby Plantation, and Olivier Tichit, director sustainable supply chains, Musim Mas, discuss the use of the Accountability Framework initiative to engage the challenges in palm oil supply chains. They highlight the need for multistakeholder collaboration at landscape scale.
Plus: UK food import standards threatened; Unilever’s new supply chain living wage pledge; PepsiCo’s 2040 net zero commitments; and, the US returns to the Paris accord, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Victoria Crawford, manager of the Investment Partnership Network at Just Rural Transition, and from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, talks with Ian Welsh about some of the steps necessary to unlock potential investment opportunities in sustainable commodity sourcing. There are key roles for public and private capital, and focused collaboration is essential, Crawford argues.
Niels Wielaard founder and CEO of Satelligence talks with Ian Welsh about initiatives that are developing to transfer the lessons learned in one commodity supply chain to others, and to enable the real traceability buyers increasingly demand. Wielaard also reflects on how the rise of true science-based approaches is an enabler that help brands meet their no peat, deforestation and exploitation goals.
Satelligence was a sponsor of the recent Innovation Forum sustainable landscapes and commodities conference.
This week: Eleanor Spencer, palm oil specialist at ZSL, on the latest SPOTT survey assessment on the strength of deforestation and conservation commitments at the top 100 palm oil companies. Scores are up, but progress remains disappointing, Spencer argues.
Plus: ExxonMobil’s scope 3 emissions disclosure; plastic risks ignored by investors; M&S boycotting China’s Xinjiang province because of forced labour abuses; and, protein grown from the air, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Peter Stanbury, senior associate at Innovation Forum, talks with Ian Welsh about new research into how business can help develop really sustainable and robust smallholder farming communities. Stanbury argues that all in commodity value chains need to accept that systemic change is required, and only real cooperation can bring this about.
For more information about Innovation Forum’s Innovation Accelerator initiative, click here.
David Horlock, managing director for global food and retail supply chains at BSI talks with Ian Welsh about why beef and red meat production has attracted criticism and how the sector can be sustainable. The problem, Horlock argues, is not red meat itself, rather how it is produced.
This week: Nathalie Walker, director for tropical forests and agriculture at the National Wildlife Federation, discusses how the changing legislative landscape is leading to more of a due diligence approach for companies on deforestation. She analyses how international collaboration on climate change will develop during 2021.
Plus: BlackRock says that sustainable investment will accelerate; WWF says two-thirds of SE Asian banks don’t recognise biodiversity risks; 60m potential climate refugees in south Asia; and, one billion fewer pieces of plastic at Tesco, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Marianne Marinet, programmes director for the Earthworm Foundation, Emily Kunen, global responsible sourcing lead for palm oil and seafood at Nestlé, and Sandra Doig, head of sustainability at Grupo Palmas discuss at the recent Innovation Forum sustainable landscapes conference how they have collaborated on developing a sustainable cocoa and palm oil producing landscape in Tocache, Peru. Moderated by Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb.
This week: Niels Wielaard founder and CEO of Satelligence talks about how greater traceability can help brands and traders take the lessons learned in one supply chain and apply it across commodities, and how the barriers to tracking from farm to mill to finished product are changing.
Plus, in the news digest: serious human rights risks for Chinese cotton; big brands call for traders to do more to stop sourcing Cerrado soy with deforestation risks; Marks & Spencer to relaunch Plan A; and, is the EU 55% carbon cut commitment enough?
Host: Ian Welsh
Low famer incomes, human rights abuses and environmental degradation still plague smallholder-based supply chains of soft commodities and other agricultural products. For the past nine months, Innovation Forum’s Innovation Accelerator project has been running an action research project to understand why.
This webinar was held to launch the initial findings of the research, which has explored a wide range of supply chains, including cotton, fruit and vegetables, dairy, coffee, soy, palm oil and maize. As well as bringing together cross-sector experience, the project sought insights from political science and development economics to explore the wider societal dynamics of communities and countries in which supply chains exist.
Panel:
- Ariana Constant, director, Clinton Development Initiative
- Alison Ward, CEO, CottonConnect
- Anita Neville, senior vice-president, group corporate communications, Golden Agri-Resources
- Thilo Liedlbauer, advisor, sustainable agricultural supply chains and standards programme, GIZ
- Yann Wyss, senior manager, social impact, Nestlé
- Peter Stanbury, senior associate, Innovation Forum
Introduced by Toby Webb
Click here to download the new report.
Innovation Accelerator is supported by the Clinton Foundation, COLEACP, CottonConnect, GIZ, Golden Agri-Resources and Nestlé.
This week: Victoria Crawford, manager of the Investment Partnership Network at Just Rural Transition, discusses some of the steps necessary to enable investment in sustainable commodity supply chains, why collaboration is essential and how blended finance involving public and private funding can help.
Plus: Nestlé’s big plans for net zero; Sweden tops sustainable competitivity index (again); new UNEP report highlights spiralling emissions crisis; and, CDP highlights top performers, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Ying Xuen Hoe, project manager, Proforest Southeast Asia, Rashyid Redza bin Anwarudin, head, group sustainability, Sime Darby Plantation, and Olivier Tichit, director sustainable supply chains, Musim Mas, discuss with Ian Welsh how the Accountability Framework initiative is helping the palm oil sector in southeast Asia.
They talk about why a number of tools are necessary to achieve sustainability commitments – around for example ‘no deforestation, no peat, no exploitation’ – and highlight the characteristics of the collaboration necessary.
This is the latest in a series of podcasts sponsored by the Accountability Framework initiative. Click here for an introduction to the initiative, here for a webinar discussion about ensuring secure supply chains during the pandemic and here for discussion on deforestation-free supply chains in South America.
Collection and recycling of material plays a vital part in enabling a circular economy and is an inherently complex challenge to tackle. The problem is particularly acute in developing countries where lack of proper infrastructure and waste management processes stall the progress.
This webinar brought together a diverse group of stakeholders to shed some light on the challenges and the solutions that they are currently implementing or that can be implemented in the future.
The discussion includes exchange of knowledge, experiences and ideas on how to support or transform the collection and recycling of plastics and composite materials to accelerate the transition to circular economy in packaging.
Panel:
- Cynthia Shih, director of knowledge, rethinking recycling, McKinsey.org
- Jasper Munier, business development manager NWE, Clariter
- Francesca Priora, global collection programmes director, Tetra Pak
- Michel Steinecke, R&D sustainable packaging manager, Britvic
Host: Ian Welsh, publishing director, Innovation Forum
This webinar was sponsored by the 3R Initiative.
Olivier Tichit, director for sustainable supply chains at integrated palm oil business Musim Mas, talks with Ian Welsh about the characteristics of successful landscape approaches that work for the palm oil sector. Tichit argues that key elements are to have everyone involved, strong commitment from all stakeholders and an acceptance that time is necessary for the challenges to be met.
Musim Mas was a sponsor of the recent Innovation Forum sustainable landscapes and commodities conference.
This week: David Horlock from the British Standards Institute talks about how to develop sustainability standards for red meat. He argues that, despite the sector’s reputation, red meat can be part a sustainable food production system, but it depends on how it’s produced. And, a preview of the results of Innovation Forum’s research into developing resilience in smallholder farming communities with Peter Stanbury.
Plus: the latest Climate Action Tracker; UNEP’s post pandemic concerns; Amazon deforestation hits a 12-year high; and, will Swiss companies have extended liability for human rights and environmental damage?
Host: Ian Welsh
Tato Bigio, CEO of UBQ Materials Israel, talks with Ian Welsh about UBQ’s process that creates material – that can be used as a substitute for plastic made from petrochemicals – from household waste destined for landfill. UBQ’s material currently is used in the production of durable plastic materials in the automotive, construction and retail sectors. Bigio argues that it competes well with traditional plastics on full lifecycle analysis impacts, and can be part of regular recycling streams.
UBQ Materials was a sponsor of Innovation Forum’s recent future for plastics conference.
This week: Emily Kunen, global responsible sourcing lead for palm oil and seafood at Nestlé, Sandra Doig, head of sustainability at Grupo Palmas and Marianne Marinet, programmes director for the Earthworm Foundation, talk with Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb about how they have collaborated to create a more sustainable landscape in Peru.
Plus: new food sector report from CDP; Vodafone tightens net-zero timeline; Malaysia’s rubber gloves sector forced labour risks; and, why infrastructure megaprojects are pushing forests to dangerous tipping points, in the news roundup.
Host: Ian Welsh
Joe Franses, vice-president sustainability, Coca-Cola European Partners talks with Ian Welsh about the company’s plastics targets, the challenges getting to real scale, and the need for better collection infrastructure.
Franses highlights the difficulties of finding recycled feedstock of the right quality and then turning that into food-grade materials, particularly when there are economic incentives to use cheap virgin plastics. And he argues the case for deposit return schemes as the only viable route to real circularity in plastic value chains.
This week: Tato Bigio, CEO of UBQ Materials Israel, explains how waste destined for landfill can be converted into new thermoplastic material that can take the place of traditional plastics in potentially thousands of products. He says that the thermoplastic is competitive on price, significantly cuts emissions and outperforms traditional plastic on a full lifecycle analysis basis.
Plus, in the news digest: Unilever pledges to halve food waste and boost non-meat products; UK’s ten-point green recovery plan; slow corporate progress according to new human rights benchmark; and, how RSPO certification can help farmer community incomes – but additional resources often required.
Host: Ian Welsh
Felicitas Weber, Know the Chain project lead at the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, talks with Ian Welsh about the latest food and beverage sector forced labour benchmark. The topline conclusion is that progress to get to grips with exploitation of workers remains slow. While there is perhaps some inevitable distraction from ensuring business continuity in challenging times, Weber argues that as companies move towards human rights due diligence, a worker-centric approach is essential.
This week: Olivier Tichit, director for sustainable supply chains at Musim Mas, talks about the essential elements required for a successful landscape approach. He argues that the starting points have to be involving all stakeholders, commitment from all parties and time.
Plus: why the global food system needs radical change; Biden’s climate commitment; McDonald’s to launch plant-based burgers in 2021; latest ZSL SPOTT report on palm oil deforestation; and, UK companies requirement to report on climate risks, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Renata Nogueira, South America sustainability manager for Cargill, and Gonzalo La Cruz, managing director, Solidaridad South America, talk with Ian Welsh about how to protect native vegetation under pressure from commodity crops, including in Brazil’s Cerrado biome. They discuss the need for solutions that bring benefits to local producers – in Paraguay and Colombia – and argue that when all benefit, progress is made.
Cargill was a sponsor of Innovation Forum’s future of food conference series, and the recent sustainable landscapes and commodities forum.
John Grant, writer of the new book Greener Marketing, talks with Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb about how marketing has adapted in the past decade. They discuss why the era of radical millennials, demanding better more sustainable behaviour from companies and their brands and being ever-more suspicious of greenwashing, means there is a need for market disruptions led by marketing that is evolving and, in short, becoming better.
Click here for more information on John Grant and detail of how to get hold of a copy of Greener Marketing.
Tom Griffiths, coordinator of the responsible finance programme at the Forest Peoples Programme, talks about why there has been a disconnect between how business approaches human rights and environmental issues. Plus: the positive impacts of a switch to plant-based proteins; more calls for the US to re-join the Paris accord; GSK joins the net-zero party; and, AB InBev’s new blockchain pilot for beer transparency, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Rainforest Alliance’s Mauricio Galindo, WWF’s Camila Cammaert and Laura Rojas Salazar, ONF Andina’s Luz Andrea Silva, and Forest Peoples Programme’s Tom Griffiths talk with Ian Welsh about how the Accountability Framework initiative is helping companies in South America in general, and Colombia in particular develop more sustainable supply chains. They discuss the need to protect forests and other ecosystems, and focus on tackling human rights risks among indigenous communities.
This is the third in a series supported by the Accountability Framework initiative. Click here for more detail about the initiative and here for a webinar about how it is helping farmers in Ghana and Cameroon.
This week: Joe Franses, vice-president for sustainability at Coca-Cola European Partners, discusses how the brand will achieve its goals of 100% recycled or renewable materials in all of its plastic bottles. He talks about the economic challenges in recycled materials costs versus virgin feedstock when oil prices are so low, and argues that the sector must look beyond this to real circularity in its supply chain.
Plus: ahead of the sustainable landscapes and commodities conference, a chance to hear again panellists reflecting on some key points at the 2019 event, featuring: Justin Adams, Tropical Forest Alliance, Laurence Ruffieux, Philip Morris International; Nic Sheen, Athenticate; Helen Browning, Soil Association; Michael Gidney, Fairtrade Foundation; Frances Way, CDP; Stephen Donofrio, Forest Trends; Jonathan Horrell, Mondelez International; Peter Stanbury, Frontier Practice; and, Tom Idle, Narrative Matters.
Host: Ian Welsh
Janina Grabs from ETH Zurich and Sophia Carodenuto from the University of Victoria discuss with Ian Welsh their research into why commodity traders – large and small – remain largely invisible from a consumer perspective despite their importance in commodity supply chains. They argue that because of their close relationship with farmers, traders have a key role in helping brands deliver on their deforestation commitments.
This week: The new food and beverage sector forced labour and human rights issues benchmark from Know the Chain is analysed by the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre’s Felicitas Weber. The meat sector in particular is in the spotlight, not least because of stresses from dealing with the pandemic’s challenges, while Tesco and Unilever score highest.
Plus: Oxfam highlights shortfalls in climate finance for emerging economies; potential food sector reforms post-pandemic; Ikea launches product buy-back scheme; and John Lewis Partnership brings net-zero target forward to 2035, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Peter Stanbury and Ian Welsh discuss some of the initial insights from Innovation Forum’s action research group that’s examining the challenges facing smallholder farms and their communities. The sheer scale of the issues remains enormous – with vast scope for sharing lessons-learned between supply chains to make them more resilient. Stanbury argues the case for significantly more, smarter, collaboration to join up all the piecemeal initiatives and innovation across different sectors and jurisdictions.
For more details about the research click here.
This week: Renata Nogueira, South America sustainability manager for Cargill, and Gonzalo La Cruz, managing director, Solidaridad South America, discuss how to drive forward more sustainable commodity supply chains in Paraguay, Colombia and Brazil, and some of the challenges for buyers with zero deforestation commitments.
Plus: IEA push for low-emission energy post pandemic; the greenhouse gas risks from nitrogen-based fertilisers; the future for nature-based solutions; Tesco goes 100% net-zero deforestation for all palm oil sourcing; and, trust in sustainability reporting on the increase, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Gotz Martin, head of sustainability implementation at Golden Agri-Resources, and Ian Welsh summarise some of the discussion points from a recent Innovation Forum workshop. They talk about the incentives that can work to help empower smallholder farmers, enabling them to increase farm incomes without clearing new land. Martin outlines some of the challenges around payments for ecosystem services, and why just paying farmers to preserve forests isn’t the answer.
As apparel brands work to implement sustainability commitments across their supply chains, access to the right data is key. Collecting and utilising this data in an effective, efficient manner ensures brands can drive supply chain improvements, whilst promoting greater transparency, enabling broader industry collaboration and evidencing their hard work to consumers.
In this webinar, at a crucial moment for an industry grappling with the impact of COVID-19, we highlight practical examples and discuss the power of data in solving complex sustainable supply chain issues. We discuss the findings on this topic from a brand new report by the Economist Intelligence Unit in partnership with the US Cotton Trust Protocol and assess how the world’s leading brands are making progress.
Together with Dr Gary Adams, president of the US Cotton Trust Protocol, Jonathan Birdwell, regional head of public policy and thought leadership at the Economist Intelligence Unit, and Tara Luckman, co-founder and director at Flourish CSR, advisor to the US Cotton Trust Protocol and former head of sustainable sourcing at ASOS, we discuss:
- The challenges facing brands in becoming more sustainable in an effort to meet SDG commitments.
- The importance and potential of data to equip brands to overcome these key challenges.
- The current availability of good quality data for the fashion industry, and the industry’s performance on its collection.
- How do we move towards a more consistent model of data collection to provide more useful, actionable supply chain data?
Host: Ian Welsh, Innovation Forum
This webinar was sponsored by the US Cotton Trust Protocol.
This week: Janina Grabs from ETH Zurich and Sophia Carodenuto from the University of Victoria talk about their research into how commodity trader companies are influencing and helping deliver brand supply chain commitments. They discuss how the relationship between brands, traders and growers is evolving.
Plus: Mars goes 100% zero-deforestation; more bad news for ocean floor plastic pollution; Aldi removes all single use plastic from produce aisles; investors accused of slow progress on deforestation despite commitments; and, new science-based targets framework for financial institutions, in the news roundup.
Host: Ian Welsh
Recorded during a Q+A session at Innovation Forum’s recent ethical trade and human rights conference, Elaine McKay, international affairs director at JTI, speaks with Toby Webb about the challenges around child labour in agricultural supply chains.
They discuss the need for brands to get to know their grower-suppliers, and how shorter supply chains and vertical integration can help. As McKay points out, any company that has agriculture commodities in its supply chain has child labour risks, and that is the only realistic starting point for addressing the challenge.
Here is a chance to listen to their session in full.
This week: Some early pointers from Innovation Forum’s new smallholder farmer research group – involving Clinton Foundation, COLEACP, CottonConnect, GIZ, Golden Agri-Resources and Nestlé – from Dr Peter Stanbury. And, another chance to hear from Fairtrade America’s Stephanie Westhelle about working to ensure long-term sustainability in the west African cocoa sector.
Plus: Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Danone, Nestlé and others underline commitment to PET bottle deposit return schemes; new global rubber sector sustainability commitments; and, UK Modern Slavery Act tightens reporting requirements, with civil sanctions to come, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
To ensure crop yields are optimised and inputs minimised, food brands and their suppliers need clear, unambiguous data. Analysing the right numbers can enable farmers to drive efficiencies and gives buyers and brands the transparency they need to ensure supply stability.
In this webinar, the participants discuss how to identify critical data points and ensure effective data collection, and assess how the right analysis can drive tangible benefits across the value chain.
Expert panel:
- Kate Shaffner, global sustainable agriculture lead, Kellogg Company
- Christian Bengtson, head of agriculture – EMEA, IBM Weather Business Solutions
- Dirk Jan Kennes, global strategist farm inputs, Rabobank
- Davide Ceper, vice-president, open farm and field data exchange, Yara
Hosted by Ian Welsh
This webinar was held in partnership with IBM, a sponsor of the recent Innovation Forum future of food conference series.
Dave MacLennan, CEO of Cargill, talks with Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb about the evolution of sustainability at the company and across the food and agriculture sector in the past few years.
Speaking at the start of the recent Innovation Forum future of food US conference, MacLennan highlights some of the Covid-19 pandemic’s impacts on commodity markets, and why he thinks that greater transparency will contribute to ever-more consumer interest in where food comes from and how it’s produced. They discuss evolving trust in brands and their suppliers, and how supply chain resilience has maintained food supply in very challenging circumstances.
Cargill was a sponsor of Innovation Forum’s recent future of food conference series.
This week: Golden Agri-Resources head of sustainability implementation Gotz Martin talks about finding solutions for viable smallholder farmer communities, and some of the obstacles that prevent participatory conservation planning, including land title questions, insufficient incentives, lack of government support and up-front costs.
Plus: over 1,500 net zero commitments from big business since 2019; brands accused of hypocrisy on plastic pollution in new Changing Markets report; and, innovators develop tyre microplastics solution, in the news roundup.
Host: Ian Welsh
Ruth Thomas, director of the Global Agribusiness Alliance, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about the GAA’s new digital platform designed to connect SMEs with sources of finance. Thomas argues that agri SMEs are the economic backbone of many developing economies and can be a powerful force for integrating and empowering women and young people. And they discuss the need for better visibility and transparency to ensure SMEs are able to take advantage of available sources of investment.
Global Agribusiness Alliance is a sponsor of Innovation Forum’s sustainable landscapes and commodities conference series.
This week: Elaine McKay, international affairs director at JTI, talks with Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb about why getting to know farmers in a supply chain is a key to understanding their labour challenges and eliminating child labour. The problems are complex, McKay argues, but engaging with them is part of meeting Sustainable Development Goal targets.
Plus: a new science-based targets standard on the horizon; Facebook and Google go carbon neutral; CDP highlights apparel sector water failings; and, New Zealand to require financial sector reporting on climate risks, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Ruth Thomas, director of the Global Agribusiness Alliance, explains why agri-sector SMEs need better access to sources of finance, and how a new GAA digital platform can help companies and growers across agricultural value chains.
Plus: big oil’s plastics gamble; Nestlé’s progress to 100% recyclable packaging goal; fast fashion set for twice Paris emissions targets; and, $154bn investment in deforestation-risk companies, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC, talks with Ian Welsh about why it’s important for smallholder to be assured that they are able to develop best practices and then better access to markets.
They discuss when and why it makes sense for larger growers to assist their smallholder farmer neighbours to achieve landscape-level certification. And they debate the importance of getting past thinking about individual commodities in silos and developing a more holistic approach, and how this can positively impact smallholder farmer business models.
PEFC was a sponsor of the recent Innovation Forum sustainable apparel and textiles conference.
This week: CEO of Cargill Dave MacLennan talks with Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb about key supply chain challenges and how the company is evolving to tackle them, with a focus on sustainability and the use of technology. They also discuss some of the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on global commodity markets.
Plus: Unilever’s new €1bn investment to eliminate fossil fuels; the impact of plastic pollution on soil health; Greenpeace on modern slavery in the SE Asian tuna sector; and, CDP and WWF reports into continuing deforestation challenges in South America, in the news digest.
Hosted by Ian Welsh
Alison Ward, chief executive of CottonConnect, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about why building financial and agricultural resilience, and better market linkages, are crucial factors in developing the future for smallholder farming models.
They also discuss how pandemic response measures can help secure supply chain security – in cotton and elsewhere – and how the relationships between brands and growers may change for the long term.
CottonConnect was a sponsor of the recent Innovation Forum sustainable apparel and textiles conference.
This week: Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC, on how taking a landscape approach to cooperation can benefit smallholder farmers and help them compete with larger competitors, and why certifying organisations need to be nimble to adapt to shifting market pressures.
Plus: proposed new forest protection laws for UK-operating companies; what the fashion sector can do to meet 1.5C emissions targets; and, Coca-Cola, Colgate Palmolive, Kimberley-Clark, and others, sign new US Plastics Pact, in the news digest.
Hosted by Ian Welsh
This week: Yuca Waarts from Wageningen University on the business interventions that can really help smallholder famers.
Plus: the new study that suggests Atlantic ocean plastic could be ten times worse than feared; why retailer refill schemes are taking off; how active restoration helps forest regenerate 20 years quicker; and, Unilever’s new project to trace palm oil and soil all the way to the farm, in the news digest.
Hosted by Ian Welsh
Mariko Thorbecke, senior sustainability consultant and food sector lead at Quantis, discusses with Ian Welsh how the growth of regenerative agriculture is driven by the need to increase agricultural productivity while achieving net zero emissions by 2050. She outlines the importance of practices that break existing agriculture cycles, particularly those that are heavily fossil-fuel based.
Quantis was a sponsor of Innovation Forum's recent future of food event series.
Cargill’s global water lead Truke Smoor explains to Ian Welsh how the company established its new 2030 water targets. She outlines the thinking behind Cargill’s context-based approach that reflect the severity of water challenges in individual watersheds, and the importance of developing science-based targets.
Cargill was a sponsor of the recent Innovation Forum future of food conference series.
This week: Alison Ward, CEO of CottonConnect, on challenges for smallholder farmers emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic, and why they must develop financial and agricultural resilience, alongside continual access to new markets.
Plus: why poverty alleviation can cut deforestation; 100 economists urging an end to the carbon economy; challenges for plastic recycling from low oil prices; and, Unilever, Patagonia and Ikea voted sustainable business leaders (again), in the news digest.
Hosted by Ian Welsh
Franco Costantini, managing director Control Union UK, talks with Ian Welsh about why a shift to regenerative agriculture practices is a route to long term sustainability for farming.
He argues that current approaches will mean that top soils fail to support crops within 60 years, which is why improvements such as stimulating biodiversity, better carbon sequestration and increasing soil organic matter are so important. Also vital are the ability to measure improvements and a holistic approach across the agriculture industry.
For more information about the Regenari initiative go to regenagri.org
Control Union was a sponsor of the recent Innovation Forum conference series on the future of food.
This week: Cargill’s Truke Smoor explains the motivation and science behind the company’s newly announced 2030 water targets. And Mariko Thorbecke from Quantis on why ever-more food producers are working with nature to develop regenerative agriculture programmes.
Plus: UN FAO identifies the countries likely to experience food security post pandemic; the $10tn potential green economy rebound, says WEF; new nature-related financial reporting taskforce; and, how better air conditioning standards can help counter climate change according to UNEP and IEA, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
Sarah Carpenter, manager for business and human rights at Assent Compliance, explains to Ian Welsh why proper engagement means listening to suppliers. She outlines some methods to counter the challenges reaching out beyond tier one suppliers, and how to ensure training is anchored within a wider programme of engagement that is relevant while also respecting the diversity of supply chains.
Assent Compliance was a sponsor of the recent Innovation Forum ethical trade and human rights event.
This week: Franco Costantini, managing director of Control Union UK, on the growth of regenerative agriculture and how food producers are switching to more holistic farming techniques, encouraging greater soil organic matter, biodiversity and carbon dioxide sequestration.
Plus: how the Loop platform is helping consumers cut single-use plastic footprints with Tesco in the UK; Coca-Cola European Partners backing for better PET recycling; methane emissions spike; and, the importance of indigenous peoples’ knowledge and skills.
Host: Ian Welsh
Listeners interested in the new Control Union project can find more information here.
Stephanie Westhelle, development manager for sustainability and partnerships at Fairtrade America argues that it’s hard to see how cocoa supply chains can be viable in the long term if farmers are compensated by less than $1 a day in a sector worth over $150bn a year.
She discusses how poverty, gender inequality and child labour risks can be tackled, and why these are closely linked to the deforestation associated with the cocoa sector in west Africa. Beyond simple farm economics, consumer pressures and the industry taking a more holistic view of cocoa “supply communities” are required, she says, to enhance the sector long-term. With Ian Welsh.
This week: Sarah Carpenter, manager for business and human rights at Assent Compliance, on how to tackle the challenges of taking supplier training to scale, and how to develop effective codes of conduct.
Plus, in the news digest: deforestation rates increased during pandemic, says Rainforest Action Network; Look Behind the Label takes Boohoo to task on UK supply chain modern slavery; and could spreading rock dust on crop land be an effective tool to counter climate change?
Host: Ian Welsh
Ryan Lynch, practice director, sustainability, at BSI talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about what food sector companies can do to drive action on climate change.
They discuss the policy and regulation that can help, skills that companies need to develop and how to tackle existing constraints preventing adoption and scale. As Lynch comments, the one thing to note regarding these big challenges is that there is no one solution, and that a holistic approach is what’s required.
BSI was a sponsor of the recent Innovation Forum future of food conference series.
In this hour-long session, co-hosted with the Accountability Framework initiative, hear on-the-ground insight from commodity producers – palm oil in Ghana and cocoa in Cameroon – about how the pandemic is impacting their supply chain sustainability efforts and what they are doing to stay on track with their commitments.
Panellists:
- Samuel Avaala, general manager, Benso Oil Palm Plantation
- Roland Besong, sustainability director, TELCAR Cocoa
- Akiva Fishman, manager, forests, WWF
Hosted by Ian Welsh, Innovation Forum
This week: Stephanie Westhelle, development manager for sustainability and partnerships, Fairtrade America, on challenges for developing farmer incomes in the cocoa sector to ensure long-term producer community viability.
Plus: UN Global Compact reveals big sustainable development goals shortfall; soy sector reaffirms commitment to protect Brazil’s Cerrado; Rainforest Alliance certification shakeup; renewable energy sector labour rights processes lacking essential policies; and human rights defender Andy Hall’s acquittal upheld in Thailand, in the news digest.
Hosted by Ian Welsh
Charlotte Bande, food sector and climate strategy lead at Quantis, talks with Ian Welsh about best practice in the food sector for reducing environmental impacts in operations and supply chains.
They discuss the key points that companies should consider when identifying the commodities that are driving impacts and when engaging suppliers. Bande argues that a central danger is getting stuck in “data traps” – and that there is no point in having perfect data accounting if the actions to back that up are not also in place.
Quantis was a sponsor of the recent Innovation Forum conference series on the future of food.
Felicitas Weber, Know the Chain project director at the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, outlines to Ian Welsh the results of the new Know the Chain benchmarking of technology sector companies.
They discuss the specific risks that ICT companies should be aware of, and geographical concerns – Malaysia, China, the Philippines and Thailand are countries that Weber highlights. Debt bondage, recruitment fees, long working hours, exploitation of migrant workers and other vulnerable groups, and a lack of grievance mechanisms and freedom of association are all too common in the sector.
The new Know the Chain benchmark report is available here.
This week: Ryan Lynch, practice director for sustainability at BSI, discusses what’s required from food companies to meet environmental targets, how to use science-based targets effectively, the rise of regenerative agriculture, and some of the constraints preventing adoption of innovation at scale.
Plus: Nestlé’s switch from Fairtrade to Rainforest Alliance for cocoa and sugar, why European and Chinese demand for soy is driving Brazilian Cerrado loss, brand plastic pollution failings, and Amazon’s $2bn climate pledge fund, in the news digest.
Hosted by Ian Welsh
Terry Lawler, fabric development manager for Naia at Eastman, discusses with Ian Welsh changing consumer habits in the apparel sector and why they are becoming more concerned with what goes into products.
Lawler argues that more sustainable products are the future, with more flexible, multi-purpose, garments, with a real shift towards consumers identifying themselves as sustainable shoppers. They talk about why people will be shopping less and looking for better, longer-lasting products.
Eastman Naia was a sponsor of the recent Innovation Forum sustainable apparel and textiles conference.
Amol Mishra, global commercial director, CottonConnect describes to Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh why partnering with both apparel brands and cotton farmers, covering both ends of the supply chain, delivers more sustainable supply.
Mishra outlines how projects are structured so there is a clear link between investment and economic return, how brands are increasingly using sustainable sourcing achievements in marketing, and why natural capital accounting will help CottonConnect deliver on its goal of transforming the cotton industry for good at scale.
Cotton Connect was a sponsor of Innovation Forum's recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference.
This week: Felicitas Weber, Know the Chain project director at the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, on the results of the latest human rights benchmark on the IT sector, and what characterises the companies that are doing well, and those that are lagging behind.
And, Charlotte Bande, food sector and climate strategy lead, Quantis International, on what best practice looks like for food sector companies that are serious about cutting environmental impacts.
Plus: Unilever’s €1bn climate fund; ILO warns of child labour risks from pandemic; and, plastic rain in the southwest US, in the news digest.
Hosted by Ian Welsh
Intel’s Mike McDonnell, senior manager for supply chain sustainability, talks with Ian Welsh about how knowing what your customers want from your business can help identify the human rights and forced labour risks in your own supply chain.
A central challenge for companies remains inadequate mapping and analysis of supply chains – but there are tools to help. Cross-sector information sharing, helping to make auditing more effective, is also useful, McDonnell argues.
Mary Linell-Simmons, director of marketing at Fairtrade America, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about some of the human rights impacts of the coronavirus pandemic in commodity supply chains.
Taking the the coffee sector, she argues that fluctuating prices driving the timing of crop harvesting brings a number of labour rights risks. And they discuss the child labour risks for the cocoa sector in west Africa, and the necessary sensitivities required to address the challenges.
This week: Amol Mishra, global commercial director at CottonConnect, talks about some of the challenges around scaling projects in the developing world. He argues the case for designing them so they can have a real impact on producer communities and so that brands have the certainty and supply security they need.
Plus: the UN’s Race to Zero campaign, CDP’s list of shame, land rights in Indonesia and pandemic impacts on ocean pollution, in the news digest.
Hosted by Ian Welsh
Renee Henze, global marketing and channel development director at Dupont Biomaterials, discusses, with Ian Welsh, some of the challenges for apparel brands in developing real circularity in garments.
They talk about why customers are ever keener to buy products that have greater recyclability, and the pitfalls for business to ensure the recycling infrastructure necessary is in place. And, as Henze points out, the fact that a garment can be recycled doesn’t mean that it is.
Dupont was a sponsor of Innovation Forum's recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference.
PEFC’s CEO and secretary-general Ben Gunneburg and Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh talk about how sourcing fibres from sustainably managed and certified forests can make real improvements in terms of environmental impacts for the fashion sector.
They discuss potential consumer trends post-pandemic, how relationships with brands around transparency might change, and why a chain of custody approach can help.
PEFC was a sponsor of the recent Innovation Forum sustainable apparel and textiles conference.
This week: Terry Lawler, fabric development manager for Naia at Eastman, discusses what the coronavirus pandemic has meant for the apparel sector, and the innovations required to meet the resulting change in consumer habits. She outlines what brands should consider doing to rethink sourcing policies to enable more sustainable supply chains.
Plus: latest Global Forest Watch report, Ikea doubles down on circularity with Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and dangers of microplastics from tyres revealed, in the news roundup.
Hosted by Ian Welsh
Pauline Op de Beeck, client manager at the Carbon Trust, and Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh discuss the importance of definitions for companies and organisations striving for net-zero emissions.
They talk about best practice in off-setting and why actually cutting emissions is essential, how to include scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions and why creativity is an essential part of how to really get to grips with greenhouse gas impacts.
Joining Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb at the recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference are Patagonia’s senior manager for traceability Nicholas Allen, Cotton Council International’s European director Stephanie Thiers-Ratcliffe, and H&M’s head of sustainability Pascal Brun.
They discuss some of the challenges for business in really getting to know their supply chains, the benefits of supplier mapping, and examples of how traceability lead to transparency.
Introduced by Ian Welsh
This week: Mary Linnell-Simmons, Fairtrade America’s director of marketing, discusses some of the trade and human rights implications of the coronavirus pandemic, including commodity supply chain child labour risks, and how consumer relationships with brands are changing.
And, Intel’s senior manager for supply chain sustainability, Mike McDonnell, talks about some of the ongoing compliance challenges for a company with 10,000 suppliers and how more specific rules and guidance is a real help.
Hosted by Ian Welsh
Drew Northern, director, global anticorruption at Cook Group, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about how business should respond to human rights violations and what appropriate mechanisms can be put in place to remedy victims effectively. They discuss how to ensure worker voice solutions work well, and the benefits of tailoring remediation plans to individual cases.
Recorded at the recent Innovation Forum sustainable apparel and textiles conference are Anna Maria Rugarli, senior director of sustainability and responsibility EMEA for VF Corp, Renee Henze, global marketing and channel development director for DuPont Biomaterials, and Burak Cakmak, dean of fashion at Parsons.
They debate with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh the fundamental building blocks necessary for shifting the apparel sector from linear to circular models. They discuss the challenges to achieving this, the cross-sector collaboration required and the need for thinking of circular solutions from the point of design.
This week: Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International, on the benefits for the apparel sector from switching to forest-based fibres. And Pauline Op de Beeck, client manager at the Carbon Trust, on the challenges for brands getting to net zero emissions, particularly scope 3 supply chain emissions.
Plus: why 155 big brands want climate science led pandemic response; UK supermarkets threaten Brazil boycott; cocoa initiative progress in west Africa; and, hopes for plastic-from-plants for Carlsberg, Coca-Cola and Danone, in the news digest.
Hosted by Ian Welsh
This week: Renee Henze, global marketing and channel development director, Dupont Biomaterials, talks about the challenges for the apparel and textiles sector in developing real circular economy models, and the roles of designers and fabric manufacturers in moving the industry towards achieving them. Henze outlines the spectrum of what consumers want their favourite brands to do to promote circularity – and how greater desire for environmental sustainability from consumers is driving the sector forwards.
Plus: risks for US livestock supply chains; more bad news on ocean microplastics; total global deforestation down, but rates up in tropical forests; the palm oil as fuel debate; and, pandemic impact on migrant labour, in the news digest.
Hosted by Ian Welsh
FSC and Eastman Naia on the sourcing sustainable wood pulp challenges
Ruth Farrell, textiles marketing director at Eastman Naia, and Andrés Ortolano, FSC Italy chain of custody manager, discuss with Ian Welsh the role of certification in helping develop sustainable wood pulp supply chains in the apparel sector.
They talk about how to ensure protection of critical ancient forests, while providing brands and their customers with the assurance they are increasingly looking for when making purchasing decisions.
FSC and Eastman Naia were sponsors of Innovation Forum's recent sustainable textiles and apparel conference.
Webinar – Farm environmental impact: innovation and progress in animal agriculture
In this webinar, the panel discusses the pressing need within the food and agriculture industry to ‘do more with less’, focusing specifically on cattle in North America, and how innovation has led to improved sustainability over animal life cycles.
They consider Cargill’s BeefUp Sustainability initiative, which is committed to achieving a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas intensity across its North American beef supply chain; the Yield Lab’s Manure Challenge, which guides start-ups to come up with solutions that capture manure-based nutrients; and, Texas Tech’s work developing more-efficient cattle breeds.
Panel:
- Heather Tansey, sustainability director, animal nutrition and protein, Cargill
- Brandon Day, chief operating officer, The Yield Lab Institute
- Dale Woerner, Cargill endowed professor in sustainable meat science department of animal and food sciences, Texas Tech University
Hosted by Ian Welsh, Innovation Form
For further debate on these issues and many more, attend Innovation Forum's Future of Food event series online on 27th and 28th of May or 2nd and 3rd of June.
Bryan Yates, general manager and director of sales for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Orbital Insight, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about how study of geospatial data on transportation and food supply can identify the growing pinch points caused by pandemic crisis. Yates outlines how studying these can help business plan to avoid disruption and delay as much as possible.
Join Bryan at Innovation Forum’s Future of Food event on 2nd and 3rd June. Click here for full details.
This week: Drew Northern from US-based Cook Group describes the importance of establishing effective human rights grievance mechanisms that workers trust. He outlines why these mechanisms to often fail to earn that trust, the pitfalls to avoid when working with third party suppliers to establish worker voice solutions, and how to tailor remediation plans to individual cases.
Plus: new EU human rights regulation to come; why green pandemic recovery packages win; and, actions for the apparel sector to ensure sustainable recover post Covid-19, in the news digest.
Hosted by Ian Welsh
This week: Andrés Ortolano, FSC Italy chain of custody manager, and Ruth Farrell, textiles marketing director at Eastman Naia, debate how and why the apparel sector is sourcing increasing amounts of wood-based fibre. There are clear supply risks, and they discuss what brands can do to ensure that their suppliers are environmentally sustainable.
Plus: how pandemics are linked to deforestation and environmental destruction, and all Indonesian smallholder palm oil farmers to be certified, in the news digest.
Hosted by Ian Welsh
Phil Bloomer, executive director of the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about where the burdens of the pandemic are likely to be felt as business finds a way through the crisis. They discuss some of the challenges that are emerging and how government relief for companies should be managed. Bloomer points out the potential for humanising of supply chains as consumers become more aware of where the essential products that they rely on come from and how they are produced.
Listeners should note that this interview was recorded on 31st March amid fast-moving events.
This week: H&M’s Pascal Brun and Puma Group’s Stefan Seidel debate action on climate change and what future low carbon business models will look like with Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb.
Plus: pandemic impacts on Bangladeshi factories; 2020 fashion transparency index, WHO action on wet markets, and species extinction warnings, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
This week: Bryan Yates, general manager and director of sales for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Orbital Insight, talks about how analysis of geospatial data can help companies track their supply chains and gauge risks. In particular he discusses the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on food supply chains, and how data can give insight into how social distancing is being practiced in different cities. Yates highlights why new pinch points in supply chains and social activity more generally have developed and the challenges they present.
Plus: farm animal welfare concerns, child labour in cocoa supply chains, and new plastic eating enzymes, in the news roundup.
Hosted by Ian Welsh
This week: Why education and active engagement is how to work with suppliers to implement human rights policy, and how to overcome the inevitable capacity challenges, with insight from Shane Tyler at Fresca Group and Sarah Carpenter from Assent Compliance.
Plus: what Primark is doing to help millions of laid-off garment factory workers; UN call for wet market bans; and, UK government scheme to cut food waste through better redistribution, in the news digest.
Host: Ian Welsh
This week: Phil Bloomer, executive director of the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, discusses with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh some key impacts for companies as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Bloomer describes how it’s the suppliers of big brands – in, for example, the apparel sector – who will ultimately suffer as orders are cancelled and workers laid off, or exploited. More positively, he argues that the crisis does mean that many supply chains become more transparent – such as the rubber gloves manufacturing sector in Malaysia – as consumers take more interest in them.
Plus, all the news about Innovation Forum’s upcoming spring online conference series.
Kristin Hughes, director of the Global Plastic Action Partnership, a multistakeholder initiative coordinated by the World Economic Forum, talks with Ian Welsh about the partnership’s work over the past 12 months coordinating government and brand approaches and desire to do something effective.
Hughes explains why the partnership is focusing efforts in southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa developing waste collection and recycling infrastructure, and paths to a circular economy approach.
In this session, an expert panel discusses the opportunity for business to act as human rights defenders. They assess when and how companies should take action, and how this space will evolve. The panel also considers how NGOs and companies can together move human rights further up the consumer interest agenda, and act as agents for change.
- Andreas Graf, human rights manager, FIFA
- Celia Ouellette, chief executive, Responsible Business Initiative for Justice
- Matthias Stausberg, group advocacy director, Virgin
Host: Ian Welsh, Innovation Forum
Corporate transparency on human rights has never been more important, and many initiatives have been developed to help businesses get this right.
In this webinar session, an expert panel consider the state of play of current levels of disclosure, and which companies and sectors are performing well or badly, and why. They also discuss the challenges for businesses keen to develop a best-practice approach, and how to engage with investors, civil society and other stakeholders.
Panel:
- Camille Le Pors, lead, Corporate Human Rights Benchmark, World Benchmarking Alliance
- Linda Kromjong, global labour and human rights director, Samsung
- Phil Bloomer, executive director, BHRRC
Host: Toby Webb, Innovation Forum
At the point of recruitment, workers are often at their most vulnerable to falling into modern slavery. But how can brands protect the rights of workers who are not easily located within the supply chain, and also not obviously the victim of bonded labour?
This webinar session explores the opportunities for business to prevent exploitation in the recruitment process.
Leading the discussion:
- Mark Blick, head of government solutions, Diginex
- Demi Smoloktou, senior manager, responsible procurement, ASOS
- Felicitas Weber, KnowTheChain project lead, BHRRC
Host: Toby Webb, Innovation Forum
The effective abolition of child labour is one of the 10 UN Global Compact principles aiming to promote sustainable businesses practices. However, child labour is endemic in numerous sectors, with the International Labour Organisation estimating that there are currently 152 million victims of child labour worldwide. When operating in countries with known child labour risks, how can businesses monitor its supply chain and effectively remediate victims?
In this webinar discussion, join:
- Elaine McKay, international affairs director, JTI
- Michelle O’Neill, VP global corporate affairs, cocoa, Mars
- Kate Larsen, founder/CEO, SupplyESChange
Host: Ian Welsh, Innovation Forum
Working with suppliers is key to implementing human rights policy, and driving greater understanding and impact. Education and active engagement is hailed as a long-term solution to this. However, the reality is that this can be difficult to implement, especially when individual businesses do not have total capacity of a factory or farm.
In this webinar discussion join:
- Shayne Tyler, group compliance director, Fresca Group
- Sarah Carpenter, manager of business and human rights, Assent Compliance
Host: Ian Welsh
This week: Highlights from a recent Innovation Forum webinar discussing evolving business and human rights legislation, the compliance challenges, and how this impacts companies and their supply chains, with Institute for Human Rights and Business, Mondelēz, Unicef and Freshfields.
Plus: why using biomass as a fuel might be climate positive after all; Nestlé’s cocoa and deforestation progress; and, investors put pressure on Corporate Human Rights Benchmark laggards, in the news digest.
Hosted by Ian Welsh
Yuca Waarts, senior researcher, sustainable value chain development, Wageningen University talks with Ian Welsh about the challenges developing living incomes for smallholder farmers and plantation workers.
She points out that the interventions that can make a difference for coffee, tea and cocoa production aren’t necessarily the same, with many factors impacting income levels, and argues that for many smallholders finding a way out of poverty is impossible with ever-smaller farm sizes. However, business can still help.
Follow Innovation Forum on Podbean, iTunes, Spotify or wherever you get your audio content for our weekly podcast and regular interviews with industry professionals.
Traceability is incredibly important in mapping and monitoring high risk areas of the supply chain. But, tracing and tracking vast numbers of suppliers, especially beyond tier two, remains a significant challenge.
In this webinar, discussion focuses on how business can map and monitor complex supply chains in order to prioritise high risk areas and better direct resources.
Panel:
- Chris Ettery, director for supply chain sustainability, Dell
- Laura Okkonen, senior human rights manager, Vodafone
- Benet Northcote, director, corporate responsibility, John Lewis
Host: Toby Webb, founder, Innovation Forum
With continually evolving regulatory growth, international compliance has become all the more complicated. Business must be aware of how current – and emerging – global regulation impacts on their supply chains and operations across jurisdictions.
While many agree that the UK Modern Slavery Act has failed to deliver the transformational change that had been hoped for, there is now significant pressure and mounting momentum to amend this. The US government has also recently moved towards mandatory due diligence and even blocked the importation of goods from five nations due to suspicions of forced labour.
This influx of new, amended or evolving legislation can have a transformative impact on how companies operate.
In this webinar session, experts consider the following questions and more:
- Will there be amendments made to UK Modern Slavery Act? If so, what legal changes are expected to be made to ensure comprehensive business action?
- Across the globe, what other emerging legislation will impact on multinational companies? How can business keep ahead of the regulatory curve?
- When and how will the EU act to protect human rights and tackle modern slavery?
Panel:
- John Morrison, chief executive, Institute for Human Rights and Business
- Virginie Mahin, global social sustainability and human rights lead, Mondelēz Europe
- Maria Pia Biancheti, senior policy and advocacy adviser (private sector), Unicef UK
- Caroline Doherty de Novoa, global head of knowledge, dispute resolution, Freshfields
Host: Ian Welsh, Innovation Forum
This week: François-Ghislain Morillion, co-founder of trainer brand Veja, on how the business has developed short and sustainable supply chains for materials in its shoes, including recycled polyester from plastic bottles. And, some exciting news from Innovation Forum about our spring conference series.
Plus: Cop26 in Glasgow in question; human rights impact of Covid-19 beyond health; and, why the meat sector mights lose 45% earnings, in the news digest.
Hosted by Ian Welsh
Andrew Wallis CEO of charity Unseen talks with Ian Welsh about the key human rights risks that business can’t ignore, and the unintended consequences of changing low-paid worker migration rules. Wallis argues that the pace of necessary change remains slow but welcomes the EU move towards tighter reporting rules, and other initiatives that can help companies move away from exploitative business models.
Please note that this interview was recorded in mid February.
This week: Kristin Hughes, director of the Global Plastic Action Partnership, on how a holistic multistakeholder approach is necessary to deal with plastic pollution. She discusses why the partnership is working in southeast Asia and Africa to develop waste collection and recycling infrastructure, and the path to a circular economy approach. And, Danone North America CEO Mariano Lozano talks with Innovation Forum's Toby Webb about the growth of regenerative agriculture and the business case for change in practices.
Plus: new European zero-emission plans, H+M shares supply chain and process detail, cobalt human rights risks in DRC, and Iceland’s plastic progress, in the news digest.
Hosted by Ian Welsh
New Forest 500 report authors Sarah Rogerson and Emma Thomson, from Global Canopy, discuss with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh why the 2020 report argues there isn’t enough progress on deforestation from business and investors among the largest companies involved in commodity supply chains.
They talk about how some companies – the usual suspects – are making progress, and others are failing to live up to commitments or even quietly dropping them altogether. And they speculate that companies involved in the animal feed sector may be ones in the spotlight over the coming year.
This week: Yum! Brands’ Jon Hixon, Mondelēz International’s Christine McGrath and Nestlé’s Anna Turrell debate the action the food sector is taking to tackle the climate emergency, and make the necessary cuts in emissions to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C. They consider some of the challenges around developing effective science-based targets.
Plus: rich country payments to protect biodiversity; synthetic palm oil boost; plastic leakage mapping; and, big brands in court over “misleading” recycling claims.
Hosted by Ian Welsh
Amy Yoder, CEO of agri-tech business Anuvia Plant Nutrients, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh on how from organic waste material can be turned into fertiliser that develops long term soil health, and allows for more food to be produced on less land. Yoder points out how a lack of focus on health of soil microbes and allowing for natural regeneration has led to decline in soil structure and fertility, and an increased reliance on chemical inputs.
Join Innovation Forum in Minneapolis on 27th and 28th May and in London on the 2nd and 3rd of June to debate the future of food
With targets looming and the ever-present reminders of the impact of climate change, 2020 is set to be a pivotal year in sustainability. Fashion, an industry with one of the largest carbon and water footprints, is having to rethink and transform its operations in an effort to stay within planetary limits and keep temperature increases below 1.5°C.
In this webinar, discussion focused on:
- How companies deliver measurable reductions in GHGs across the value chain.
- How effectively to scale up initiatives that are water efficient, reduce chemical discharge and protect the environment.
- If sustainability concerns will spell the end of ‘fast fashion’.
- How brands can leverage climate action to engage consumers.
- How the new business models of the low carbon economy look set to evolve and grow.
Panel:
- Pascal Brun, head of sustainability, H&M
- Stefan Seidel, head of corporate sustainability, Puma Group
Hosted by Toby Webb, founder, Innovation Forum
Nathalie Walker, director, tropical forests and agriculture, at the US’s National Wildlife Federation, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about why confronting domestic climate change risks in the US means having to engage with international businesses to tackle tropical deforestation and other ecosystem destruction.
She argues that, whatever the public stance of the federal government, there is a widespread acceptance of the reality of the climate crisis and the need for urgent action.
Airbus’s head of sales, agriculture and forest solutions, Patrick Houdry, and Earthworm Foundation’s director of technical services, Rob McWilliam, talk with Ian Welsh about how the satellite remote sensing system Starling has developed over the past few years. From an initial project mapping palm oil in Malaysia and Indonesia, Starling now can map entire supply chains worldwide across commodities.
They discuss in particular how Starling has helped the SODEFOR organisation in Côte d’Ivoire to tackle deforestation related to the cocoa sector, and why better data has meant improved return on investment and implementation of remediation projects on the ground.
This week: Yuca Waarts from Wageningen University on living income challenges for smallholder farmers and plantation workers, and what agriculture sector companies should be doing to ensure supply stability. Plus, Hugo Boss’s Andreas Streubig on his brand’s striving for more-transparent supply chains.
And, why Burberry’s going for insetting; a new sustainability manifesto for luxury UK apparel brands; Delta’s net zero impact plans; and why Kellogg’s updated its global palm oil strategy, in the news digest
Hosted by Ian Welsh
Recent years have seen calls for major changes in human rights due diligence and reporting gathering momentum. This tidal wave of governments making legislation that holds businesses legally accountable isn’t stopping any time soon.
In addition, NGOs, investors and consumers are demanding more than just the bare minimum when it comes to business and human rights practices. However, with a whole suite of expectations and standards bombarding corporates, the basic question of “what do stakeholders actually want?” is getting lost. This disconnect could be disastrous for business, not only legally, but reputationally.
- What do investors, consumers, NGOs and government want from business?
- How have expectations of these groups changed and how are they set to differ as we head into a new decade?
- What are the incentives for business to go beyond mere compliance?
Discussing these questions are:
- Julie Vallat, vice president, human rights, L'Oréal
- Adam Schafer, director, supply chain traceability, Intel
- Mary Francis, senior manager, worker rights strategy, VF Corporation
Hosted by Ian Welsh, Innovation Forum
Join Innovation Forum in London in March and New York in May to debate the future of ethical trade and human rights.
Over the past decade, various apparel brands have made major commitments to deliver living wages to workers in their supply chains. However, a recent report by the University of Sheffield found that despite these ambitious commitments, low pay continues to be the status quo. And there is still widespread confusion over the definition of a “living wage”, and action on the ground varies greatly across regions.
Taking Patagonia as a case study, this webinar examines some of the common pitfalls in implementing living wage policies.
- How a living wage is calculated and why living wage estimates are critical.
- What are the main obstacles and challenges in getting to living wages?
- How can business, government and civil-society groups work together to achieve these commitments?
- What are the biggest lessons learned from Patagonia’s living wage programme so far?
With:
- Wendy Savage, director, social responsibility and traceability, Patagonia
- Alex Katz, manager, supply chain social responsibility, Patagonia
Hosted by Ian Welsh, Innovation Forum
Join Innovation Forum at the sustainable apparel and textiles conference in Amsterdam in April. Full details here
This week: Forest 500 report authors Sarah Rogerson and Emma Thomson, from Global Canopy, outline what progress companies are making on deforestation, and argue that too many are still failing to recognise their responsibility to act.
And, Wendy Savage and Alex Katz from Patagonia discuss the brand’s work to develop living wages for workers in its supply chain.
Plus: Uzbek cotton sector progress, more bad news for insect pollinators and Danone’s investment in a hi-tech solution to low-tech food waste, in the news digest.
Hosted by Ian Welsh
Jo Griffiths, global food community director for the British Standards Institute – BSI, speaks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about the challenges in developing sustainability standards for plastic packaging. They debate why the plastics debate has become highly polarised and the dangers in simply stopping using plastics, particularly in food packaging.
Griffiths outlines the difficulties around defining what sustainable packaging means across different sectors and argues for combining a systems approach to packaging materials, with development of a circular economy, as a potential solution.
This week: Amy Yoder, CEO of agri-tech business Anuvia Plant Nutrients, on innovation in fertilisers that add organic matter to boost soil health and boost productivity across all crops, without potentially harmful chemical inputs.
Plus: why we may dodge the worst case climate change; a call for big hikes in European meat prices; how fermented proteins are bad news for the diary sector; and, US $70m pledge to tackle human trafficking, in the news digest.
Hosted by Ian Welsh
Dawn Jutla, founder and co-CEO of blockchain technology developers Peer Ledger, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about how technology is revolutionising consumer engagement with products and supply chains.
They discuss some of the challenges in adapting blockchain for agriculture supply chain, and how it can enable full traceability and honest communication with suppliers and consumers.
Peer Ledger were a sponsor of Innovation Forum's 2019 future of food conference in Chicago.
In order to limit global temperatures to 1.5C, greenhouse gas emissions must fall 45% from 2010 levels by 2030 and to net zero by 2050, according to the IPCC. This reduction is required at a time of rapidly expanding food production. It is estimated by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation that food and feed production will need to increase by 70% by 2050 to meet the world's food needs.
To meet climate targets and avoid the impending climate catastrophe, food companies must radically adapt practices. And with the clock ticking, the next 10 years will be critical.
In this webinar, an expert panel discusses:
- What leading food brands are currently doing to reduce climate impacts
- The real-world practicalities: Science based targets are fine, but how can we actually reach them?
- How to effectively scale up initiatives that absorb carbon, such as land restoration and increasing biodiversity
- Assess how brands can map the route to 2030 for effective implementation.
Panel:
- Christine McGrath, vice president and chief of global impact, sustainability, and well-being, Mondelēz International
- Jon Hixson, vice president of government relations and global citizenship, Yum! Brands
- Anna Turrell, head of sustainability, Nestlé UK and Ireland
Hosted by Ian Welsh
This week: Nathalie Walker, director, tropical forests and agriculture at the US’s National Wildlife Federation on why her work preserving natural habitats in the US and beyond means engaging with business to tackle the climate crisis and tropical deforestation.
Plus: how PayPal is targeting human trafficking; a new WEF report into how to change incentives in food production and consumption; and, why a circular economy is still a long way off, in the news digest.
Hosted by Ian Welsh
Niels Wiellard, managing director of Satelligence, discusses the potential of the new Radar Alerts for Detecting Deforestation initiative with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh.
Developed by Satelligence and Wageningen University, and facilitated by the World Resources Institute, RADD is designed to allow palm oil companies accurate and up-to-date information on deforestation in their supply chains. With this near real time data, the industry can be more efficient in targeting on-the-ground remediation action. Also involved in the RADD partnership are Bunge, Cargill, Golden Agri-Resources, Mondelēz International, Musim Mas, Nestlé, Pepsico, Sime Darby Plantation, Unilever and Wilmar
Satelligence was a sponsor of Innovation Forum’s sustainable landscapes and commodities conference.
This week: Airbus’s Patrick Houdry and Earthworm Foundation’s Rob McWilliam on the development and implementation of satellite remote sensing system Starling, their joint project to help improve supply chain traceability and tackle deforestation impacts.
Plus: mixed messages from Davos bankers on climate, Coke says plastic’s here to stay, Nestlé’s market-making on recycling, and CDP’s latest A-listers, in the news digest.
Hosted by Ian Welsh
At the recent Innovation Forum sustainable landscapes and commodities conference in London, Ian Welsh and Tom Idle spoke to a number of expert participants to summarise some of the panel sessions and capture some key outcomes.
Hear from:
- Justin Adams, executive director of Tropical Forest Alliance
- Laurence Ruffieux, director, operations, sustainability, Philip Morris International
- Nic Sheen, chief technology officer, Athenticate
- Helen Browning, chief executive, Soil Association
- Michael Gidney, CEO, Fairtrade Foundation
- Frances Way, chief strategy officer, CDP
- Stephen Donofrio, director, Forest Trends’ Supply Change Initiative
- Jonathan Horrell, director, sustainability, Mondelez International
- Peter Stanbury, principal at the Frontier Practice