Innovation Forum podcast

Monday briefing – Unravelling fashion, sustainability and supply chains

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.

Palm oil progress: addressing challenges and breakthroughs in sustainable agriculture

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.

Weekly podcast – Bridging the gap: the equity challenge in farming in the US

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

Monday briefing – Navigating responsible sourcing and ethical trade

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

Weekly podcast – From waste to worth: circular solutions for sustainable packaging

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.

Unseen struggles: business responsibility in modern slavery

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.

Monday briefing – Foundations for the future of carbon markets

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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Reducing plastic use: the material innovations to look out for

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.

Weekly podcast – Finance: why nature-based food production solutions make sense

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.

Monday briefing – Transforming food and beverage amid regulatory challenges

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.