Innovation Forum podcast

Weekly podcast – Case study: how collaboration can deliver sustainability for the US pork sector

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

The regenerative future for cotton

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.

Weekly podcast – Collaboration and finance innovation for apparel and textiles

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 spoke about barriers to delivering bottom-up initiatives and financing the cleaner energy transition in Pakistan. 

 

Following the conference, Toby spoke 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 on businesses to follow science-based water targets for water resilience, in the news digest.

 

Host: Ian Welsh

What does a successful regenerative agriculture strategy look like?

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.

Monday briefing: innovative solutions at World Water Week

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.

Weekly podcast – Climate action: collaboration that delivers apparel supply chain decarbonisation

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

Extending digital traceability beyond apparel supply chains

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.

Monday briefing: what US Inflation Reduction Act progress one year on?

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.

Weekly podcast – How to overcome food value chain sustainability hurdles

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 trend: apparel sector traceability and transparency

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.