Innovation Forum podcast

Monday briefing – The business case for responsible sourcing and ethical trade

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.

Weekly podcast – Could bio-based alternatives replace plastic packaging?

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.

Enhancing soil health from the ground up

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.

Weekly briefing – Sustainable packaging innovations and achieving EUDR compliance

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.

Weekly podcast – Can agriculture become a greenhouse gas-negative industry?

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

How did we get here? The no deforestation supply chain story

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. 

Weekly briefing – Agriculture’s carbon challenge: scope 3 emissions and supply chain innovation

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

Weekly podcast – Understanding product environmental footprinting for the apparel sector

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

Recalibrating business sustainability: from ESG fatigue to meaningful action

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.

Monday briefing – Creating sustainable apparel supply chains: collaboration, circularity, accountability

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