Sustainable Business Podcast by Innovation Forum

Weekly podcast: Why supply chain due diligence needs better data

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

What does ‘transformational change’ mean in practice for commodity landscapes?

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.  

Is a standardised approach to soil carbon measurement possible?

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

Rimba Collective’s innovative forest conservation at scale

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.

Weekly podcast: What effective collective landscape approach action looks like

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

Accountability Framework: Fast-tracking rubber sector sustainability progress

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.  

Weekly podcast: How to make a landscape approach work for the entire value chain

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

Forest 500: little corporate progress on deforestation

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.

The rise and rise of tree-based cellulosic textile fibres

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.

Weekly podcast: How to avoid supply chain data overload

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