Sustainable Business Podcast by Innovation Forum

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