Sustainable Business Podcast by Innovation Forum

Weekly podcast: PepsiCo on the benefits of precision agriculture

This week: David Wilkinson, head of agriculture procurement at PepsiCo, on the technology that, at scale, is growing efficiencies in-the-field in the brand’s supply chains. And Libby Bernick, managing director of Trucost Corporate Business, S&P Global, on why market mechanisms currently don’t reflect the true cost of food, and the role of better data management in solving this.

Plus: Waitrose trials packaging-free refills, labour challenges in Pacific tuna supply chains, and endemic low wages in the apparel sector, in the news digest.

Hosted by Ian Welsh

Hugo Boss on the case for pre-competitive collaboration in the apparel sector

Andreas Streubig, director, global sustainability, at Hugo Boss discusses with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh how the fashion business organises its supply chains, developing more transparency. Streubig argues the case for sector-wide platforms and pre-competitive collaboration to deal supply chain challenges, and to combat the risks of a fragmentation of approaches.

Customers, he says, are ever-more aware of sustainability issues but that these are not yet significantly influencing buying decisions.

De Bijenkorf on how retailers can create a buzz around apparel sustainability

Justin Pariag, head of sustainable business at Dutch retailer De Bijenkorf, talks with Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb about how such a business can influence the sustainable apparel movement.

They discuss the role of department stores in driving sustainable change through engagement with both end consumers and the brands. Pariag argues that story-telling is crucial to engage the former with products that are more sustainable.

Weekly podcast: Danone on what’s driving sustainability in agriculture

This week: Mariano Lozano, CEO of Danone North America, speaks to Toby Webb about making the business case for real change in agriculture practices. And Jill Wheeler and Duane Martin from Syngenta talk with Ian Welsh about specific commodity supply challenges and innovations that can provide solutions.

Plus: plastic waste gets political in the Philippines and Malaysia, river antibiotic pollution, and innovation in food supply in Singapore, in the news digest.

Hosted by Ian Welsh

Why personal contact helps tackle food sector point-of-recruitment slavery risks

Vanessa Di Cuffa, UK people change director, ABP Food, talks with Ian Welsh about how modern slavery legislation has driven behaviour change in the meat industry in the UK, and in particular on point-of-recruitment risks.

She argues that transparency and establishing personal relationships with supply chain workers are crucial. They also debate how to get around the forced-labour challenges for food sector companies when traditional business models focus on driving down costs.

Veja on how to look for better suppliers

François-Ghislain Morillion, co-founder of trainer brand Veja, explains to Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh how the business has developed short and sustainable supply chains for materials in its shoes, which now includes recycled polyester from plastic bottles.

They debate the challenges in finding new source materials that are truly sustainable, and the design pitfalls around product development. After all, consumers will only buy products that work properly and look good.

How to develop the best apparel factories, and learn from the process

Sebastian Siegele, managing director of Sustainability Agents (SUSA), discusses with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh how to improve factory conditions in the apparel sector by developing best practice examples that demonstrate clearly the economic and productivity benefits from getting beyond social compliance.

He argues for redirecting of resources from endless social auditing to demonstrating to factory management that there are upsides for all from better working practices.

Weekly podcast: How to tackle apparel’s deforestation risks, and the future for lower-impact PVC

This week: Antonio Brunori, secretary-general of PEFC Italy, explains to Ian Welsh how the Forests for Fashion initiative helps fashion brands develop transparency in their pulp-based fibre supply chains. And Mark Everard, ecosystems services expert and associate professor at the University of the West of England, explains PVC’s sustainable future to Toby Webb.

Plus, in the news digest: CDP’s cities ranking, UK government’s suppliers and modern slavery progress, and has Unilever solved the black plastic recycling problem?

Hosted by Ian Welsh

Rana Plaza six years on: what next for apparel supply chains in Bangladesh?

David Schilling, senior programme director at the Interfaith Centre on Corporate Responsibility, discusses with Ian Welsh the challenges for apparel sector businesses that remain six years on from the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh.

Schilling explains why the Bangladesh government is keen to move on from the company-led Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety that developed after the disaster, and outlines his concerns for the next steps. They debate how brands can use their leverage to ensure the progress made over the past six years continues to be built on, and how the investment community is changing its approach to labour issues.

Listeners should note that on 19^th May, after this interview was recorded, the Appellate Division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court accepted an agreement reached by the Accord and Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and supported by the government to allow the Accord to operate for another year as a transition to the establishment of a Ready Made Garment (RMG) Sustainability Council which will include global brands, trade unions and the BGMEA. Click here for a statement from the Accord.

How development finance can help fashion brands and their suppliers

Sabine Schlorke, global manufacturing manager at the International Finance Corporation talks with Ian Welsh about how IFC works with big apparel sector brands in Bangladesh, Vietnam and other countries providing their suppliers with access to development finance via the PaCT (Partnership for Cleaner Textiles) programme.

She argues that the opportunities for resource efficiencies and improvements that benefit all in the value chain are significant, particularly when supplier factories can clearly see how access to finance can help.