Issue 21: Understanding scope 3 emissions in the cotton and grain supply chain
Welcome to Innovation Forum Sustainable Business Spotlight.
This weekly newsletter compiles all you need to know about sustainable business from apparel and textiles, to food systems and plastics and packaging. Stay up to date with the latest news from our featured podcasts and articles.
Now let's begin.
Monday briefing
Farmer focus: what's really needed to drive sustainable food systems
At our recent Future of Food and Beverage conference in Minneapolis, a Kansas farmer, Dwane Roth , shared the farmer's perspective of what's crucial to drive sustainable agricultural practices on the ground. In conversation with Ian Welsh , Dwane highlighted the importance of collaboration across the food and agriculture sectors.
Plus: Bayer | Crop Science 's EMEA digital solutions science manager, Kiera Holland , talks with Innovation Forum 's Ellen A. about the next webinar in the 'Beneath the surface' series, which will focus on carbon farming and farm-level resilience. Click here to join us live on June 20th at 3 PM CEST.
And, hear what ofi and partners plan to do in delivering prosperous farming communities, climate action, and a regenerated world on June 18th at 2 PM CEST. To join us live, you can click here.
Latest analysis
Google to go plastic packaging free
News digest: European Union gives final approval to CSDDD; Mexico elects climate scientist as national president; International Energy Agency (IEA) warns that new renewable energy not coming on stream fast enough; and will climate action be given more focus in the UK following July’s general election?
Google will eliminate plastic from its consumer electronics packaging six months ahead of its self-imposed 2025 deadline. In October 2020, Google pledged to go “plastic-free” and will publish a guide to help other companies achieve this.
The company’s Pixel 8 smartphone, launched in October 2023, was the first product under this new approach. Google says that sustainability should be a collaborative effort, so it is encouraging companies using the guide to provide feedback.
Latest podcasts
Understanding scope 3 emissions in the cotton and grain supply chain
Peter Bunce, vice president, head of cotton and microbials at Indigo, talks with Ian Welsh about the importance of implementing regenerative agriculture and tackling scope 3 emissions. They discuss how companies can specifically address their cotton and grain scope 3 emissions, and best practices for collaboration.
Plus: Tate & Lyle's president of innovation and commercial development, Victoria Spadaro Grant, talks with Innovation Forum's Hannah Oborne about the challenges and concerns around ultra-processed foods and what brands should prioritise to secure the future of food systems. They discuss how ultra-processed foods can be a solution to tackle sustainability, nutrition and accessibility of food, and how it's not always nutritionally harmful.
Recommended by LinkedIn
Engaging in landscape approaches: a how-to guide
Patrick Mallet , director for innovations at ISEAL , and Rachel Wall , project manager for landscapes and collaborations at Proforest , talk with Innovation Forum 's Ian Welsh about the importance of investing in landscape initiatives and what landscape actions can look like in practice. They discuss ISEAL Alliance's position papers that provides baseline expectations for companies on how to engage with landscape approaches and then how to communicate about their engagement.
Upcoming webinar
ofi's sustainability strategy launch: making 'Choices for Changing' in the global food system 18th June, 2pm CEST Register here
Increasing regulatory requirements are tasking food and beverage companies with more robust corporate reporting. Strengthening commitments to enhance the resilience of supply chains also remains a key imperative to deliver the change the law demands and farmers, rural communities and nature needs. A conversation with ofi .
Beneath the surface: empowering carbon farming with innovative technology and customer-centric solutions 20th June, 3pm CEST Register here
One of today’s most pressing challenges is finding an agricultural strategy that boosts food production, farm incomes, and climate resilience while protecting nature. Data emerges as a vital asset, enabling efficient, profitable farming practices and revealing unforeseen opportunities. In carbon farming, monitoring and verification are essential for compliance with global standards. Our webinar explores practical applications of data analysis in verifying carbon reductions and carbon sequestration on farms, providing accurate assessments for farmers. A discussion with Bayer | Crop Science .
Missed our recent virtual events?
Leveraging data and technology for sustainable sourcing and regenerative agriculture
Workshop with Agmatix | Read the summary article here
In a recent closed-door workshop conducted in partnership with Agmatix , Innovation Forum led a discussion into the increasingly significant role of data management amidst the growing prominence of regenerative agriculture within agri-food supply chains. The workshop focused on the implications within pivotal sectors such as cattle and soy, spanning across global value chains.
The future of cotton farming: scaling regenerative sourcing
Webinar with CottonConnect | Video recording and Podcast recording
On 6th June, IF hosted a free webinar in partnership with CottonConnect. In this webinar, we used CottonConnect's work with cotton farmers in Gujarat as a case study to discuss the challenges that remain in the cotton industry, and the potential for regenerative agriculture as a solution, and many more.
Field by field: scaling regenerative practices beyond pilots tot wide adoption
Webinar with Vayda | Video recording and Podcast recording
On June 11th, IF hosted a webinar in partnership with Vayda. The farmer-focused panel discussed what regenerative transformation entail for growers, what the biggest obstacles are for scaling according to farmers, and many more.
Thanks for reading the twenty first issue of Innovation Forum Sustainable Business Spotlight. Subscribe and join us again in the new year for the latest sustainable news.
Know someone who might like regular sustainability briefings? Share this newsletter with your network.
This newsletter was curated by Diana Kim. Any feedback? Send an email at diana.kim@innovationforum.co.uk.