Innovation Forum Podcast

Biome Maker's co-founder and chief scientific officer, Alberto Acedo, talks with Ian Welsh about the company's BeCrop soil health testing technology to drive more sustainable farming. They discuss the benefits of testing soil health, allowing farmers to monitor their production, and the biological and chemical conditions of soil to improve their agricultural management practices.

This week, Christina Dixon, ocean campaign leader at the Environmental Investigation Agency talks with Innovation Forum’s Bea Stevenson about the prospects for a United Nations global pact on plastic pollution as the first negotiation session commences. They discuss why voluntary measures have not tackled the plastic pollution problem, despite its high public profile. Plus: more than half major palm oil companies failing to evaluate supplier risk of deforestation, says ZSL; Ahold Delhaize's ambitious decarbonisation initiatives; Vodafone asking consumers to trade in devices to reduce network waste; Rolls-Royce and EasyJet testing green hydrogen-powered aero engine, in the news digest. And, Innovation Forum's Hanna Halmari shares details about the upcoming sustainable apparel and textiles conference in Amsterdam in April 2023. Use discount code “podcast” for a €500 discount on conference passes, extended to 6th December for podcast listeners. Host: Ian Welsh

Circularium Africa lead advisor and Global Plastic Action Partnership consultant Clem Ugorji talks with Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson about how to improve the current waste collection infrastructure in west Africa, and communicating with consumers about end-of-life disposal. They discuss the challenges caused by a lack of waste segregation talk about the opportunities that can realise the value from post-use plastic and boost recycling rates in the region.

During Innovation Forum’s recent future of plastics and packaging event in Amsterdam, some of the expert participants spoke with Ian Welsh, reflecting on conversations from the conference and focusing in particular on how business can build packaging solutions that deliver impact at scale. Hear from the Consumer Goods Forum’s Ignacio Gavilan, Jodie Roussell from Nestlé, Camiel Steffanie and Sofie Vergucht from Eastman, Trivium Packaging’s Jenny Wassenaar and Christina Dixon from the Environmental Investigation Agency.

This week: Business and climate journalist Mike Scott reflects with Ian Welsh on the recent COP27 climate conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, evaluating the outcomes and commitments made. They discuss the progress on loss and damage, why commitments on phasing out fossil fuel use were weakened and assess the chances of maintaining a 1.5C warming pathway. There is an ever-greater need for climate adaptation for businesses and clearer commitments from governments, they conclude. Plus: the US Food and Drug Administration approves lab-grown meat production for the first time; Nestlé to roll out home compostable paper-based coffee capsules in France and Switzerland; cocoa supply row continues in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire over farmer income premiums; and, critical feedback from COP27 about the conference processes itself, in the news digest. And, Innovation Forum's Natasha Bodnar introduces the Future of Food conference coming up in Amsterdam in May 2023. Take the Innovation Forum survey by clicking here and gain useful i

Proforest's Africa regional director, Abraham Baffoe, and deputy director for conservation and land use, Mike Senior, talk with Ian Welsh about what effective landscape approaches look like in practice. They identify positive nature, social and climate implications and opportunities for multi-stakeholder collaboration. They discuss what good policies look like to ensure producer voices are heard, create incentives and transparency, and mitigate unintended consequences hindering progress.

This week: Isabella Tonaco, vice-president for strategy execution and marketing, renewable polymers and chemicals at Neste, and Mezbah Sabur, founder of Circularise, talk with Innovation Forum's Toby Webb about the two companies’ partnership to establish digital solutions for a transparent and traceable chemistry value chain. They discuss how blockchain transparency can counter challenges in mass balance monitoring and share what sustainable chemistry at scale might look like. Plus: insight from Patrick Houdry at Airbus, Eloisa Menguzzo from Dutch pension sector non-profit PGGM and Innovation Forum senior associate Peter Stanbury, speaking with Ian Welsh at Innovation Forum's recent sustainable landscapes and commodities conference in Amsterdam. And: Lula da Silva's strong commitments to end Amazon deforestation at COP27; apparel brands pledged for low-carbon alternative fibres in initiative from Canopy; corporate net zero targets will require doubling of current pace of change, says Accenture; and, the Insti

Rupert Day, farmer livelihoods advisor at Cargill Cocoa and Chocolate, talks with Ian Welsh about how the Cargill Cocoa Promise programme is designed to help smallholder farmers become “agripreneurs” that are more resilient to shocks, while building community capacity. They discuss the continuing need to focus on farm incomes, and what good multi-stakeholder initiatives that help drive active collaboration and impact look like.

Reckitt’s global head of sustainability David Croft gives some in-person insights from the COP27 meetings in Egypt. He reflects, talking with Ian Welsh, on what progress was made in the opening few days as the conference leaders scrambled to keep the 1.5C warming pledge fully in focus. They discuss the importance of non-siloed solutions, some reasons for optimism, and what future COP meetings should focus on to avoid the accusations of greenwash that have been levelled at the Sharm el-Sheikh conference. Ian Welsh also briefly rounds up some of the other events of the first week.

This week: Alberto Acedo, co-founder and chief scientific officer at Biome Makers, talks about how the company’s BeCrop technology can test soil health to drive improvements in agricultural sustainability. He discusses the benefits of identifying the soil metrics that help farmers identify and monitor biological and chemical properties of soil to provide effective solutions for sustainable agricultural management. Plus: quick fire insights from Golden Agri-Resources' Anita Neville, Mighty Earth's Glenn Hurowitz and Everland's Joshua Tosteson, speaking at Innovation Forum's sustainable landscapes and commodities conference in Amsterdam. And: funding for loss and damage due to climate change and a proposed two-year halt in debt payments from nations impacted by climate-related disasters, discussed at COP27; a more-rapid shift to regenerative agricultural practices needed according to Sustainable Markets Initiative taskforce's report; and, a growing row between Indonesia and the EU over legal timber and deforest

Proforest's deputy director for company collaboration Veronique Bovee, and landscape coordinator for Indonesia Mila Nuh, talk with Ian Welsh about their landscape and livelihoods programmes. These tackle deforestation and human rights issues, and facilitate smallholder inclusion. They discuss the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration between district and national governments, local communities and companies, with a bottom-up approach to achieve forest protection and improved community livelihoods that is beneficial for all.

This week: Clem Ugorji from the Global Plastic Action Partnership, formerly vice-president for public affairs communications and sustainability for west Africa at Coca-Cola, talks with Bea Stevenson about the reality of waste collection infrastructure in the region, and ways to create value and incentives for plastic collection and waste segregation.  Plus, insight from Tesco’s Anna Turrell, APRIL’s Craig Tribolet and FarmStrong Foundation’s Michiel Hendriksz, speaking with Ian Welsh this week at Innovation Forum's sustainable landscapes and commodities conference in Amsterdam. And, in the news digest with Bea Stevenson: Ellen MacArthur Foundation says corporate plastic recycling reuse targets ‘unlikely to be met’; Lula victory in Brazil spurs hope for the Amazon; Tesco and WWF on mandatory farm food waste reporting; and, Microsoft's president warns of sustainability talent shortage. Host: Ian Welsh

Leah Samberg, lead scientist, global policy, at Rainforest Alliance, and McDonald's sustainability director, nature and climate, Pete Garbutt, talk with Ian Welsh about new guidance developed by the Accountability Framework initiative in partnership with the Science Based Targets initiative and Green House Gas Protocol on land use change and further target setting, accounting for impact and disclosure. They discuss McDonald's strategy to reduce deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions and focus on how the guidance will aid towards accounting challenges, targeting alignment and routes to success through collaboration.

This week: Mike Senior and Abraham Baffoe from Proforest discuss how landscape approaches can work in practice, and the growing momentum over the past few years from companies making commitments and investments – through the Consumer Goods Forum’s Forest Positive Coalition for example. They talk about the leadership that is necessary from grower country governments, and why science-based targets for nature are going to be a key future innovation. Collaboration will be necessary, they argue, to ensure incentives for sourcing companies are aligned with countering deforestation and land use change in higher risk regions. Plus: Mondelēz International’s new $600m investment in cocoa sourcing sustainability; deforestation rates slowed 6.3% in 2021 according to latest Forest Declaration Assessment; H&M, Unilever, and Nestlé among those calling for mandatory nature impact and disclosure by 2030; and, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority proposes new clampdown on greenwashing in 2023, in the news digest from Innov

Juliet Ermer and Sarah Laidler from the Carbon Trust talk with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about decarbonisation in the packaging sector, and what is needed to enable recycled plastic content to compete with virgin. They discuss the prospects for a legally binding UN plastics treaty by 2024 and consider legislation on extended producer responsibility, pros and cons of chemical recycling and what good policy on consistency in packaging design can look like.

For companies working towards their net-zero and nature-positive commitments, the need for clear and reliable intelligence on natural capital is vital. Innovative remote-sensing solutions can be an important enabler for improving business decisions with such data. This webinar, our expert panel discussed how remote-sensing data can be utilised to support company action for net-zero and nature-positive supply chains. We explored the science and best practice, as well as the challenges for integration with other supply chain data and existing business processes. In brief, we talked about: • The challenges that food, land use and agriculture companies face when collecting and applying natural capital data. • How business can integrate remote-sensing based natural capital intelligence with other critical supply chain data such as asset location, supplier information and land ownership. • The importance of high-quality natural capital intelligence to drive collective action and multi-stakeholder collaboration for

This week: Rupert Day, farmer livelihoods advisor at Cargill cocoa and chocolate, discusses some of the sector innovations that are making a real difference for producer communities, and why keeping farm incomes considerations front and centre of supply chain strategy remains vital. Plus, comment from Christina Dixon, Environmental Investigation Agency, and Jenny Wassenaar, Trivium Packaging, both speaking at the recent future of plastics and packaging conference in Amsterdam. In the news digest: biodiversity crisis outlined in WWF’s Living Planet Report; Consumer Goods Forum’s plastic coalition predicts 800,000 tonnes of chemically recycled plastic required in 2030; and, Net Zero Tracker compares public and private companies. And, Innovation Forum’s Hanna Halmari gives an update on Innovation Forum’s upcoming sustainable landscapes and commodities conference, in Amsterdam on 1st-2nd November. Host: Ian Welsh

Rahul Raj, co-founder of Sasya Produce talks with Ian Welsh talk about the company's priority to support farmers to implement sustainable agricultural practices and open new international markets. They discuss the future of food supply chains and the company’s five-year plan for regenerative agriculture and improving smallholder farmer livelihoods. 

Farmers are at the core of sustainable commodities production; however too often, they are not given a seat at the table. Ahead of our Sustainable Landscapes and Commodities conference in November, our online panel of farmers from across the globe discussed: • The challenges they have faced this year and are likely to face in the year ahead. • Their priorities for the future of their farms and families. • What they need from food companies to secure their livelihoods, and future sustainable food production. • Practical examples of specific initiatives that have benefited farming communities and driven a positive impact of the ground. Join our panel of farmers: • Stephen Lansana, palm oil farmer and inaugural secretary, Ngoyai Gbaayegie Farmers Group, Sierra Leone • Kule Francis Baita, coffee and fruit farmer and board secretary, Bukonzo Organic Cooperative Union, Uganda • Jorge Bianciotto, crop farmer and board, Sociedad Rural de Pergamino, Argentina • Ashirafu Kihongosi, sunflower and soybean farmer and

Owen Bethell, environment impact lead from the global public affairs team at Nestlé, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about Nestlé's priorities in climate advocacy through engaging with all stakeholders within the supply chain to achieve net zero by 2050. They discuss companies' duty to collaborate with farmer organisations, governments and most importantly peer companies to create collective climate action.