Innovation Forum Podcast

This week: Ian Welsh and Innovation Forum’s Niamh Campbell talk about the tension between regulatory uncertainty and the need for innovation within the fashion industry. Despite these hurdles, new partnerships are driving progress in, for example, ethical sourcing, recycled materials and regenerative cotton initiatives.   Plus: a preview of the recording of Innovation Forum’s recent apparel sector circularity webinar. Hear from Carmen Gama at Eileen Fisher, talking about the brand’s take back programme.    Host: Ian Welsh   To join the conversation on the latest textile innovations and partnership, secure your place at thesustainable apparel and textiles conference in Amsterdam on 29-30 April. Click here for full registration details.   Click here to join a complimentary webinar tomorrow, discussing the future of alternative packaging materials in driving circularity. Hear from Notpla, Mondi Group, traceless and ex-Just Eat Takeaway.com. Register here.

A wide variety of companies face significant risks related to human rights in sourcing minerals critical to the energy transition. Join us to explore how businesses can minimise sourcing risks across mining, electronics, EVs, and renewable energy. The panellists discussed practical steps for monitoring, evaluation, and reporting. Speakers included: Angela Jorns, head of impact innovation, Fairphone Shahila Perumalpillai, human rights principal, Anglo American James Nicholson, head of corporate responsibility, Trafigura Haajarah Ahmed, manager, International Council Mining and Metal The conversation was moderated by Ian Welsh, publishing director, Innovation Forum. This webinar is part of 'The reality of critical minerals' series. Click here to view the upcoming events in the series.

This week: Rob Nicholls from Musim Mas, Livelihoods Venture’s Sébastien de Royer and Rizki Pandu Parma at NGO SNV talk with Ian Welsh about a regenerative agriculture programme in Sumatra, Indonesia – Livelihoods Project. They explore the importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships in enhancing smallholder livelihoods and regenerative agriculture in sustainable palm oil production.   Plus: more food price volatility in 2025; Brazil opposes UN shipping levy on cost; global south urges EU to uphold corporate due diligence law while France considers rollback; Indonesia rethinks Paris Agreement commitment, in the news digest with Ellen Atiyah.   Host: Ian Welsh

Marty Matlock from the University of Arkansas talks with Ian Welsh about how US agriculture can become a climate solution, transitioning to be a net-negative in terms of greenhouse gas. They discuss the innovation in existing farming practices necessary and how farmers can be at the forefront of the transition.

This week: Ian Welsh and Anamya Anurag explores emerging food trends in North America, including farmer inclusion specifically for underrepresented farmers and continued uncertainty around input costs, labour availability and policies.    Plus: a short preview of a interview coming up in the Innovation Forum podcast with palm oil company Musim Mas, social business Livelihood Ventures and impact NGO SNV, discussing regenerative agriculture in Indonesia. Hear from SNV’s Rizki Pandu Parma talk about how farmers are being empowered by region ag projects.   Host: Ian Welsh   Click here for more information on upcoming complimentary webinars.   To learn more about food innovations, join us at the future of food and beverage forum USA (Minneapolis, 28-29 May) . Click here.

This week: Andrew Wallis, CEO of business and human rights NGO Unseen, talks with Ian Welsh about what good practice looks like when companies are engaging on responsible sourcing and ethical trade issues. They discuss the opportunities business can take advantage of and what incoming legislation means for them.   Plus: more calls for delay in EU sustainability regulations; soy sector companies back threatened soy moratorium; why renewable energy's rise is unstoppable; and, EUDR  may threaten Scandinavian forestry, in the news digest.   Host: Ian Welsh

Wayne Jordash, managing partner at Beyond Human Rights Compliance, talks with Ian Welsh about how companies are engaging with evolving business and human rights regulation, particularly from the European Union. Wayne shares advice on how companies can approach risk assessments,  what to look out for and the opportunities from this approach.

This week: Ian Welsh and Natasha Bodnar explores the critical link between climate change and human rights. They discuss innovative initiatives from organisations such as La Isla Network, Sainsbury’s, and Fairtrade, which aim to mitigate heat stress and support farmers in adapting to climate challenges, ensuring both worker well-being and supply chain resilience. Plus: an interview preview with Andrew Wallis, CEO of UK anti-modern slavery charity Unseen, on the key drivers for corporate action on human rights. Host: Ian Welsh To learn more about innovative responsible sourcing initiatives, join La Isla Network, Sainsbury’s, Fairtrade and many more at the responsible sourcing and ethical trade forum (London, 19-20 March). Click here. Click here for more information on upcoming complimentary webinars.

This week: Aidan Maguire, coalition programme manager at the Plastics Pollution Coalition, talks with Ian Welsh about latest innovative material solutions that could transform the packaging industry. They explore the challenge of developing alternatives to traditional plastics for packaging and debate the scalable solutions that are emerging.    Plus: EUDR tightens paper packaging rules; the EU's omnibus regulation raises supply chain risk concerns; and, microplastics found in 99% of seafood, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.   Host: Ian Welsh   To continue the conversation on packaging solutions, join us in Amsterdam at the Sustainable Packaging Innovation Forum on 6-7 May. Click here for more information.   Click here for more information on upcoming complimentary webinars.

Marina Ettl and Simon Pogson from fertiliser business Yara International talk with Ian Welsh about how to maintain healthy soil. They discuss what best practice collaboration with growers looks like and how to conduct soil health data analysis, and highlight which specific data points farmers should focus on.

This week: Ellen Atiyah and Ian Welsh reflect on the outcomes from the recent European Union Deforestation Regulation webinar series, which discussed the impact of the delay will have over the coming months on value chains across the palm oil, soy, coffee and cocoa sectors. And  Lia Da Giau and Ian take about innovation in sustainable packaging. They highlight examples of material innovation and post-consumer waste management. Host: Ian Welsh For information on how to get involved at the sustainable packaging innovation forum in May in Amsterdam, click here. Click here for more information on upcoming complimentary webinars.

This week: Marty Matlock, professor at the University of Arkansas, talks with Ian Welsh about latest research on soil sequestration, nitrogen use efficiency and regenerative farming. They reveal how existing farming practices could transform agriculture into a climate solution rather than a climate problem.   Plus: World Economic Forum demand urgent cooperation with global risks; UK's deposit return scheme excluding glass sparks debate; South Korea cuts biomass subsidies; and, Bloomberg steps in to cover US Paris climate funding, in the news digest, by Ellen Atiyah.   Host: Ian Welsh

Scott Poynton, CEO and founder of A Different Way, and founder and former CEO of the Earthworm Foundation, talks with Ian Welsh about the past, current and future challenges in achieving robust and sustainable commodity supply chains. The discussion focuses on the evolution of corporate commitments to no deforestation, particularly in palm oil, highlighting key milestones that have shaped the conversation over the past 15 years. From Nestlé's no deforestation pledge in 2010 to Wilmar’s comprehensive policy in 2013, they explore how values-driven decisions by companies have influenced industry standard and practices.   This interview was originally released in two parts in Innovation Forum’s weekly podcast. 

This week: a preview of upcoming interview with Marty Matlock from the University of Arkansas discussing how the US agricultural sector can be better than carbon neutral. Plus: Hannah Oborne and Ian Welsh talk about latest exciting innovations in the food sector, such as dairy alternatives and recyclable food packaging. And, continuing the conversation on supply chain decarbonisation, Ian is joined by Natasha Bodnar to highlight emerging themes in 2025. They discuss the importance of industry alignment and partnership for net zero success, and ongoing issues of data and reporting fatigue.   Host: Ian Welsh

This week: French sportswear brand Decathlon’s Quentin Badonnel talks with Ian Welsh about the intricacies of product environmental footprinting. They discuss the European Union’s Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) initiative, exploring how Decathlon has embraced standardised life cycle assessments to enhance sustainability practices.   Plus: the US bans some Chinese apparel imports over alleged forced labour in Xinjiang; JBS aspires, not commits, to net-zero by 2040; carbon credits initiative aims to raise $1.5bn to protect the Amazon; the US EPA warns that PFAS in biosolid fertilisers may pose health risks; US withdraw from the Paris Agreement, again, in the news digest with Ellen Atiyah.   Host: Ian Welsh

In the second episode of the state of sustainable business series, Brendan May from Robertsbridge reflects with Ian Welsh on the polarisation within sustainability that had developed during 2024. They discuss the challenges of ESG fatigue, the shifting focus of major companies such as Unilever, and the need for a more streamlined approach to sustainability that prioritises material impacts. The conversation also highlights the importance of connecting with broader societal issues while maintaining a clear and positive vision.   Please note: this interview was conducted in late December.

This week: Innovation Forum’s Niamh Campbell and Ian Welsh highlight the upcoming sustainable apparel and textiles conference (Amsterdam, 29th-30th April), featuring thought leaders from leading brands including ASOS, Adidas and Burberry. From actionable strategies for decarbonisation to scaling circularity initiatives, they preview some of the key conference sessions and talk about how to get involved.   Plus: some insights from the 2024 apparel conference from Aldi Sud’s Hasan Uz Zaman, who discusses the company's approach to addressing human rights risks within a global supply chain. He highlights Aldi Sud's commitment to consumer accountability and ethical sourcing, through social auditing and transparency.   Host: Ian Welsh

This week: Marina Ettl and Simon Pogson, from fertiliser business Yara International, talk with Ian Welsh about the role of the careful use of fertilisers in long-tern soil health, and the impact on international food systems.   Plus: alleged child labour in cotton sourced by major apparel brands, such as Adidas and H&M; Danish biologists reveal the effective use of ants in combating climate-change-induced crop diseases; nearly 90% of Norwegian new car sales now fully electric vehicles; 2024 was the hottest year ever; and, BBC investigation reveals inhumane working conditions in Shein factories in China, in the news digest, by Ellen Atiyah.   Host: Ian Welsh

Tom Szaky, CEO of TerraCycle, talks with Ian Welsh and discusses the company’s work in global waste management and the circular economy. Tom discusses TerraCycle's focus on recycling non-traditional items and advancing reusable packaging systems to scale reuse systems and the economics of compostable materials. They highlight the need for systemic change and collaboration to address sustainability in packaging at both local and global levels.   Join Tom Szaky and other packaging innovators at the Sustainable Packaging Innovation Forum in Amsterdam on 6th-7th May. Full details here. https://www.innovationforum.co.uk/conferences/sustainable-packaging-eu

This week: Innovation Forum’s Anamya Anurag and Ian Welsh highlight some new themes and features at this year’s future of food and beverage US forum, taking place in Minneapolis on 28th-29th May. They share latest confirmed speakers including senior representatives from General Mills, Danone, Kraft Heinz, USDA, Smithfield Foods, Kellogg Company and many more.   Plus: Kansas farmer Dwane Roth speaking at the 2024 future of food and beverage  forum in Minneapolis. He covers the farming challenges on-the-ground and the importance of farmer inclusion in improving agri-food systems, and highlights innovative solutions and collaborate water management efforts to sustain farming for future generations.   Host: Ian Welsh