Innovation Forum Podcast

This week: Rob Nicholls, general manager for programmes and projects at palm oil business Musim Mas, and Kaixiang Chin, sustainability manager for Asia at Bunge, talk with Ian Welsh about their joint "train-the-trainer" model that strengthens local capacity and builds long-term resilience for independent smallholders.    Plus: EAT-Lancet warns food systems breaching limits; Net-Zero Banking Alliance disbands; UN plastics treaty chair resigns; and, TerraCycle urges UK action on reusable packaging, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.   Host: Ian Welsh

Kristine Kim, senior director of impact and responsible sourcing at Dôen, talks with Innovation Forum’s Niamh Campbell about how the brand builds long-term, trust-based partnerships with suppliers – rooted in accountability, transparency and mutual respect. They discuss how responsible purchasing practices and community investment drive resilience and business value beyond compliance.   We’ll be launching our 2026 apparel conference series shortly. Click below to register your interest: Amsterdam (29-30 April 2026) New York City (3-4 June 2026)

This week: Mark Gutierrez and Alex Udermann from the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition talk with Ian Welsh about how farmers are leading a quiet revolution beneath their feet – restoring degraded soils, cutting fertiliser use, and helping others avoid costly mistakes.    Plus: from EUDR uncertainty and climate resilience to regenerative agroforestry and AI-enabled traceability, Innovation Forum’s Anamya Anurag shares how companies are moving beyond compliance toward real system change. She discusses how tools such as blockchain, remote sensing, and payments for ecosystem services are driving more transparent and resilient supply chains.   Host: Ian Welsh   We’ll be in Amsterdam later this month for the Sustainable Commodities and Landscapes Forum to continue the conversation. Listen to the episode for an exclusive discount. Click here for information on how to get involved.

This week: Keefe Harrison, chief executive of the Recycling Partnership, talks with Ian Welsh about how US recycling can scale through data, design, and new policies such as the Circle Act and EPR laws. They also discuss why fixing the system requires $17bn in investment and how CalFlex is reshaping flexible packaging recycling in California.   Plus: SBTi launches training to boost green skills; climate change displaces Bangladesh garment workers; Nespresso to launch regenerative certified coffee; and, why the Paris Agreement goals are slipping away, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.   Host: Ian Welsh   To continue the conversation on sustainable packaging, we will be in Chicago on 28-29 October for the upcoming sustainable packaging innovation forum. Click here for information on how to get involved.

Fernando Bellese, senior director for beef and leather supply chains at WWF, talks with Ian Welsh about how a new deforestation free leather fund aims to scale transparency, improve pasture management and help reintegrate farmers into more tightly-regulated markets. They set out how these steps can safeguard farmer livelihoods in the transition to sustainable leather and prepare companies for tightening global deforestation regulations.

This week: Sajeev Mohankumar, senior technical specialist at FAIRR Initiative, talks with Ian Welsh about the role of value chain actors in de-risking the transition towards regenerative agriculture. They explore how cost-sharing agreements and off-take contracts can help align environmental goals with economic realities.   Plus: Innovation Forum’s Niamh Campbell unpacks the latest findings from Textile Exchange’s annual Materials Market Report. She highlights the drivers behind polyester growth and the emerging role of recycled fibres and regenerative practices.   And, another delay proposed for the EU deforestation regulation; Collective Fashion Justice highlights fashion’s methane footprint; and, report finds greenwashing fears undermine corporate sustainability, in the news digest.   Host: Ian Welsh   Join the complimentary webinar ‘Food, fashion, and farmers: finding common ground on regenerative agriculture’ on Wednesday 15thOctober at 4pm CEST / 10am EDT. Hear from Canada Goose, McDonalds, Bowles Farmi

Etelle Higonnet, founder of Coffee Watch, talks with Ian Welsh about the big sustainability challenges in coffee, from deforestation and water stress to poverty incomes and labour rights. They highlight solutions such as agroforestry, better farmer livelihoods and stronger governance to help shift coffee from being a cause of environmental and social harm to a force for regeneration.

Coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes – collectively known as blue carbon – are some of the most efficient natural carbon sinks on the planet, storing carbon up to 10 times faster than terrestrial forests. They also protect coastlines, support fisheries and provide critical habitat for biodiversity. Yet these ecosystems are disappearing rapidly, and their protection remains underfunded in most climate strategies.   The importance of blue carbon is beginning to gain traction among corporate sustainability teams, but it still represents a small share of nature-based investments. There’s a clear opportunity to change that, especially in regions such as west Africa where high-impact restoration efforts are underway. Our panel of experts: Whitney Johston, director of ocean sustainability, Salesforce Yihan Wang, strategy and climate impact, Terraformation Amy Schmid, global blue carbon project lead, Conservation International Ledama Masidza, founder and marine conservationist, KindWor

This week: With the global race to secure sustainable critical mineral supply chains intensifying, financing remains one of the sector’s toughest hurdles. ING’s Tim van Pelt talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh to unpack where the gaps lie in funding critical mineral projects and how companies can navigate the challenges to unlock capital.   Plus: Innovation Forum’s Emilia Colman highlights key emerging themes ahead of the Critical Minerals Innovation Forum in London this November from supply chain transparency and ESG pressures to shifting corporate strategies as demand accelerates.   Host: Ian Welsh   Click here for the recording of the recent streamlining standards webinar with ICMM and ZF Group, organised in the lead up to the Critical Minerals Innovation Forum on 5th-6th November. Join Anglo American, ICMM, Glencore, BHP, Vale Base Metals, Airbus, BASF, LG Energy Solutions, Ørsted, Standard Chartered Bank, and many more. Click here for more information on how to register, or contact emilia.colman@inno

This week: Florent Bouguin, chief technology officer at Optel, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the top and bottom line benefits and opportunities of supply chain traceability, particularly in the context of a shifting regulatory landscape. Plus: Mars, PepsiCo, and ADM unite to boost Polish regenerative farming; CEOs prioritise sustainability action as competitive edge; report finds European wild fish heavily contaminated with toxic PFAS; and, clean energy set to replace 75% of fossil fuel demand, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah. Host: Ian Welsh

Fashion’s climate and nature strategies are converging – but what does that mean for brands and suppliers? Beth Jensen, chief impact officer at Textile Exchange, reflects on the key takeaways from our recent apparel conference, from cross-industry collaboration to the role of data. In conversation with Innovation Forum's Tanya Richard, she explains why nature-positive practices are not only about driving sustainability, but also about building supply chain resilience.

This week: blue carbon ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrass and salt marshes, can sequester carbon up to ten times faster than terrestrial forests, while also protecting coastlines and supporting biodiversity. Ahead of our webinar, Yihan Wang from Terraformation talks with Innovation Forum's Ellen Atiyah to explain their climate potential, why they remain undervalued and how projects such as the Keta Lagoon Blue Carbon Project in Ghana are changing the story. Plus: Innovation Forum's Lia Da Giau shares insights on the trends reshaping packaging, from regulatory deadlines and circular models to breakthrough material and infrastructure solutions. Host: Ian Welsh Join us on Wednesday 17 September at 4pm CEST / 10am EDT for a complimentary webinar on the potential for blue carbon in net-zero strategies. Hear from Salesforce, Terraformation and Conservation International. Click here to reserve your spot. To continue the conversation on sustainable packaging, we will be in Chicago on 28-29 October for the upcomin

This week: From tariffs to COVID-19, recent shocks have shown that resilient supply chains rely on trust, not transactions. Kristine Kim, senior director for impact and responsible sourcing at US fashion brand DÔEN, talks with Innovation Forum’s Niamh Campbell about how equal partnerships, responsible purchasing and long-term commitments can create shared value for both brands and suppliers.   Plus: EU sets binding targets for food and textile waste; M&S commits to UK-sourced sustainable produce; nature loss risks cost industries trillions; and, the need for durable carbon removal, in the news digest with Ellen Atiyah.   Host: Ian Welsh

Vidhu Nagpal and Alex Abbott from SmartSolve Industries talk with Ian Welsh about why recycling rates for flexible packaging remain so low, and how new water-soluble, bio-based materials, could provide a breakthrough. They discuss the limits of recycling, the promise of zero-waste packaging technologies, and why rethinking materials at the design stage rather than only at end-of-life, could disrupt the sector.   To continue the conversation, SmartSolve Industries will be attending the upcoming sustainable packaging innovation forum in Chicago on 28-29 October. Click here for information on how to get involved.

This week: Henkel’s vice president for sustainability, Ulla Hueppe, spoke with Ian Welsh at the recent scope 3 innovation forum about the company’s strategy to cut supply chain emissions. They discuss balancing the costs of change with the risks of inaction and why data quality is the backbone of any credible sustainability strategy. Plus: Innovation Forum’s Hannah Oborne talks about the disconnect between corporate sustainability progress and public communication, including the rise in greenhushing, and internal alignment towards scope 3 integration in decision-making. Host: Ian Welsh We’ll be continuing the conversation at the scope 3 innovation forum USA (Washington DC, 3-4 December). Join the likes of Colgate-Palmolive, Ulta Beauty, Mondelēz International, KFC, Mars, Michelin, eBay, Danone, IKEA, Verra and many more. Click here for information on how to get involved.

This week: WWF's senior director for beef and leather supply chains, Fernando Bellese, talks with Ian Welsh about the launch of the new deforestation free leather fund. They highlight how the fund aims to drive transparency, support farmers and reintegrate producers into stricter markets.    Plus: Indonesia’s deforestation puzzle raises accountability concerns; fashion giants under fire for weak decarbonisation plans; South Australia bans fish-shaped soy sauce bottles; and, UK retailer M&S launches second-hand clothing store on eBay, in the news digest with Ellen Atiyah.   Host: Ian Welsh   We'll be continuing the conversation at the sustainable commodities and landscapes forum in Amsterdam on 21-22 October. Listen to the podcast for an exclusive discount.Click here for information on how to get involved.

Alex Udermann and Mark Gutierrez, farmers at the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition, join Ian Welsh to share how they and their colleagues across the state are restoring soil, cutting input costs and building resilience. They discuss the power of peer-to-peer mentorship, practical tools for soil health, and why profitability and sustainability can go hand in hand.   This interview was recorded at the recent future of food and beverage forum in Minneapolis. We’ll be continuing the conversation on farmer collaboration and climate resilience at thesustainable commodities and landscapes forum in Amsterdam on 21-22 October. Join the likes of Henkel, Mars, Danone, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Diageo, Nestlé, HSBC, NatWest, Standard Chartered, Ferrero, Asahi and many more. Click here for information on how to get involved.

This week: Nicole Cramer from the Rainforest Alliance talks with Ian Welsh about how data collection can actually help farmers instead of burdening them. They discuss building farmer-centred data systems, translating information into practical improvements on the farm, and aligning long-standing agricultural programmes with emerging global regulations.   Plus: Innovation Forum’s Anamya Anurag talks with Ian Welsh about the emerging challenges in soft commodities, from climate shocks to geopolitical disruptions. They explore latest corporate innovations in creating supply chains that are both adaptive and sustainable.   Host: Ian Welsh

This week: Etelle Higgonnet, founder of CoffeeWatch talks with Ian Welsh about the environmental and human costs behind global coffee production. From deforestation and biodiversity loss to pesticide overuse and child labour, they explore how agroforestry, living wages and responsible corporate practices can transform the industry.   Plus: UK supermarket Asda launches sustainable supply chain finance; WHO, WMO warn extreme heat threatens workers; and, Nestlé unveils full-pod cocoa processing innovation, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.   Host: Ian Welsh   To continue the conversation and dive deeper, join us for the Sustainable Commodities and Landscapes Forum, taking place in Amsterdam on 21-22 October. This leading business conference brings together 250+ supply chain and sustainability professionals to address the greatest risks - and opportunities - in commodity supply chains. Industry leaders and experts will further explore these vital themes and drive nature-resilience throughout the entire supply c

Farmers Jocelyn Schlichting and Carla Schultz share their perspectives on the risks and realities of implementing regenerative practices in the US agriculture sector. In conversation with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh, they discuss why partnerships with food manufacturers and genuine farmer voices are essential to making sustainability work on the ground.