Can we trust regenerative agriculture to save the day? Join Mondelēz, FOLU and more to find out
‘Regenerative agriculture’ is the term of the moment, with food and beverage majors laying out plans to reduce ploughing, introduce cover crops and boost plant diversity in the field.
But without an official definition of the term at EU level, how is regenerative agriculture being interpreted by different players in the supply chain? Furthermore, is there a risk companies could use misleading claims about their environmental credentials?
This will be discussed and more at Climate Smart Food 2023, our three-day digital event spanning 19-21 September, where we’ll be asking how the food industry can help drive a transition towards sustainable food sourcing, production, and consumption. Registrations for the free-to-attend digital summit are now open.
Each day the session will run from 2pm CET to 5pm CET and will include interactive presentations, panel discussions, audience Q&As, fireside chats and start-up pitches.
Day 1: Panel discussion
Can we trust regenerative agriculture to save the day?
Regenerative agriculture is tipped to boost soil health, support healthy water use, and encourage biodiversity to thrive. But what exactly do we mean by ‘regenerative agriculture’? Without an official definition of the term, is there a greenwashing risk? We ask how trust can be sown into regenerative agriculture.
- Should an EU-level definition of regenerative agriculture be created, and would that help limit greenwashing risk?
- Should consumers pay more for food produced according to regenerative agriculture practices?
- How important is local knowledge of the land in making regenerative agriculture work?
- Are there any communication difficulties in helping customers or consumers understanding what regenerative agriculture is?
Speakers include:
- Marie Ellul-Karamanian, Harmony Program Lead, Mondelēz International
- Dr Vincent Walsh, founder & head of innovation, RegenFarmCo
- Theodora Ewer, Regen10, Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU)
- Eric Heismeyer, VP & chief customer officer, Food Solutions, Bunge
Climate Smart Food will run from 2pm CET to 5pm CET from 19-21 September as we ask how the food industry can help drive a transition towards sustainable food sourcing, production, and consumption.
19 September: Climate Smart Sourcing
Ingredients are a major contributor to FMCGs’ carbon footprints, making sourcing practices crucial to meeting carbon reduction deadlines. But cultivation is not the only consideration: global supply chains are increasingly plagued by disruption and have long been linked to human rights violations. How can sustainability be embedded into global supply chains?
On Day 1 of Climate Smart Food, we’ll be asking how best to mitigate against supply chain disruptions linked to droughts, floods or war; what sustainability legislation means for food majors; and whether regenerative agriculture can truly save the day.
20 September: Climate Smart Production
Feeding growing populations within planetary boundaries means producing more, with less. How can food and beverage makers increase output with fewer natural resources? From making the switch to ‘green’ energy to implementing water saving strategies and rethinking packaging design, we analyse the initiatives decarbonising production.
On Day 2 of Climate Smart Food, we’ll be asking how food majors can decarbonise their direct emissions; where water inefficiencies are most prevalent and how reliance can be reduced; what the future holds for plastic-free packaging; and whether we should increase our focus on the blue economy for sustainable nutrition.
21 September: Climate Smart Consumption
Shoppers often say they want ‘greener’ food and drink, but don’t always act with sustainability front-of-mind. Addressing barriers to climate smart consumption will be key to achieving food system transformation. Consumer demand is also a crucial piece of the food tech puzzle, with pioneers banking on us innovating our way out of the climate crisis. Are Europeans hungry for lab-grown food?
On Day 3 of Climate Smart Food, we’ll be asking what impact brands have on discouraging food waste in the home; how sustainability credentials can best stand out on the shelf; whether European consumers are ready for cultivated meat and precision fermentation dairy; and what the future holds for alternative protein.
Join the conversation live between 19-21 September by registering for free here.
