Beanstalk Global

Their mission is to change the status quo and leverage the talent of Women in Produce to close the industry’s gender divide by inspiring, connecting and empowering women around the world. And their mission matters more than ever.

Today, women account for 80% of purchasing decisions, but only 20% of the voices guiding decisions in the boardroom. What’s more, is that by 2030 we’ll need the equivalent of two planets to feed a growing world population of 10 billion people – half of them female.

Our industry is being called upon to feed the world more humanely, sustainably and efficiently – and more female leadership is a critical part of the answer.

Beanstalk Global has partnered up with Global Women Fresh to create a unique monthly Broadcast interview series. This to further promote the great work they do, to gain them more members ongoing and additional corporate sponsorship as well as to assist them to make a long-term difference in the Global Fresh Produce sectors.

Next in our series, we discuss Diversity and Inclusion with Agrifood and Tech. The panelists include:

Vonnie Estes

Antonio Iannone

Beatriz Jacoste Lozano

Linda Carobbi

The hugely well thought of and recognised British Growers Association is a grower owned, grower led, not for profit umbrella group. They comprise a range of organisations operating in the key UK horticulture industry and fresh produce sectors. Their membership includes Crop Associations, Producer Organisations, marketing groups and professional membership groups. The organisation is run by a Board of Directors drawn from all sectors of the fresh produce industry with a great team running the day to day operations and communications. Their mission is very straight forward - to support their growers to do what they do best.

Jack Ward is the Group CEO and he has a prestigious background in the sectors having previously held roles such as Regional Director for the NFU, Director for the Oxford Farming Conference, Chairman and Trustee for Nuffield Farming Scholarship, CEO of the City and Guilds Land Based Services before becoming CEO of British Growers in 2014.

As he states “We aim to raise the profile of UK Fresh Produce and horticulture by encouraging a greater understanding of the industry and its importance to the UK economy. The sectors are a major employer, an important source of investment and an integral part of the UK food supply chain. We believe that raising the profile is an ongoing process and our ability to bring together a diverse cross sector of the industry enables us to provide a focal point for the Fresh Produce and horticultural industry.”

With the Monthly Broadcast with Beanstalk, Jack wishes to explore and discuss key elements of the day. First up there is sure to be conversation to be had around the Grower funded RandD in the wake of the AHDB Horticulture ballot and the whole element of immigration and seasonal workers and what will occur in 2021 and beyond.

In the second broadcast with Craig McBain and Max MacGillivray, they are discussing the International agricultural sector investment opportunities.

Craig has participated in and led change in a number of organisations across multiple industries. Prior to founding his consultancy business https://www.persea.global/ (Persea, )he headed up a vertically integrated multi-national agriculture fresh produce business. With operations in South Africa and Europe, the business was involved in the production, sourcing, packing, value adding, distribution and marketing of a range of sub-tropical fresh produce. With supply partners in numerous origins in South America, Central America, Europe and Africa, Craig not only developed deep insights into successful investment models for numerous high value crops but was also exposed to the vast investment opportunities that the likes of sub-Saharan Africa provides for long-term investors.

He has also worked in private equity, as the CEO and co-investor in a platform build-up. His formative career years were spent as a process engineer and then in management consulting.

On the Broadcast they are going to look to define the different ag sector investment verticals available, such as row, permanent, in-door, specialty, livestock, aquaculture, timber, Agtech – and then the areas that provide opportunities for investment. From farmland through the value chain plus the indirect investment opportunities that are created by a growing ag sector. The contribution of ag to a countries GDP is so much more than just the produce produced and Craig is keen to highlight this to one and all!

A short Broadcast from Clive Garrett and Lianne Jones discussing the upcoming main Avocado Broadcast, click picture below or to hear the Podcast, just click the Podcast Icon.

“Women in Food and Farming” is a group of professional women in food, agriculture and the land-based industries at all stages of their careers, who get together to discuss business issues, support each other via mentorship and advice, and help generate networks of contacts that might be useful to themselves and their businesses.

Founded in 2011 by Christine Tacon CBE, the group started back in 2011 with just five women and has now grown to over 500 members. Christine is known to many as the first Grocery Code Adjudicator and head of the Co-op’s farming business, she has just been appointed Chair of Assured Food Standards which operates the Red Tractor Assurance scheme amongst other roles.

In our current strange times, Beanstalk is very proud to offer our extensive platforms to allow Women in Food and Farming to continue their conversation and debate and to encourage new members ongoing to join them, be that on a virtual Broadcast basis.

In our April Broadcast, we have the great pleasure of having Beverly Dixon on the Broadcast discussing culture and values within business and our own lives.

Beverly is incredibly well known and regarded. She is Group HR Director at G’s which is part of The Shropshire Group. They grow, pack, distribute and sell salad and vegetables to UK, European and American supermarkets and wholesalers.

Inspired by the commercial and international focus of her role, she leads teams delivering HR in UK, Europe, Africa and USA. From her knowledge base gained in FMCG, telecoms and consultancy she is highly involved in MandA, business improvement programmes, and influencing policy makers. She is very well regarded for having a creative approach to HR underpinned by a commercial outlook and an appreciation of working with a multi-cultural team in the UK and overseas and developing sustainable business through people.

The UN General Assembly designated 2021 the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables (IYFV).

FAO is the lead agency for celebrating the year in collaboration with other relevant organizations and bodies of the United Nations system.

The IYFV 2021 is a unique opportunity to raise awareness on the important role of fruits and vegetables in human nutrition, food security and health and as well in achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The Key Objectives of the IYFV 2021:

Raising awareness of and directing policy attention to the nutrition and health benefits of fruits and vegetables consumption.

Promoting diversified, balanced, and healthy diets and lifestyles through fruits and vegetables consumption.

Reducing losses and waste in fruits and vegetables food systems.

Sharing best practices on promotion, sustainability, integration of smallholders and stemming waste of fresh produce.

We discuss IYFV 2021 with Marcela Villarreal, Ph.D. Director for Partnerships and United Nations Collaboration Division and how it will be of significant benefit for all fresh sectors businesses to be aligned to the initiative to further promote fresh produce consumption.

In our very successful interview series “20 minutes with inspirational people from the International fresh food sectors”, we are delighted to be joined by Chris Veillon – Chief Marketing Officer of Pure Hothouse Foods Inc and Pure Flavor®, all the way from Canada!

Chris is a fascinating individual and was kindly introduced to us by the team from United Fresh in the USA to talk to. He is bilingual, a Global Marketing Leader with more than two decades of international experience developing awarding winning brands through strategic leadership. A thought inspirer, brand disruptor, and a conversation creator who can’t sit still. Digitally savvy, socially engaged, and an active member of a variety of international committees focusing on marketing communications.

As we will find out he enthusiastically seeks out and creates relationships with likeminded partners to create impactful engagement opportunities. Passionate about navigating to smooth water to differentiate, no matter the topic or application. And always promoting the need to #BeRevolutionary!

Three key industry professionals have come together to create a unique Group called, Healthy and Sustainable Food. This is to constantly examine what would be the results if people from different sectors were to collaborate on solutions to produce healthy, sustainable food ongoing. The Founders are:

Barbara Bray MBE – Director – ALO Solutions

Mark Driscoll – Director – Tasting the Future

Jacqui Green – Director Viridis Associates

Their aim is to improve nutritional quality of food and availability for all socio-economic groups in the UK. They will do this by bringing individuals from different sectors together for projects on sustainable nutrition.

Beanstalk Global is proud to be hosting the fifth in the series of monthly Broadcasts for Healthy and Sustainable Food.

In our March Broadcast we discuss how, as the UK Prepares for COP26, the farming and food sectors can work towards becoming Carbon Negative.

We are joined by Pete Ritchie, Executive Director of Nourish Scotland, Carolina Hock, Senior Analyst at the Carbon Trust and Ian Wilkinson, MD Cotswold Seeds and Founder and Director of FarmED.

The World Obesity Federation represents professional members of the scientific, medical and research communities from over 50 regional and national obesity associations. Through their membership they create a global community of organisations dedicated to solving the problems of obesity by ensuring that obesity is recognised as a disease and treated as such.

It is leading the way with World Obesity Day, one of their action initiatives which was established in 2015 as an annual campaign with the goal of stimulating and supporting practical actions that will help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight and reverse the global obesity crisis.

Join us for this important Broadcast with Dr. Olivia Barata Cavalcanti - Director of Science and Programmes at the World Obesity Federation.

Dr Olivia Barata Cavalcanti has over a decade of experience in public health with a special focus on obesity and public-private partnerships to fight non-communicable diseases. In her role as Director of Science and Programmes at the World Obesity, she leads the organisation's training and certification programme, SCOPE, which addresses professional development for obesity care in healthcare systems. She also oversees MAPPS, the organisation’s programme aimed at monitoring obesity prevention and treatment in health systems across the globe. Additionally, Olivia is in charge of scientific knowledge management for the organisation.

She has worked for different international and non-profit organizations in Europe and the United States where she was in responsible for all aspects of design and implementation of different health programmes on diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease for both children and adults with a focus on low-income settings. She also has deep knowledge of and experience with the UN system having worked at UNAIDS in Mozambique, for the US Fund for UNICEF and as a Fellow at the Italian Mission to the UN. Olivia has experience teaching Public Health, Community Health and Research Methods courses in different universities at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

She earned her Doctorate of Public Health degree from CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy. She also holds a Master of Public Health and a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University. She was born and raised in beautiful Rio de Janeiro and has lived in Rome, New York and Maputo before landing in London.

We find out from Olivia more about The World Obesity Federation and how their work could be beneficial to the International fresh produce sectors to help promote healthier living and increase fresh produce consumption.

The Produce Marketing Association is a key International trade organisation representing companies from every segment of the global fresh produce and floral supply chain. The PMA helps members grow by providing connections that expand business opportunities and increase sales and consumption. Their mission is to connect, inform and deliver industry solutions to enhance their members’ prosperity.

Each month, we will be focusing on a major area of South African fresh produce and discussing that all with the country’s key industry experts so we can learn and appreciate fantastic South African Fresh Produce.

We are very proud to have our Partner Sponsor KisanHub involved with this month’s Broadcast. They support fresh produce businesses in over 7 different countries managing regional, national or international supply chains.

In our third Broadcast we will be speaking to a number of leading experts on the amazing South African Grape sectors.

From the valleys of the Berg and Hex Rivers to the Bushveld in the tropical north, from the foot of Table Mountain in the Western Cape to the dry desert land of the Orange River, a wide diversity of climate and soil, where man and nature combine to produce grapes of excellent quality. Imagine a place where people of all cultures and religious persuasion work together to fulfil a common goal – growing the finest grapes in the world. The story of South African grapes is the story of people and their endeavours, of opportunities, of betterment and creating a future for all those involved with the industry.

Our expert panel:

Clayton Swart

Charl du Bois

Kandas Cloete

Heidi de Villiers