Innovation Forum podcast

In this episode, host Ian Welsh speaks with Nathan Truitt, executive vice president for climate funding at the American Forest Foundation. They explore the vital role of family-owned forests in the U.S., which comprise nearly 40% of all forested land, and how empowering these individual landowners can lead to significant conservation outcomes, including enhanced carbon sequestration and improved biodiversity.

This week: Ian Welsh speaks with Niklas Wallsargård, CEO of agri-sector business Improvin’, about how granular on-farm data can help companies measure and monitor sustainability impacts, and why traceability and farmer engagement are key to scaling positive change.

Plus, updates on the potential delay of the EUDR,  criticism of the Common Agricultural Policy, and ASDA’s expanding partnership with Too Good To Go to combat food waste, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.

Host: Ian Welsh

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This week: Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh and Emily Heslop talk about what to expect at the sustainable commodities and land use forum coming up in October. They discuss latest confirmed speakers from Mars Wrigley, Danone, Unilever and more to incorporate varying corporate perspectives amid the looming deadline of EUDR.

Plus: some reflections from last year’s sustainable commodities forum, CEO of Roundtable on Sustainable Palm oil, Joseph D’Cruz, shares with Ian on the impact of EUDR for the palm oil sector and the persistent importance of certifications to respond to the rigorous regulatory requirements.

Host: Ian Welsh

There’s still time to join us at the sustainable commodities and land use forum (Amsterdam, 22-23 October). Click here for information on how to get involved.

This week: in the first in story of a startup series, alternative protein business InsectBiotech’s co-founder Ignacio Gavilan talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about why alternative sources of low-impact protein are necessary, and the potential of what is currently waste as feedstock.

Plus: packaging waste expert John Kotlarczyk, formerly of Walgreen Boots Alliance, shares sustainable packaging trends on the rise as business prioritise sustainability. He also shares persistent challenges with material trade-offs such as paperisation and carbon emissions.

And, California sues Exxon Mobil for misleading practices on plastic recycling; California bans all plastic shopping bags, closing previous loopholes; and, South America’s forest fires surge, driven by drought and illegal deforestation, in the news digest by Ellen Atiyah.

Host: Ian Welsh

In this episode of the Innovation Forum podcast, host Ian Welsh speaks with Jonathan Sullivan, vice president of commercial sustainability, and Shai Sela, chief Scientist at Agmatix. They discuss Agmatix's role in digitising solutions for the agricultural sector, highlighting their commitment to using credible science and practical agronomy to drive innovation.

This week: Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh and Hanna Halmari share latest updates on the upcoming sustainable packaging innovation forum (Philadelphia, 29-30 October). They discuss agenda and speaker highlights including industry-focused roundtable and regulation-focused discussions.

Plus: some reflections from last year’s packaging conference in Amsterdam, when Daniel Katz from the Overbook Foundation talked with Ian about the reality of deposit return schemes and how to align incentives across stakeholders.

This week: Roel van Poppel and Christopher Stewart from food ingredients supplier ofi talk with Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb about their recent sustainability strategy launch. They explore how it will shape the company’s collaboration with farmer suppliers and customers across diverse sourcing landscapes, as well as the role of stakeholder engagement in gathering positive and constructive feedback during the strategy launch.

Plus: delay or no delay tug-of-war continues for EUDR in the EU and beyond; and, over 500 financial institutes calls governments to strengthen climate and nature policies ahead of COP29, in the news digest by Innovation Forum’s Ellen Atiyah.

Host: Ian Welsh

• Belinda Borck, global public policy coordinator, Tony’s Open Chain

Krishna Manda, vice president of sustainability at sustainable cellulose textiles manufacturer Lenzing Group, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about the complexities in achieving net zero emissions in the textile industry. They discuss the critical role of science-based targets in aligning organisational efforts and the innovative strategies needed to tackle significant challenges, particularly in decarbonising heat demand.

This week: Innovation Forum’s Emily Heslop and Ian Welsh share the latest updates on the upcoming sustainable commodities and land use forum in Amsterdam, 22nd-23rd October. They talk about agenda and speaker highlights coming up, specifically focusing on discussions around regenerating nature and biodiversity. Click here for information on how to get involved. And do listen out for a special podcast listeners discount. 

Plus: insights from Golden Agri-Resources’ chief sustainability and communications officer Anita Neville, speaking with Ian at last year’s forum. She discusses what the implementation of EU deforestation regulation could look like at the end of 2024 and consequences business should be looking out and prepare for.