SAI Platform’s Post

🌍📈 Today, we co-hosted an event alongside MATS H2020 and the International Institute for Sustainable Development, on exploring novel modeling approaches to agricultural trade policy analysis and bridging the crucial gap between scientific research and policy-making. We're excited to share the outcome of this collaboration: a Joint Statement titled "Leveraging Opportunities for Better-Informed and More Sustainable Agricultural Trade Policies Through the Use of Systemic Methods." In this statement, we reaffirm our commitment to fostering a more sustainable and equitable food system. We recognize the pivotal role that agri-food trade plays in enhancing global food security and driving economic growth. At the same time, we are conscious of the complex trade-offs between trade practices and the multifaceted dimensions of sustainable development, including environmental, social, and economic factors. We advocate for a reinforced approach to agri-food trade analysis to address these challenges. This approach should integrate sustainability considerations and enable a more comprehensive, evidence-based assessment of trade policies. This is to ensure that trade policies are in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and promote a resilient, inclusive food system for all.🤝 #SustainableTrade #AgriFood #TradePolicy #SDGs #EUH2020 #Sustainability #FoodSecurity #InclusiveGrowth

The Global Framework on Chemicals (#GFC), adopted by the #ICCM5 in Bonn in 2023, provides a vision for a planet free of harm from chemicals and waste, for a safe, healthy and sustainable future – where industry and private sectors are strategic actors to foster innovation, move towards sustainable business models and drive change. Safer and sustainable chemistries are a key part of this equation and organizations such as Change Chemistry (formerly Green Chemistry & Commerce Council (GC3)) Chemistry and their collaborative ecosystem are important for leveraging the commitments set out in the GFC. This session discusses how the value chain can best engage the #finance sector for achieving these ICCM5 goals. Learn more during the #2024EuropeanForum session “Towards 2030 UN Goals: Finance Sector sees Competitive Growth and Opportunity in the Transition to Safer, Sustainable Chemistries” featuring: 🔸 Alexandra McPherson | Director of the Investor Environmental Health Network (IEHN) Clean Production Action (moderator)  🔸 Caroline Boden | Director of Shareholder Advocacy, Mercy Investment Services 🔸 Rachel Crossley | Head of Stewardship, Europe, BNP Paribas Asset Management 🔸 Henrik Edin | Policy Advisor, ChemSec 🔸 Peggy Lefort, Policy and Circular Economy Lead, United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) 🧪 Explore the full agenda and register to attend the meeting, June 12-14 in Seneffe, Belgium: https://lnkd.in/dAWbqKQj #SustainableChemistry #GreenChemistry Dow

🍃  Exciting Update! 🍃 Last Tuesday (8th October 2024), I had the opportunity to present at the FNLI annual meeting on my research: “The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) in the Dutch Agrifood Industry: From Challenge to Chance?” 🌱📊 It was a real pleasure to share insights from my research on the potential effects of CSRD on European food systems. While the regulation adds an administrative burden for companies, it also opens up opportunities for developing competitive advantages in sustainability. 🌍💼 Curious to learn more? Contact me, I am happy to discuss the topic. Stay tuned! My publication will be out in a couple of weeks. 📅✨ #Sustainability #Agrifood #CSRD #RaboResearch #FNLI #CompetitiveAdvantage 😊📈

After a late career transition I've been struck by how far behind the sustainability/low carbon sector is compared to 'old school' food safety and compliance. Monitoring real-world performance in the field seems to be totally absent. Major investment decisions by fund managers and zero-carbon strategies by companies seem to be based entirely on theoretical models. Seeing the cross-fertilization between seasoned food industry experts from Supply Chain In-sites and the young-guns in the sustainability world has been fascinating. I believe a more grounded approach to carbon assessments will result from the collaborations. #ESG #sustanability #CO2e #SCI

🌟 A Session You Shouldn’t Have Missed: Dr. Charu Jain at the #RRMA event on 24 Sept, 2024 🌍 We had the privilege of hearing from Dr. Charu Jain, Sustainability Lead at TUV Rheinland, and she absolutely delivered! Her presentation on Key Sustainability Developments shaping the Indian industry was nothing short of exceptional. From the European Green Deal to avoiding greenwashing, Dr. Jain shared insights that could transform the way businesses approach sustainability. 💡 If you weren’t there, here’s what you missed: 🔑 Impact of the European Green Deal: Dr. Jain focused on the European Green Deal and how its regulations, including the Green Claims Directive and Eco-Design for Sustainable Products, are shaping sustainability efforts in Indian industries. 🔑 Circular Economy in Chemicals: She discussed the challenges and opportunities for Indian chemical manufacturers in adopting circular economy practices and ensuring compliance with new EU sustainability standards. 🔑 Avoiding Greenwashing: Dr. Jain highlighted the importance of backing environmental claims with scientific data to avoid greenwashing, which will become even more critical under the forthcoming Green Claims Directive.  A heartfelt thank you to Dr. Charu Jain for guiding us through the complex global regulatory landscape! 🌍✨ Thank you, Dr. Charu Jain, for your valuable insights on how Indian industries can navigate the global regulatory landscape! 🌍✨ And to those who didn’t attend-well, you missed out on game-changing insights that could have prepared you for the future of sustainability. Don’t let that happen again! To benefit from great minds like her and to stay updated with the industry register here...😉psssst it's free!: https://rb.gy/tz51kf #Sustainability #CircularEconomy #GreenClaimsDirective #RRMA #RegulatoryCompliance #EURegulations

Here’s the paper co-authored by the Network Co-Leads, myself and all of this years Food Champions plus many other contributors from the #AFNNetwork+. Thanks to all. *This is not just for academics!* *And it’s not just for the Sustainability team in your organisation.* Innovation throughout our businesses will sustain them to grow and thrive into an uncertain future. This work is for all teams; strategy, operations, commercial, people, finance, operations, technology, property and brand. To have a sustainable business is to have a successful and viable future. Innovation is the beating heart of horizons 2 and 3 when business planning. This free resource is a pointer to where your business will need to adapt, respond and innovate. In this report are some of the big questions and how they can be addressed. This document lays out the collective view from the Agri-Food system of research and policy priorities to help accelerate net zero progress in UK Agri-Food this year. If there is something in here which resonates with you or you’d like to understand more about please get in touch. If your priority is not referenced or you’d like to add or amend to drive innovation towards net zero for your part of the system please get in touch. This is a collective effort and is going towards defining which work will be funded by UKRI Agri-Food Network+ this year. With £600k to invest there is plenty of scope. I believe this is a valuable resource and starts to connect the dots in a broad and deep, complex industry, to inform and progress our approach and plans. Let’s work together and make sure we are prioritising the work which will start to shift us to a sustainable economic model for UK Agri-Food as we look to meet our net zero commitments in a way which drives success and a thriving ecosystem.

Stakeholders: Farmers, academia, private equity firms, government, entrepreneurs, MNCs, environmentalists, lawyers and each of us, as individuals, no matter where we are in the world have to play a role in agri-tech policy and discussion. I enjoyed moderating the panel we had in Singapore during the #CIAC2024 conference on "Agri-Techonologies: Agri-tech Policy: Comparing Canadian and Asian Approaches. It was clear to each of us that we need to work together for a better outcome and that technology in agriculture allow efficient results in terms of production efficiency, environment and feeding more individuals especially in this part of the world. We also discussed ESG targets which we believe are important. Canada and Asia's agrotechnology markets have grown year-on-year as farmers uptake and awareness of the benefits of agriculture technological assistance strengthens worldwide. Thanks to Rickey Yada, Woo Soo Kim and Chris Aurand, PhD and the team at Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada for giving me the opportunity to moderate this panel on a key topic. #ESG #Canada #agritech #CIAC2024 #Collaboration #AgritechEducation, #SFU #UBC #Asia #ESG #investors

Yesterday, at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, I had the pleasure talk on the panel on "Fair Trade Compliance", together with Johanna von Stechow, Tchibo GmbH, Maness Nkhata, Farmers Union of Malawi, Minister Serigne Gueye Diop, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Senegal. In my remarks I highlighted that: ❕ We need to think beyond compliance and join forces to improve conditions at the beginning of the supply chains. ❕ The burden of compliance with ESG regulations is not necessarily a burden, if it lead to better jobs and less pressure on the ecosystem. ❕ This requires high income countries multilateral development banks to step up and provide the tools and the financing mechanism needed to upgrade and green value chain in lesser developed countries. 📖 read more on UNIDO's work on sustainable supply chains here: https://lnkd.in/dtStzZ4t

Ministry of Industrialisation aims to align Namibian industries with EU sustainability standards: Staff Reporter THE Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade will soon collaborate with representatives from the European Union (EU), industry leaders, and local stakeholders to align Namibian industries with EU standards and enhance supply chain transparency. This announcement was made by Lucia Iipumbu, the Minister of Industrialisation and Trade, at the Namibia-EU Trade and Sustainability Conference held at Droombos. She explained that the conference’s goal is to encourage discussions on sustainable growth, responsible trade, and stronger cooperation between Namibia and EU partners. “Over the next two days, we will engage in-depth with several key topics on the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (EUCSDDD), and the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). These frameworks are not merely regulatory measures; they represent guiding principles that encourage industries to operate responsibly and sustainably, ensuring that the path to economic growth is aligned with environmental protection and social equity,” she explained. Aligning with these regulatory frameworks, she added, presents valuable opportunities for Namibia to strengthen its global economic standing. “The CBAM encourages our industries to adopt low-carbon practices, which not only aligns with our low-carbon economy goals but also enhances the appeal of Namibian exports in environmentally-conscious markets. The EUCSDDD reinforces ethical and transparent practices across supply chains, promoting human rights, environmental protection, and fair labour practices within our industries. The EUDR supports Namibia’s efforts to combat deforestation, helping us protect our ecosystems and maintain market access to the EU by ensuring our forest and agricultural products meet the highest sustainability standards,” she explained. Iipumbu pointed out that while these EU regulations primarily apply to EU industries, they also create opportunities for Namibia to strengthen trade relations and collaborate with European businesses affected by these standards. She emphasised that aligning with these standards will therefore enhance Namibia’s global competitiveness, expand its market access, and align it with international best practices. “This conference is a crucial step on our journey towards sustainable trade and environmental stewardship. Following our discussions, the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade will work closely with our EU partners, industry leaders, and local stakeholders to translate the insights and recommendations gathered here into action. We will focus on aligning with EU standards, investing in skills development, enhancing transparency in supply chains, and ensuring that Namibian industries can demonstrate compliance with international best…

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