AGRI-FOOD SUSTAINABILITY: Holistic Farming Approach to Meet World Food Demand Sustainability

Published December 20, 2013 in thepigsite.com

Holistic Farming Approach to Meet World Food Demand Sustainability

20 December 2013

GLOBAL - A holistic long-term approach may be the key to introducing sustainability into the food and agriculture (F&A) equation, according to a new report from Rabobank.

Fundamentally, this would entail a shift in farmers' focus away from yield maximisation and towards input optimisation.

However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution and technological innovations tailored towards the specific issues within a farming category are pivotal to improving best practices, and impact the way farm input companies view their business models.

"Without a holistic approach towards feeding the world, the global agriculture industry's capacity to keep up with demand will be stretched at the expense of the environment," said Rabobank analyst, Dirk Jan Kennes.

"A strategy that includes resolving structural resource imbalances, optimising F&A supply chain efficiency and reducing waste within the global F&A complex would ease the pressure on agricultural yield improvement and would help align the interests of the different stakeholders."

Rabobank has identified the over-application of fertilisers and inefficient water usage as critical to a step change shift in farmers' perception of best practice.

Agriculture accounts for 70 percent of global water demand and technologies to optimise irrigation systems will be key to future water conservation.

Similarly, an integrated approach is needed to optimise farm inputs to enable farmers to apply at the right time, place and rate; subsequently reducing the environmental impact and initial cost.

Technological innovations in both areas are being developed as higher farm input prices incentivise farm input companies to spend more on research and development (R&D).

Every year, an estimated 1 billion tonnes of produce is wasted along global F&A supply chains.

In addition to reducing waste, it is crucial that all links in the supply chain work together to solve the food supply problem.

However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Rabobank has identified four different farming groups-agro-enterprises, family farms, smallholders and agricultural adventurers-which each require a unique approach to improving best practices. Such methods include:

• Soil conditioning for those farms which operate with less crop rotation
• High-tech innovations including accurate soil-water sensors and GPS technology for variable planting density
• Research, education and farming recommendations through less intensive ICT-services
• Land transformation and infrastructure through collaborations of funders, agronomic consultants and contract farmers

"The ability to gather a broad set of data on climatic conditions, soil conditions and crop conditions transfers farming into more of a science", Mr Kennes added.

"Turning this data into farming practices requires intense cooperation between all partners in the agricultural production chain for which product form, application technology and farm operations need to be fully aligned."

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AGRI-FOOD SUSTAINABILITY: Sustainable food chains make business sense and consumers happy

Sustainable food chains make business sense and consumers happy

Customers want food they can trust and expect retailers to do the ethical and environmental thinking for them

Sponsored feature

• Caspar van Vark
• theguardian.com, Wednesday 4 December 2013 07.00 GMT

Responsible supermarkets are now making moves to ensure the sustainability of all of the fish they sell. Photograph: Graeme Robertson

In a year when horsemeat contamination and food waste have made the headlines, consumers are more conscious about the operation of the food system. Everyone wants food they can trust, but today's shoppers increasingly want more than that, and expect retailers to embed ethical and environmental sustainability in all of their products.

This was one of the messages that came out of a recent progress report by Sainsbury's, two years into its 20x20 sustainability commitments programme.

"Customers want us to act for them and ask the question and take the actions they would expect," said Justin King, chief executive ofSainsbury's, speaking at the launch of the report on 20 November.

"We can help them by taking on that responsibility and solving complex problems for them. Ultimately, the power of 24 million customers shopping with us will always mean we can make a big difference more quickly."

This mainstreaming of sustainability is a response to customers no longer seeing the issue as a bonus feature, sold under a label, such asFairtrade, with a price premium to match. Ethical and environmental sustainability is increasingly seen as fundamental, and consumers expect supermarkets to make it easy for them to live by those principles.

"When surveyed, most shoppers say that, on key ethical food issues, they want their supermarket to make those choices for them, before the product even reaches the shelf," says Kath Dalmeny, policy director of the charity Sustain, which campaigns for better food and farming.

Indeed, shoppers express surprise when they discover their trusted supermarket is selling endangered fish, for example. As Dalmeny says: "The more responsible of the major supermarkets are now making principled and cost-effective moves to ensure the sustainability of all of the fish they sell, to reduce the environmental footprint of products, and to pay fair prices to farmers in poor countries."

One of Sainsbury's commitments under the 20x20 plan, for instance, is for all of its fish to be independently certified as sustainable. It is also about to launch its own set of standards, run by an independent body, covering all of the 35 key raw materials in its supply chain that may not be fully covered by existing standards, such as Fairtrade, the Rainforest Alliance and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).

"MSC and Fairtrade are great and we want to be able to say our standards are independently audited across these 35 or so raw materials," said King.

This trend towards embedding sustainability is being seen in other sectors, too. Unilever, for example, introduced a Sustainable Living Planin November 2010, which it describes as "a driver of everything we do so that each time a consumer chooses one of our products, it improves their life, their community and the world we all share".

"Environmental sustainability is starting to be seen as more than an optional extra," says Duncan Williamson, food policy manager at WWF UK. "There are increasing numbers of businesses who are seeing the environment as core to their future business models."

Businesses also see sustainability as a way of engaging with their customers, and the issue of tackling waste lends itself well to this. Food waste is something consumers are increasingly conscious of and want to act on. In early November, the Waste & Resources Action Programme (Wrap) revealed that, since 2007, the UK has reduced avoidable household food waste by 21%.

Many consumers clearly care about this and it may seem counterintuitive for a supermarket to encourage consumers to waste less if it means they'll buy less. But, according to Alice Ellison, environment policy adviser at the British Retail Consortium, this is an important way of creating value. That means selling affordable food, "but also making sure we can make the most of it", she says.

Ellison cites a range of steps taken by retailers to reduce household food waste, from providing clear storage advice and recipe ideas to offering more portion sizes and designing packaging that extends a product's shelf life. "These have helped to drive significant reductions in the amount of food and drink we throw away," she notes.

According to Sainsbury's 20x20 update, the supermarket's Make Your Roast Go Further campaign, in January 2013, was one of its most successful of the year. This substantiates King's argument that there is a business rationale in helping consumers waste less.

"Helping customers spend less by buying and consuming everything they buy is in our long-term interest, if we help you do that better than our competitors … It's not good for us to have someone looking at a bag of salad in the bin thinking 'I was tempted to buy that at Sainsbury's, but I wasted it'."

Brand owners have realised that embedding sustainability into their supply chains and brand propositions is important to their survival, as well as giving customers what they want. The supply and demand sides are coming together under the sustainability agenda, and that's why it makes sense to embrace it.

"It's not just about CSR [corporate social responsibility]," says Williamson. "It's about resilience, and their medium- and long-term future. Companies are recognising that the core elements of the food system – water, land, ecosystem services and oil – are becoming scarcer and will cost more. A sustainable food system will need responsible business."

Credits

This content is brought to you by Guardian Sustainable Business in association with Sainsbury's. Paid for by Sainsbury's. All editorial controlled and overseen by the Guardian.

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AGRI-FOOD SUSTAINABILITY: FAO: Major boost for Zimbabwe’s sustainable agricultural development and food security efforts

FAO: Major boost for Zimbabwe’s sustainable agricultural development and food security efforts

12/23/2013 | 09:30am US/Eastern in 4-Traders.com

FAO and DFID agree on a 4-year, $48 million project on climate-smart agriculture, training, market access and inclusive financing

Increasing agricultural productivity means boosting sustainability.

20 December 2013, Harare/Rome -The United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID) and FAO have agreed on a four-year initiative to support Zimbabwe's efforts to address the root causes of poverty and food insecurity, and build resilience against climate change.

The innovative new programme will enable poor vulnerable farming households to improve food security, nutrition and income while strengthening their long-term resilience.

DFID is providing a $48 million (GBP 30 million) package of funding for an FAO-managed programme to increase sustainability of agriculture, contribute to rural employment and improve nutrition - from childhood to maturity - in Zimbabwe.

The programme will reduce poverty in many parts of the country by increasing incomes of poor farming households through climate-smart farming practices that will raise agricultural productivity, along with initiatives that will improve farmer access to markets.

FAO will be responsible for the overall management of the programme, including coordination of activities, technical quality and reporting on results. The programme will seek to help nearly 300 000 people in selected districts.
What makes this arrangement unique is the type of collaboration with the resource partner, in which FAO manages a programme, sharing implementation with a great number of partners. The large amount of resources put at FAO's disposal underlines the trust and confidence that DFID has in FAO's ability to deliver," said Daniel Gustafson, FAO Deputy Director-General for Operations.

More than 70 percent of Zimbabweans depend primarily on agriculture for their livelihoods, but they face a wide range of challenges, including low productivity; limited market integration; low soil fertility in some regions; the impact of climate change; limited irrigation systems; a lack of smallholder-oriented credit systems; and weak agricultural training and services.

The Livelihoods and Food Security Programme will focus on poverty reduction, but also on addressing specific constraints that smallholder farmers, particularly women, face in boosting agricultural productivity and gaining full access to market systems. It will aim, among other things, at:

• boosting short-term employment opportunities through safety-net programmes that will help women and men improve nutrition and invest in their farms;
• improving irrigation infrastructure;
• linking smallholder farmers with markets;
• providing enabling environments through policy support and encouraging public and private investments; and,
• increasing agricultural production and productivity of nutritious foods.

Making farmers resilient against climate change is one of the objectives of the programme. To strengthen food production mechanisms, it will focus on promoting appropriate climate-smart technologies and farming systems, such as greater crop diversity, improved storage, processing and preservation, crop rotations, conservation agriculture and irrigation. Resilient livestock production approaches will be promoted, covering improved feeding strategies, fodder crop production, animal husbandry and breeding practices.

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FOOD SUSTAINABILITY: Global Food Sustainability - What can I do?

Global Food Sustainability - What can I do?

This is an excellent article found on the website: David Suzuki Foundation

(Credit: Loose Ends via Flickr.)

It's not only how we choose to travel or heat our homes that determines our carbon footprint. What we eat also has a climate impact. Understanding the resources that go into producing our meals can make us more aware of the relationship between food and climate change, and help us make better choices.

There are several factors that contribute to food's climate impact, including: how low on the food chain it is, how much energy is used to produce it (and whether the food is grown organically or with chemical inputs), and how far it has to travel before it gets to the table.

Meat and climate change

Meat production is a major contributor to climate change. It is estimated that livestock production accounts for 70 per cent of all agricultural land use and occupies 30 per cent of the land surface of the planet. Because of their sheer numbers, livestock produce a considerable volume of greenhouse gases (such as methane and nitrous oxide) that contribute to climate change. In fact, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has estimated that livestock production is responsible for 18% of greenhouse gases.

The growing of livestock and other animals for food is also an extremely inefficient process. For example, it takes approximately five to seven kilograms of grain to produce one kilogram of beef. Each of those kilograms of grain takes considerable energy and water to produce, process, and transport.

As meat consumption has grown around the world, so has its climate impact.

The problems with chemical agriculture

Other agricultural practices can impact the climate. Synthetic pesticides and fertilizers are widely used in agriculture, and are often made from fossil fuels. Manufacturing and transporting these chemicals uses significant quantities of energy and produces greenhouse gases. Not surprisingly, studies have shown that chemical farming uses considerably more energy per unit of production than organic farms, which do not use these chemical inputs. In addition, the use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers in soils produces nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that is approximately 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.

Organic farms, on the other hand — which rely on natural manure and compost for fertilizer — store much more carbon in the soil, keeping it out of the atmosphere.

Food that's closer to home

Where your food comes from is also a factor. Currently, the average meal travels 1200 km from the farm to plate. Food that is grown closer to home will therefore have fewer transportation emissions associated with it, and also be fresher and support local farmers. And as the distance food travels decreases, so does the need for processing and refrigeration to reduce spoilage.

Local or organic: which is better for the climate?

While it's good to buy locally grown food for many reasons, 'food miles' (the distance food is transported from the time of its production until it reaches the consumer) actually make up a relatively small percentage of the overall carbon footprint of food — approximately 11% on average, according to studies. How the food is grown makes up a much larger percentage — roughly 83%.

For example, one study showed that lamb raised in New Zealand and shipped 18,000 kilometers to the UK still produced less than one quarter of the greenhouse gases than local British lamb. Why? Because local flocks were fed grains, which take a lot of energy to grow, while the New Zealand flocks were grazed on grass. Shipping the lamb to the UK was responsible for only 5% of the overall greenhouse gases, whereas 80% of the emissions were from farm activities. Similar lifecycle assessments have found the same results for other foods. One assessment done for packaged orange juice found that over a third of the lifecycle emissions came from just the synthetic fertilizer used on the orange groves.

Choosing to buy food that is organically grown can therefore be a better choice for the climate. But if possible, buy food that that is organic and local.

So what can you do to reduce your impact when you eat?

Eat meat-free meals

• Try to eat at least one meat-free meal per day. If you're already doing that, gradually increase the number of meat-free meals you eat.

• Plan ahead. If going meatless means changing your habits drastically, you'll enjoy it more if you do some research and find really yummy recipes before you go shopping.

• Choose veggie restaurants and meatless menu alternatives when you go out — they're sprouting up all over the place!

• Check out these cool websites: Vegetarian Times, Epicurious, World Community Cookbooks

Buy organic and local whenever possible

• Vote with your fork. Let your local farmers know organic is the way to grow! In addition to being better for the climate, organic food has many other advantages. First, it is grown without genetically modified organisms. As well, organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy come from animals that are not fed antibiotics or growth hormones. And because organic foods are grown in healthy soils, they are typically more nutritious, containing more vitamins and minerals. Finally, organic farms promote genetic biodiversity, create less water pollution and soil damage, and result in fewer poisonings of farm workers, and less harm to wildlife.

• Read labels when you shop. Choose food that is organically grown and locally produced.

• Talk to the produce manager at your grocery store. Tell them what you want and why.

Other things you can do

• Don't waste food. Close to half of all food produced worldwide is wasted after production, discarded in processing, transport, supermarkets and kitchens. When people throw food out, all the resources to grow, ship, package and produce it are wasted, too, including massive amounts of water. Click here to find out how you can help end food waste.

• Grow some of your own food. Growing vegetables at home eliminates some of the transport required to get food to your table. It also lets you grow your food without chemicals. You can grow some great vegetables in even the smallest of spaces such as a balcony or patio space. Try growing herbs, tomatoes, lettuce, and other veggies.

• Do an inventory of how you look after your garden and lawn. Get rid of toxic substances (but discard them appropriately so those poisons don't end up in landfills). For information on how to do this, check out Product Care and theGeorgia Strait Alliance Toxic Smart page. Find safe alternatives, and learn how to garden organically. It's easy!

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AGRI-FOOD SUSTAINABILITY: INDUSTRY LEADERS JOIN TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY

INDUSTRY LEADERS JOIN TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY

Published December 12, 2103 in Food Product Design

Posted in News, Business, International, Sustainability, Unilever, DSM

LONDON—Chief financial officers from of some of Europe’s preeminent corporations, including Danone, Royal DSM and Unilever, have joined a leadership network aimed at embedding environmental and social sustainability issues into company strategy and finances. The network was launched on Dec. 12 at the eighth A4S Annual Forum.

The Chief Financial Officer Leadership Network, established by the Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) Project, founded by HRH The Prince of Wales, is the first group of its kind to focus on the role CFOs play in integrating environmental and social issues into financial decision making. There is a growing commercial imperative for businesses to take these factors into account if they are to future-proof their organizations; and there is now clear evidence that companies which address environmental and social issues deliver improved commercial returns.

“CFOs have a vital role to play in making sure their businesses thrive, not just today, but tomorrow and into the future. The bottom line is that sustainable business equals good business. I am therefore delighted that the A4S Chief Financial Officer Leadership Network will play a key role not only in communicating why sustainability makes business sense, but how to start accounting for it. Our children and grandchildren are depending on it," said HRH The Prince of Wales.

Member organizations in the network include Anglian Water, BUPA, Burberry Group, British Land, The Crown Estate, Danone, Royal DSM, Marks & Spencer, National Grid, Sainsbury’s, SSE, South West Water, Unilever, United Utilities, Walmart EMEA and Yorkshire Water.

The Chief Financial Officer Leadership Network will demonstrate leadership on how companies should respond to challenges including climate change, a rising and ageing global population, rapid urbanization, and increased consumption. All these issues are putting unprecedented pressure on natural resources and the fabric of society.

The network will focus on developing and sharing successful strategies so these become the “norm" across all businesses. This will include improved modeling of future risk and uncertainty as well as engagement with investors and other stakeholders to increase their understanding of the commercial benefits of sustainable business models.

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SUSTAINABILITY: UNILEVER COMMITS TO 100% SUSTAINABLE PALM OIL BY 2014

UNILEVER COMMITS TO 100% SUSTAINABLE PALM OIL BY 2014

Published November 20, 2013 in Food Product Design

Posted in News, Business, International, Fats/Oils, Palm Oil, Agriculture, Crop, Sustainability, Unilever,Beverages, Snack Foods, Desserts, Bakery / Cereal, Sauces / Gravies / Soup, Condiments, Spreads,Processing

LONDON and ROTTERDAM, Netherlands—Unilever on Nov. 14 announced that by the end of 2014 the company will source 100% sustainable palm oil for use in its products globally. The pledge is a significant move in its journey to accelerate market transformation toward sustainable palm oil.

Unilever is one of the world’s major buyers of palm oil for use in products, such as margarine, ice cream, soap and shampoo. The company purchases approximately 1.5 million tons of palm oil and its derivatives annually, representing about 3% of the world’s total production.

The company was a founder member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and co-chair the Consumer Goods Forum Steering Group on Sustainability and has led the process that  resulted in the creation of the Tropical Forest Alliance, a multi-stakeholder collaboration involving governments with the goal of eliminating deforestation.

“Market transformation can only happen if everyone involved takes responsibility and is held accountable for driving a sustainability agenda. Our progress has been made possible by the commitment and efforts of a number of our strategic suppliers," said Chief Procurement Officer Marc Engel. “We will continue to engage with our suppliers, NGOs, governments, RSPO, end users and other industry stakeholders to develop collaborative solutions to halt deforestation, protect peat land, and to drive positive economic and social impact for people and local communities."

Richard Holland, director of WWF’s Market Transformation Initiative commended the announcement and said Unilever’s 2014 commitment marks a very promising step on the continuing journey toward real market transformation to sustainable palm oil.

“Unilever’s role and actions have been instrumental on this journey so far. They helped us establish the RSPO in 2004 and have been closely involved in its development into a credible institution and standard," Holland said. “But as importantly, Unilever has also matched its commitment with action on buying RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil. We will continue to work with Unilever and others through the RSPO to encourage further certification by growers and buying of certified palm oil by manufacturers and retailers."

Sources:

• Unilever: 100% of Palm Oil bought will be traceable to known sources by end 2014

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The Global Food Industry: Hunger for growth

Hunger for growth

A new benchmarking study on growth in the global food and beverage industry offers optimism for manufacturers

BY JIM MENZIES ON OCTOBER 21, 2013 10:52AM

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Food and beverage companies around the world are now poised for growth. With recoveries well underway in the U.S., Japan, the U.K. and the Euro Zone, producers are once again investing in new markets, new products and new capacity. These findings, along with a number of other industry trends, are highlighted in Grant Thornton LLP’s recently released international food and beverage benchmarking study A Hunger for Growth: Food and beverage looks to the future.

The study comprised approximately 250 companies worldwide, with particular focus on North America, Europe and Australia/New Zealand. As you can imagine, with such an extensive study, there are numerous trends, issues and conclusions arising. When it gets right down to it, however, there are a few key messages to share.

Increasing optimism

The theme of growth was evident throughout the study. There is no question that producers around the world are optimistic. The vast majority, in all sectors of the industry, expects revenues and profits to increase this year; many are expecting double-digit growth. In addition, a significant portion expects employment in the industry to increase as well. With rapid advancement in logistics and technology, more and more producers believe they can meet customer demand almost anywhere. Although China and Southeast Asia are viewed as prime target markets for growth, many producers believe that significant growth opportunities exist in North America and Europe as well.

It was also clearly evident that producers believe they need to do their homework before embarking on these export strategies – meeting with local retailers, becoming aware of local regulations, gathering intelligence on local competitors and understanding tax compliance and planning opportunities were all identified as critical to successful export expansion.

Emerging trends also create significant growth opportunities. Producers must stay abreast of shifting consumer tastes, such as the trend towards healthier eating, or in some countries, the trend towards premium luxury products. Companies with agility, which are able to exploit these trends in the early stages with innovative new products, often profit most. Although larger companies might not be as agile, they are also able to exploit their networks and size to develop new products, leverage their established distribution channels and acquire other companies which may be further advanced in satisfying a particular trend. Regardless of size or agility, having the intelligence to recognize the trend, and the foresight to take advantage of it, are key.

Continued cost concerns

While there is definitely an air of optimism, the study also highlighted some accompanying concerns. In particular, many producers worry about rising costs, ever-increasing regulations, and supply-chain vulnerabilities. Almost two-thirds of the respondents indicated that they believe labour, transportation and materials costs will all continue to rise this year. Higher commodity prices are of particular concern, since materials typically comprise almost half of the cost of the end product. And with stringent food safety and supply chain traceability standards now in place around the world, navigating through the industry’s regulatory environment has become quite complex and costly. Producers in most parts of the world must now track their ingredients from farm to table, collaborating with partners throughout the supply chain to minimize financial, operational, legal and reputational liability that could harm their brands. Failure to comply with these standards can lead not only to regulatory sanctions, but also to major ramifications if tainted products reach the market. Interestingly, some of the more progressive producers actually view these regulations as opportunities to differentiate themselves by highlighting quality in their products, practices and supply chains

So, what should the results of the study mean to you? First, ensure that you have a growth strategy. Determine if you want to expand your existing operations internally or through mergers and acquisitions. If expanding existing operations, do you know which plants, which machinery and which technology? If you go down the M&A path, then conducting proper due diligence on your target companies and their markets is essential. In either case, you also need to make sure you can finance the expansion, so start laying the groundwork with your lenders today.

Second, innovate. Consumers want new products, improved quality and lower prices. Retailers want products that pull consumers into their stores and move products off their shelves, and concentrated power among retailers is here to stay. Strengthening your offerings to them gives you much more leverage should they try to become uncompromising.

Third, be aware of government regulation and assistance programs. With the increasingly complex worldwide regulatory environment, you must be able to monitor, measure and document your compliance with these regulations at home and abroad. In addition, make yourself aware, in whatever country you decide to operate in, of the government programs available to help you. Whether it’s tax-free zones, R&D incentives or the like, many good government programs exist and are available to help support your growth in their respective markets.

Finally, keep your ear to the ground. Local and global trends offer significant opportunities to grow. Stay current with these trends, evaluate which ones offer the greatest opportunity to you, and ensure you are in a position to take advantage of them when they arise.

To us, the most compelling message from the study is that food producers around the world are optimistic and excited. After years of uncertainty, retrenchment and delayed investments, the industry is in expansion mode once again. As a professional services firm, we are very proud to be able to serve companies in such a dynamic industry, and look forward to helping our clients satisfy their “hunger for growth.”

Jim Menzies, CA, is Global Food and Beverage industry leader for Grant Thornton LLP. For more information or to read the study in its entirety, visitwww.GrantThornton.ca/manufacturing

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