Consumers will demand greater transparency and ethical responsibility from food and beverage makers in the year ahead, according to a trend forecast for 2010 from market research organization Mintel.
The globe’s two biggest food firms, Nestlé and Kraft, have launched internal investigations after a Greenpeace report claimed both purchase palm oil from Indonesian company PT Smart whose parent group Sinar Mas allegedly engages in widespread illegal...
Unilever has halted all purchases of palm oil from Indonesian company PT SMART after a Greenpeace report alleged that its parent group Sinar Mas is engaged in widespread illegal deforestation and peatland clearance in Indonesia.
Reducing meat and dairy consumption, eating fewer fatty and sugary foods, and wasting less food are the three changes to consumption habits that will have the biggest impact on making diets more sustainable, says a new report.
Danisco’s CEO talks of his optimism that a political agreement will be reached during the Copenhagen climate talks, and for subsequent rules and regulations to enable an even playing-field for competition globally.
Most grocery manufacturers have either maintained or increased their investment in sustainability during the recession a survey has found, indicating the importance it will play for businesses in the coming decade.
Two food industry executives discuss the importance of people, planet and profits, the need to keep and eye on energy use and emissions, and how to ensure long term security of food supply.
The EU food and drink industry is keen for a deal in Copenhagen next month as ongoing uncertainty over climate change policy would undermine its ability to invest profitably and innovate, says the CIAA.
Developing a sustainability strategy makes sense for food ingredients companies to ensure security of supply, to leverage brand opportunity in innovations, and to realise returns on investment in agriculture, says an Oxfam expert.
There’s a perfect storm building for food prices. You don’t have to scan the horizon to see the signs; the clouds are developing all around us - at a faster rate than anyone expected.
Food and beverage manufacturers are driving sustainability in the supply chain, says an Oxfam specialist, but they face more risks in catering to demand for ethically-produced products than retailers.
An initiative to improve the agricultural, environmental and social aspects of sourcing cocoa from West Africa achieved has achieved a milestone, as the first beans have arrived in Europe for processing.
A resource map outlining where and how much meat and fish – as well as it associated packaging – is wasted in the supply chain is to be developed in a bid to cut all three and save cash for industry players.
Nestle and Marks & Spencer have this week made new pledges about their use of sustainable palm oil, with both ramping up to using only certified oil in products by 2015.
Meat and dairy substitutes could play a major role in cutting global emissions and present opportunities to food companies – but they need marketing investment to attract consumers, says a World Watch report.
Plans to include food processors in Australia’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) but with special support have been welcomed by the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC).
Overcoming consumer barriers is key to encouraging more sustainable consumption – and stimulating innovation by businesses serving them, says a new report.
‘Hunger down 50 per cent this year’, ‘Malnutrition eradicated in Africa’. Alas, dream headlines not gracing any newspapers this World Food Day. But if we hope to read them one day, governments, industry – and yes, individuals – need to stop thinking of...
Quality and supply problems stand in the way of buying palm oil entirely from certified sustainable sources, according to Nutella manufacturer Ferrero.
Every company should be aiming at zero waste from their factory or production process, said speakers at the Sustainability Round Table – and better resource use can bring cost savings.
Meals based on pea protein make a smaller contribution to global warming and are better for soil than animal protein meals, but they fall down on energy use, says a new Swedish-Spanish study.
Cargill Cocoa and Chocolate is aiming to have 10,000 tonnes of UTZ-certified cocoa available for the market in 2010, as the first two Ivory Coast cooperatives achieve certification and others are expected to get there soon.
The Malaysian Palm Oil Council’s (MPOC) recent attempt to defend the crop’s environmental credentials has been judged misleading by the UK’s advertising authorities.
A Danish cardiologist has added his voice to calls for a reduction in red meat consumption – both for the good of people’s hearts and for the good of the planet.
UK consumers have a great desire to learn about conditions for food producers in poor countries, a new survey indicates, which food manufacturers can satisfy by flagging up their ethical sourcing efforts.
The European Crop Protection Association has expressed concern that restrictive EU regulation on pesticide use could stand in the way of global food security, following the UK’s Food Security Assessment.
Helen Browning, chair of the Food Ethics Council, expects the food and fairness inquiry will inspire food businesses to adopt good supply chain practices and warn them off bad ones - ultimately benefit their businesses in the long term.
A major new inquiry is seeking evidence on fairness in the global food system and will deliver a set of recommendations for food producers, retailers and governments on ethical practices.
Brazilian soy processor have extended their moratorium on sourcing from newly deforested areas of the Amazon, as efforts to curb destruction of the rainforest need more time to take affect.
The UK’s organic sector is waking up to the need to market its key messages and is planning a conference to examine consumer attitudes and share experiences.
The CIAA has invited the Swedish presidency to take part in the recently launched Round Table on Sustainable Production and Consumption (SPC); while Sweden has made food and the climate one of its priorities for agriculture over the next six months.
The WWF suggests that red meat packs should carry labels advising people to consume no more than three portions a week, and dairy products no more than three a day, according to reports.
Swedish authorities have drawn up a new set of guidelines on diet choices for health and the environment and is circulating them around the EU for feedback – and to encourage take up of the strategy elsewhere.
Danisco’s new sustainability chief will look to build more value from company policies and seeing results on the bottom line – as well as for the environment and local communities.
Symrise has received fair trade certification for its bourbon vanilla extracts from Madagascar, offering farmers advice and premiums that help dissuade them from switching to less labour intensive crops.
Representatives of the UK soft drink industry claim that ‘creative’ innovation across the industry is keeping manufacturers on track to meet their sustainability goals, though more must be done in the future.
The UK government’s policy on sustainable food and farming has been overtaken by developments in climate change and obesity and is no longer fit for its purpose, says the chair of the Sustainable Development Commission.
Participants in the Round Table on Responsible Soy unanimously agreed a set of voluntary production standards on Thursday to reduce the negative environmental and social impacts of soy production.
As consumers seek out food with a reduced carbon footprint, some experts believe a dietary shift from red meat and dairy consumption may be more effective than turning to locally sourced products, suggests new analysis.
Speculation in the commodity markets needs close monitoring to help ease price volatility, the first ever G8 meeting of agricultural ministers has concluded, and agri-food chains should be more closely-coordinated to boost efficiency.
FoodNavigator talks to Peter Melchett, policy director at the Soil Association, about communication efforts to help more consumers understand and engage in organics, and the all-important issue of climate change.
Consumers don’t just expect companies to do no harm in communities they source from, but to actually contribute to development, a major international survey commissioned by FLO International indicates – and they appear to be sticking by their principles...
Mars has pledged that its entire cocoa supply will be certified as sustainably produced by 2020, through a multi-year, multi-country deal forged with the Rainforest Alliance.
Organic Monitor is organising a Sustainable Foods Summit in June, which will give air the key debates on ethical and environment aspects of the food supply chain.
The supply chain for stevia is sound and sustainable, says PureCircle, which is communicating the ethical values behind its high purity Reb-A sweetener in keeping with the natural image.
The food industry’s new sustainability roundtable will seek to unify all the green assessment methods now in use and under development, says the CIAA’s environmental director, rather than developing yet another approach from scratch.
