Tried and Supplied

How can progress be made on things like reducing global plastics when countries with vested interests can block development? The recent Global Plastics Treaty ended with no resolution, as oil countries Saudi Arabia, Russia and Iran resisted a deal being made, despite 100 countries and more than 250 businesses wanting progress on this issue. https://lnkd.in/dsbnkHyd #Plastics #ClimateChange #CircularEconomy

Can you guess what food is responsible for 10% of global methane emissions?   It’s rice! It is actually second to beef for greenhouse gases. The flooding of paddy fields to grow the rice not only uses a lot of water but also create the conditions for methane, through bacteria growth. A number of large and small organisations are starting to take note, including Mars, Tilda and UK start up NICE RICE, testing new ways to help farmers reduce emissions and increase yields.   https://lnkd.in/edKGsJJd #MethaneEmissions #GreenhouseGases #ClimateChange

Henry Dimbleby and Dr Dolly van Tulleken have written a new report aiming to improve the UK’s health by reducing obesity. The report includes interviews with UK politicians, including former prime ministers, on the challenges they faced in their roles. These include conflicts of interest, fears of a “nanny state”, and responsibility lying with a variety of government departments. While there are no specific policy recommendations, there are suggestions on how to successfully implement policy changes. You can read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/e56eibTp #Health #UKFood #Obesity

This week it is #SmallBusinessSaturday. While smaller businesses can be more transparent, as they may have less complex supply chains, sometimes they may not have the resources to invest in sustainability like some larger organisations can. The best ones that we know use vertical integration to manage their supplies and their manufacturing. Yockenthwaite Farm use traditional methods to create their oats, granola and muesli, as well as using sustainable packaging. Riverside Dairy create ice cream using milk from the cows on their farm, winning an award where their commitment to sustainable farming was highlighted. #SupplyChain #FoodAndBev

Food origin is sometimes not always what it seems. This investigation by the BBC found that tomato puree that was labelled as Italian actually contained tomatoes from China, and specifically from Xinjiang, where there are concerns about forced labour from Uyghur re-education camps. It also demonstrates how complicated and deceptive the supply chain can be. In order for the BBC to carry out this investigation, they engaged a company that specialises in analysing food’s trace elements to identify the country the tomatoes originated from. They also sent in an undercover reporter, who asked questions about the origin and obtained images of some of the barrels of paste, demonstrating their link to China. It is difficult for both food producers and consumers to identify slave labour in the supply chain, where suppliers may hide details about their products. Transparency is vital to ensure that food is produced ethically and sustainably. https://lnkd.in/e6KrwZJT #SupplyChain #Sustainability #FoodAndBev

The positive impacts for EUDR on the environment risk being derailed first by delays and then by the potential introduction of a “no risk” category. EUDR as initially proposed would have categorised countries into low, standard and high risk based on their levels of deforestation. Companies would then have been expected to confirm that their products had not been sourced from deforested land, amongst other requirements. The newly proposed no risk category, indicating a country with “stable” forest land, would mean they would be subject to less of the requirements that low, standard and high risk countries would be. Forestry and climate campaigners are concerned that it may lead to an increase in “laundering” of products through no risk countries and also complacency amongst those countries deemed no risk. To keep up to date with EUDR developments and find out how to ensure your company is compliant, get in touch with us. https://lnkd.in/ecY-ACuC #EUDR #Deforestation #ClimateChange

We are very impressed with The National Farmers Union in the USA for its open letter to Donald Trump thoughtfully outlining the significance of climate change on agriculture. Farmers are often at the front line of climate change because the effects of it are very apparent to those working the land. Equally they often have innovative ways to address the challenges. In the letter, they break down the various ways that the Trump administration could support farmers, specifically calling attention to climate change and mentioning the volatility of the weather on farming. They additionally highlight how policies and resources from the government can provide farmers with knowledge and financial support to protect the land while producing more food, and talk about the importance of biofuels and healthcare and mental health support for rural workers. You can read the full letter via AgDaily: https://lnkd.in/ejRMk3-Y #ClimateChange #Agriculture #Farming

While the proposal to cut business rates for hospitality in 2026 is welcome news, many hospitality businesses are asking for more details on the tax relief, particularly on how this will affect the entire sector. Some are also questioning the reduction in current business rates support from 75% to 40%, given that the maintenance of the support is supposed to help businesses before the new rate cuts come. Are you optimistic about the future planned cuts? https://lnkd.in/eRVdECKW #Hospitality #BusinessRates #Taxes

Great to see food companies developing educational resources to talk about food and nutrition. Chartwells has created a series of videos and other resources to help children learn more about their own nutrition and make healthier choices. These can be supported in the classroom with a variety of lesson plans and quizzes. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/edYzYvKN #Nutrition #HealthyEating #GutHealth

Food Matters Live is happening on 26-27 in Manchester - do we know anyone attending? A few of the talks on the programme that caught our eye: 🍽️“Regenerative agriculture in action: Challenges and opportunities of integrating regenerative food practices into the food service supply chain” with Dr Vincent Walsh of RegenFarmCo, Jonathan Davies from Levy and Hattie Park of The All England Lawn Tennis Club ⛓️ “How are new regulations and policy developments reshaping the ingredients supply chain?” with Chris West from University of York, Nahuel Tunon of The Fairtrade Foundation, Maggie FitzHerbert of The Soil Association and Ed Ayton from Abel and Cole. 🌱“Pathways to Net Zero: Pragmatic Solutions for Scope 3 Emissions and Sustainable Business Growth” with Meredith Ford at the SSP Group. You can find out more here ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gFPB9qW2 #Sustainability #RegenerativeAgriculture #NetZero