Issue #25: Display to pave the way
Our Top Stories
Lowering diners’ carbon emissions: BBC reports on the increasing uptake of carbon labelling in restaurants, with Mexican chain Wahaca now adding the carbon footprint of their dishes to their menus. With two thirds of people in favour of carbon labels, it is becoming ever more apparent that many are prepared to take climate action into their own hands, and vote with their wallets. If we are to reduce our global agricultural impact, we need to work to minimise our carbon emissions across the entire supply chain, from producer to consumer. Using carbon labels provides businesses with a means to demonstrate their engagement, all while allowing the end consumer to prompt change through sustainable food choices. [BBC]
The world’s highest scoring B Corp food business: Ecotone, Europe’s leading champion in organic, plant-based and Fairtrade food, has released its latest sustainability report and Food for Biodiversity action plan. Yahoo News points out that the report coincides with Ecotone’s B Corp recertification, which saw it crowned as the world’s highest scoring global food business with 116.5 points (80 points are needed to certify). With an average B Corp assessment score of 50.9, the benchmark reflects Ecotone’s commitment to the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability across the company. All food businesses should take note, as Ecotone proves that it is possible to be a successful, climate transparent business whilst taking accountability for your environmental impact and striving to reduce it. [Yahoo]
Hinging on the herders: The world’s largest soil carbon removal project enlists Northern Kenyan pastoralists to rehabilitate 4.7 million acres of drought-stricken land through rotational grazing practices, thus increasing ground cover, in a move that will sequester 50m tons of carbon dioxide over 30 years - equivalent to the annual emissions from more than 10m cars. The Guardian highlights the need for education around the harm of carbon emissions, so that local small-hold farmers can all become a part of the solution to climate change. By simply shifting methods, these farmers in Kenya have not only sequestered carbon, but also provided long term stability to the food production of the land. With greater adoption of these types of projects, there becomes a growing hope that a sustainable food system is not out of reach. [The Guardian]
How you can spot greenwashing: Not all environmental claims are created equal. But it can sometimes be hard to distinguish the true claims from the misleading ones. National Geographic outlines the easiest ways to spot greenwashing. The best first step is to inform yourself about the nature and manifestations of the practice. In a study which showed two greenwashing ads, 57% of the group who were given no information on greenwashing trusted the advertisements. By highlighting forms of greenwashing, consumers will become more adept at noticing misleading claims. Businesses must also strive to remove any ambiguity and misdirection from their messaging, by becoming as climate transparent as possible. Both sides must work to remove and call out greenwashing whenever it rears its head. [National Geographic]
Research Corner
The future of sweetcorn may not be so sweet: Daljeet Dhaliwal and Martin Williams have found evidence that sweetcorn yields drop significantly with extreme heat during flowering, as the temperature affects processes such as pollen viability and fertilisation. Producing sweet corn, one of the most popular vegetable crops in the U.S, will be more difficult in the future. There is now a need to develop new approaches and technologies to help crops adapt to climate change as the crisis worsens. Popular crops look set to become harder to grow, and may therefore appear less on the plates of consumers, unless there is a radical shift in our global climate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. [Nature]
Stat Attack
“French organisations accused of greenwashing could be fined up to 80% of the cost of the false green campaigns.”
Source: Communicate
领英推荐
The Big Picture
About Reewild
The food and agriculture industry is at the heart of the climate crisis, generating around a third of man-made greenhouse emissions. And while the challenge of reducing its impact may seem beyond our grasp, it is one that we all have the power to tackle.
We believe that the solution lies in climate transparency. That’s why we’re equipping businesses with the means to evaluate and communicate the emissions of their products. This, in turn, means consumers are armed with credible, independent information, which can be used to make more sustainable choices.
We know that many people want to take climate action but lack the necessary tools and information to do so. We're confident that, armed with the right knowledge, everyone can and will do their bit to build a greener, more sustainable food system.