Issue #33: CO2 savings, while stocks last!
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Our Top Stories
Advertising CO2 savings: TrendWatching reports on a new and unusual style of displaying carbon footprint information to consumers. German supermarket chain REWE recently ran a promotion where instead of cutting prices, it advertised CO2e discounts - using the familiar graphic style that typically indicates bargains. By providing carbon data in a more engaging format, consumers will become more aware of the climate impact of the food they buy, and be empowered to make sustainable choices. [TrendWatching]
What consumers want in 2023: According to Food Business News, four purchasing trends are set to become ever-more rooted in consumer shopping preferences: transparency, sustainability, nutrient density and cognitive health. As food businesses lay out key objectives for the year, it’s important to note that consumers want clear, straightforward communication, especially when it comes to sustainability. Furthermore, in the UK, the CMA is cracking down on companies that do not abide by the Green Claims Code. By becoming climate transparent, brands can be compliant with the guidelines all while following consumer purchasing trends. [Food Business News]
Change is not fast enough: Researchers in Hamburg looked at 10 drivers of social change - including U.N. climate policy, legislation and climate protests - that could cut emissions and hold down temperatures. Unfortunately, current social change does not seem to be happening fast enough to curb greenhouse gas emissions at a rate necessary to stay below 1.5°C of warming. The Hill highlights that some of these social factors are of more significant importance than some of the physical tipping points e.g. melting of the Arctic sea ice. To increase our likelihood of staying below the temperature threshold laid out in the Paris Climate Agreement, collaboration is needed across all sectors to rapidly increase the rate of policy implementation and shifts in individual behaviour. [The Hill]
AI predicts 1.5°C by 2035: NPR reports on a Stanford university investigation that has used machine learning to calculate that Earth will surpass the 1.5°C mark between 2033 and 2035. Their results align with other conventional methods of predicting when Earth will break the mark, though with a bit more precision. Furthermore, the artificial intelligence-based study found it unlikely that temperature increase could be held below 2°C, even with tough emissions cuts. As AI technology becomes more advanced, predictions have become more accurate. Although this shorter timeline may be worrying, it should give society a more definitive threshold, leading to greater action to mitigate temperature rises and the worst effects of climate change. [NPR]
Research Corner
Get the flowers in: There are often too few flowering plants in agricultural landscapes, which is one reason for the decline of pollinating insects. Felix Kirsch and his team have now found that growing a mixture of broad beans and wheat affects the number of pollinating insects. Interestingly, there were as many bee visitors in a field just of flowering broad beans, as there were in a field that was an even mixture of wheat and beans. This is significant news for wheat farmers, who can increase the number of pollinating insects across their fields without having to significantly alter their growing crop. In the long term, this would also reduce dependence on synthetic fertiliser, and lead to more natural, more secure food ecosystems. [Science Direct]
Stat Attack
“Grey seal numbers are booming in the UK. It is a remarkable conservation success story, say environmentalists. Numbers dropped as low as 500 in the early 20th century due to hunting, as seals were often treated as pests in fishing communities. Today, about 120,000 grey seals make the UK their home, representing about 40% of the global population.”
Source: The Guardian
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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.
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