The people and sustainability agenda combined as a force for good.

Ever since I had the opportunity to combine the agenda of both sustainability and people, I can now see how relevant the overlap between these agendas is. It is not just the various proof points such as ESG and B Corp where approximately half of the questions are related to people and the other half of sustainability practices, but it’s also the individual people and teams who are at the very core to creating lasting change to behaviors and practices. We need this to avoid further climate disaster.

At Ecotone we try to take a leading role in how we inspire and encourage, especially as food production has a big part to play when it comes to keeping earth’s temperature under 1.5C. However ?we can’t do it alone. We firmly believe leaders aren’t defined by, or confined to, the boardroom or ecotone alone. It’s the people who are change makers on the front line of sustainability who are rewriting the future of our planet. ?We therefore work in a wide network of stakeholders who are all working in the same direction; to contribute to a healthier balance for our common planet.

1.????The Soil Association – champions of organic agriculture

The IPCC report states that changes in the food sector can make an impactful reduction to greenhouse gas emissions.

We are proud supporters of Soil Association – a charity dedicated to transforming the way we eat, farm, and care for the natural world.

We will continue to work with them to champion, and invest in, organic food, which removes harmful pesticides and herbicides across our farmland to ensure we’re protecting the future of food.?

2.????Oddbox – fighting against food waste

Approximately 8-10% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions relate to food waste which makes it so important to reduce our impact.

Oddbox is a UK brand championing this space with its subscription boxes of surplus vegetables. The brand proclaims that there is a “blindness ” when it comes to the food system. In a world where changing perception about food is so difficult, companies such as Oddbox are driving change and calling for a complete overhaul to curb the overproduction of food.

3.???? Science Based Targets initiative for Nature programme – measuring impact on biodiversity

One of the ways we hold ourselves accountable is through our partnership with The Science Based Targets Network (SBTN), a global coalition working to reduce corporative environmental impacts using scientific solutions. Through this partnership, we are able to measure our impact on biodiversity and set specific targets to ensure we’re protecting it as best we can.

4.???? Federico San Bonifacio – transforming his farm into a biodiversity hotspot

Federico is a passionate advocate for sustainable farming, and supplies oats directly to our Abafoods factory in Italy – just 10 minutes away. Federico inherited the farm from his father over 10 years ago. In that time, he converted the land into a thriving biodiverse landscape through hedgerow planting, organic farming, crop rotation and cover crops to promote soil health. Healthy organic soils capture more carbon than trees!

5.????Ecotop Consult – pioneering dynamic agroforestry

Ecotop Consult is a foundation that supports sustainable farming. With their technical help, we joined the Dynamic Agroforestry (DAF) project with 10 cooperatives’ partners supplying cocoa from Honduras. Dynamic agroforestry brings a large diversity of plants and species together with cocoa trees – helping to build resilience for farmers through soil rehabilitation, climate change adaptation, disease reduction, income diversification and yield improvement.

I’ll be looking to highlight more of these changemakers, both individual leaders and organizations, that work hand in hand to contribute to a positive system change in the food and beyond.

#FoodForBiodiversity #IPCCReport #SustainableDiets