Davos 2020 urges dietary changes, sustainable supply chains and agri-food system transformation

21 Jan 2020 --- Actionable models for building sustainable food chains seize the spotlight at this year’s ongoing World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Annual Meeting. Convening under the theme, Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World, world leaders and key industry players are gathering in Davos, Switzerland (January 21 to 24) with a shared agenda – to incentivize shifts in global consumption patterns of 7.7 billion people. This week, Canadian research firm Corporate Knights and the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) released their respective sustainability rankings, topped by food industry heavyweights including Chr. Hansen, Givaudan and Firmenich.

At Davos 2020, the “Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World” have been ranked. Having placed first in last year’s report, Chr. Hansen reclaims its top position as the highest ranked sustainable food company this year. A key milestone for the health ingredients supplier’s sustainability journey was reached when the company announced a groundbreaking agreement with Better Energy. This collaboration facilitated the switch to 100 percent green electricity from two new solar parks, wind energy and biogas for its Danish operations by April 2020. 

CHr. Hansen was ranked the most sustainable food company this year by Corporate Knights.“Together with our customers, we bring global consumers more natural food without compromising on taste; natural microbial solutions that can lower the use of antibiotics and pesticides used for animals and in agriculture; and beautiful, natural colors for the food and beverage industry. This way, we enable manufacturers to be at the forefront when it comes to transparency and clean labeling. These are very important factors for the modern consumer, as is as limited a footprint as possible,” Louise Rosenmeier, Sustainability Programs and Partnership Officer at Chr. Hansen, tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

Flavor house Firmenich was commended for its climate action for the sixth consecutive year, achieving a place on CDP’s prestigious “A List” for climate change, which was released coinciding with the Davos 2020 event. Firmenich is ranked among the top 2 percent high-performing companies on the new “A List” for 2019, in recognition of its actions to cut emissions, mitigate climate risks and accelerate a low-carbon economy.

Givaudan is also named on CDP’s A List, being among the first few companies to align on the 1.5°C trajectory with updated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The company also joined the movement of leading companies fighting global warming and signed the UN Pledge “Business Ambition for 1.5°C.”

“Congratulations to the companies that achieved a position on CDP’s A List this year, for leading in environmental performance and transparency. The scale of the business risks from the climate emergency, deforestation and water insecurity are vast – as are the opportunities from addressing them – and it’s clear the private sector has a vital role to play at this critical time,” asserts Paul Simpson, CEO of CDP.

Food loss and waste cost the global economy almost US$940 billion annually, according to WEF reports.Shifting global consumption patterns
A new report released by the WEF in conjunction with Davos 2020, Incentivizing Food Systems Transformation, highlights the role of incentives to effectively shift behavior of 7.7 billion people who produce and consume food through four pathways – at the policy, business, investment and consumer levels – and presents a roadmap for change.

WEF outlines that one in five children suffer from stunting and two in five adults are overweight. Current unsustainable agricultural practices could lead to the degradation of 95 percent of the world’s land. Meanwhile, food loss and waste cost the global economy almost US$940 billion annually.

Reducing these environmental and health costs requires a fundamental shift in how food is produced. This includes the practices of over 500 million smallholder farmers and the consumption patterns of the global population, according to the report.

Several transitions – including a healthier diet, sustainable supply chains, inclusive livelihoods, and efficient production systems – are needed to truly transform food systems that meet the needs of people and the planet. The right set of incentives can overcome challenges preventing stakeholders from making a shift, as well as fund ongoing economic costs.

The new analysis illustrates how the four incentive pathways can reduce agricultural GHG emissions by around 30 percent of projected global agricultural emissions in 2050. The report also estimates that if all the available GHG-efficient production practices were implemented at full scale, the global food system could see cost savings of more than US$50 billion annually.

Davos 2020 is currently focalizing alternative proteins. This includes a “Future Food Wednesday” event, with Nestlé providing meat alternatives on the day. The “The Plant-Based Revolution” is pegged by Innova Market Research as the second most significant trend expected to influence NPD this year, fueled by growing consumer awareness of the impact of meat consumption on both personal and planetary health.

WEF is implementing Kitro technology to monitor food waste from its 70,000 meals using AI.Feeding 3,000 global leaders sustainably
The WEF’s Annual Meeting brings together over 3,000 global leaders – amounting to a total of 70,000 meals served in Davos. Fresh, regional and plant-based produce makes up the key ingredients on this year’s menu with seasonal produce accounting for almost 90 percent of the food served at the event.

Careful selection and sourcing of the ingredients used in the menus is critical to deliver a sustainable Annual Meeting. This is the second year the WEF is working with a food eco-rating system that assesses detailed information on every single ingredient used in the kitchen. Software rates each ingredient, according to its production mode (seasonality, impact on biodiversity), impact on climate and natural resources, origin and the degree of transformation. Each product is rated on a scoring system of A to G. Last year, 1063 products (31,000 kilos) of food served at the event averaged a C grade.

In a move to address food waste and loss, WEF will be working with Kitro, a Swiss-based start-up specialized in automated food waste monitoring, for the first time. Food waste will be monitored through an artificial intelligence (AI) system installed on several bins in the Congress Centre that photographs waste and weighs binned food. AI generates detailed insights on the different types, weight, costs and sources of the food waste. The data is then analyzed to organize food operations and reduce avoidable waste at future events.

Last year, WEF sourced 4,300 kilos of fresh vegetables and 4,000 kilos of fresh fruit. At its events, the Forum intends to continue moving towards plant-rich, flexitarian-style menus while providing a variety of nutrients to participants.

“We need to urgently change how we produce, process and consume food today. There is a historic opportunity to transform agri-food systems, which are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Realigning incentives will be an important approach in such a transformation journey,” concludes Dr. Qu Dongyu, Director General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), speaking at the event.

By Benjamin Ferrer