Sustainable Food Summit unites industry stakeholders on biodiversity and nature-positive production

12 Jun 2023 --- Food businesses and industry organizations will gather at the Sustainable Food Summit later this week to discuss evolving sustainability issues in the food and nutrition industries and highlight opportunities and challenges of sustainability initiatives and production methods.

Ecovia Intelligence will organize the summit on 15 and 16 June in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It will feature seminars by businesses – such as Nestlé, Ecotone and Fairtrade Original – and sustainability organizations, including the Union for Ethical Biotrade and IFOAM Organics Europe.

The organizers note that biodiversity is rising on the sustainability agenda and expects nature-positive production to increase in coming years, which aims to protect, manage and restore nature. 

“This 14th European edition will focus on nature-positive production, regenerative agriculture, ingredient sourcing trends and marketing success stories. For the first time, we will discuss approaches to encourage regenerative agriculture and nature-positive methods in the food industry,” Amarjit Sahota, director of Ecovia Intelligence, tells NutritionInsight. 

“The food industry is intricately linked to the major sustainability issues facing the planet. Agriculture is responsible for about a third of all global greenhouse gasses and half of all biodiversity loss, “ he explains. “As a major user of packaging, the food industry is also a major cause of plastic pollution.” 

Sustainability in food 
According to Ecovia Intelligence, sustainability is integral to the food industry as companies set net-zero targets and invest in ethical sourcing and green packaging materials. 

Sahota explains that sustainable food production refers to food production that is good for human health and the planet. 

The Sustainable Food Summit will occur on 15 and 16 June in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.“Organic agriculture is a prime example of this – organic foods are better for human health as they avoid synthetic chemicals and are argued to be more nutrient-dense than conventional foods. Organic agriculture is also better for the environment as there is less chemical pollution and it has a positive impact on biodiversity.” 

“Regenerative agriculture and nature-positive production methods also involve food production that is better for the environment and human health.” 

Ecovia Intelligence notes that regulations are nudging food companies toward protecting biodiversity. For example, the EU Deforestation Regulation ensures agricultural commodities imported into the region do not originate from deforested land. 

Initiatives at the summit 
The Sustainable Food Summit will highlight case studies of businesses that have transitioned to more sustainable production methods, says Sahota. The companies will discuss challenges and opportunities. 

“For instance, the summit will kick off with a keynote by Philippe Birker from Climate Farmers, who will discuss the issues when implementing regenerative agriculture.” 

“Later that day, Tradin Organic (one of the leading traders of organic ingredients) will share their experiences in setting up regenerative organic agriculture projects in Africa and other regions. Ecotone, one the leading organic food companies in Europe, will also speak about how they are creating organic foods that are biodiversity-friendly.”  

Sahota explains that the conference will also cover upcycling – using waste streams to make new ingredients or products. 

For example, “the Dutch company Greencovery will show how upcycling can create new ingredients for the food industry.” 

“Toast Ale, a leading brand of upcycled beer in Europe, will show how it is building distribution for its beers. The London-based company makes beer from waste bread. By redirecting waste bread from landfill, it is saving land(fill) and also reducing carbon emissions (from the waste material).” 

Nature-positive production refers to food production that protects, manages and restores nature, explains Sahota. Future of sustainability 
Ecovia Intelligence expects nature-positive production to play an important role in biodiversity targets from the most recent UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15). Here, 196 countries signed a deal to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, including protecting 30% of land and water by 2030. 

“Nature-positive production refers to agriculture or food production that involves protecting, managing and restoring nature. Organic farming, regenerative agriculture and agroecology are examples of farming methods that can have a positive impact on nature,” explains Sahota. 

The future of environmental labeling will also be discussed, as the summit’s organizers expect voluntary sustainability schemes to become more prominent. In a growing debate about the future of ecological labeling, Ecovia Intelligence sees opportunities to consolidate existing labels and harmonize impact measurement methods. 

According to the organization, the European Commission plans to limit which new eco-labels can be introduced in the EU Green Claims Directive. This legislation aims only to allow new labels on the market that are more ambitious than existing ones. 

Other topics to be covered at the conference include packaging alternatives to single-use plastics, the importance of producer partnerships when sourcing food ingredients and how COP 15 impacts ingredient sourcing. 

By Jolanda van Hal