This event was recorded as part of a live webinar on 4 October 2023.
Climate change and a growing population are putting an increased strain on our food systems – will bananas and beef burgers become a thing of the past? The world produces enough food for everyone, but right now food goes to waste in rich countries while people in poor countries don’t have enough. How can we ensure that everybody has access to low-cost, nutritious food? How can we satisfy our diverse, international palettes at the same time as our necessary appetite for sustainability? And, can we strike a balance between preserving natural ecosystems and increasing farmland to meet production demand?
The speed at which we are adapting is a long way off, but there are promising solutions available. In this panel discussion, we’ll be bringing together farmers, grocers, and food-waste innovators to discuss the future of food systems and to look for ways to revolutionise global food production. So, what actions can we take now to ensure sustainable, nutritious diets for all?
On the panel:
Catherine Chong – Catherine is an ecology, social, and governance (ESG) advisor and agroecological activist. She leads engagement at C.L.E.A.R., a consortium providing a unified voice for agroecology in the UK on legislative and policy development on food labelling in the UK. Catherine grew up in a farming family and saw firsthand the adverse impact of industrial farming on her family and community in the global south. As an ESG advisor, Catherine advises companies, institutional investors and governments on linking corporate decisions to socioecological impacts, including climate-related risks. Her experience includes developing national and global sustainability accounting and reporting standards for a number of industries, including finance, food, and fashion.
Adele Jones – Adele is Executive Director at the Sustainable Food Trust. She has been with the SFT since 2013, and now oversees the organisation’s strategic activities. In recent years, one of her major focuses has been the development of a project called the Global Farm Metric – an internationally common framework for measuring on-farm sustainability. She is currently an advisor to the Scottish Government. In 2020 she undertook a part time secondment with the Welsh Government, and in 2019 she completed a part-time secondment with DEFRA, both times working to develop metrics for monitoring the new post-Brexit farm support schemes. Previous to these roles, Adele has a background in geography and soil science.
Jean Moreau – Jean is a French social entrepreneur and Co-Founder & CEO of Phenix, a #TechForGood scale-up fighting food waste. After graduating from ESSEC and Sciences Po Paris in Public Affairs, Jean started his career in the investment banking industry at Merrill Lynch. After 6 years working in Mergers and Acquisitions, he decided to switch for purpose-driven entrepreneurship and develop digital solutions to connect those who have too much with those who do not have enough. Eager to contribute to the greater good and make a positive impact, and determined to build a world without waste and food insecurity, Jean created Phenix in 2014. Nine years later, the company has already saved more than 400 million meals across Europe. In parallel to this activity, he is also involved in the impact ecosystem, and Board member at BCorp France.
Liv Phoenix – Liv is the National Farmers Union’s Head of External Affairs and runs the organisation’s London Office. She joined the NFU in 2018 as an External Affairs Manager before taking on her current role in February 2022. Liv previously worked for the National House Building Council (NHBC) and prior to this as a researcher and political assistant for three Members of Parliament in the House of Commons.
Moderated by:
Naomi Jones – Naomi is the Corporate Affairs Director at Mars Wrigley UK. She is responsible for all internal communications, government relations, corporate reputation, brand PR and consumer care for Mars’ UK confectionary business. From starting her career in agency life working in public affairs, she became a specialist in sustainability communications, crisis management and corporate communications, with experience spanning industries from retail to banking. In 2015, she project managed the SUEZ group’s rebranding and repositioning in both the UK and Scandinavia, and has overseen the employee engagement programme resulting in the company being awarded the Sunday Times Best Companies’ ‘Best 25 Big Companies to Work For’ accolade in 2018 and again in 2020, for a predominantly operational and dispersed workforce.