London—The Sustainable Food Summit's upcoming North American conference will focus on approaches to move to circularity in the food industry. Scheduled for January 24-25 in San Francisco, CA, the summit will look to answer key questions including:
- How can regenerative agriculture and upcycling help the transition to a circular economy?
- How can food and beverage brands move away from single-use plastics?
- How can brands innovate with sustainable ingredients?
These topics will be explored in four sessions focused on regenerative agriculture, upcycling, biodiversity, and marketing.
Regenerative Agriculture
Elizabeth Whitlow, Executive Director of Regenerative Organic Alliance, will explain industry standards and certification schemes, as it relates to sustainability. She will also discuss how the certification scheme is gaining traction, focusing mainly on Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC). ROC has been adopted by 164 farms and 50,605 smallholder farms that manage nearly 1.2 million acres of farmland. Whitlow will also speak on other certification schemes, like Regenified and Soil Carbon Initiative (Green America).
Research from case studies that show the effects of adopting regenerative agriculture practices, will be presented to attendees. Marc Diaz, Terviva, will speak on how his company is growing pongamia beans, using regenerative practices. A California almond farm, Burroughs Family Farms, will also have a representative on-hand to speak on transitioning to regenerative practices.
Upcycling
One of the most important traits of upcycling is its zero waste systems. With population growth increasing and agricultural land dwindling, upcycling enables great efficiency in the food industry. Daniel Kurzrock, ReGrained and Upcycled Foods, Inc., will share insights and market updates. This will include developments in the upcycled food market, including new ingredients, and the Upcycled Food Associations certification scheme. Bioveritas and ofi will deliver information on their upcycled ingredients, being made from food side streams.
Biodiversity
Biodiversity and nature-positive themes will be discussed. The implementation of ethically sourcing projects will also be presented by a leading sustainable food brand. Deputy Director of Earth Innovation Institute, David McGrath, will lead a discussion on how farming and fishing can be intertwined with reforestation projects. The Earth Innovation Institute has been working on implementing projects to protect tropical rainforests throughout Latin America and Asia. Additional speakers will present presentations on nature-positive production methods and deforestation-free supply chains.
Marketing
Food and beverage marketing on green credentials comes with risks. Rohit Sabnis, Keller & Heckman, will share updates on sustainability marketing claims and regulations. His presentation will offer guidance to brands on making defensible claims. Sherry Frey, Nielsen IQ, will offer the latest consumer trends and research for health and wellness products. She will examine consumer motives into purchasing sustainable food and beverages. Other speakers will share talks related to climate-neutral products, building distribution, marketing to Gen Z and millennials, and sustainable consumption.
Registration for this event can be found here.
