California Dairy Sustainability Summit’s Post

It's really encouraging to see the growing evidence for the effectiveness of a DefaultVeg strategy: changing default food choices to plant-based options. If you're part of an organization that serves food, do get in touch with Greener by Default for advice about how you can implement a DefaultVeg policy.

The American Medical Association now recognizes the role of hospital food in human and planetary health! Check out these quotes below. But how do we promote and implement these win-wins? Making the healthier option the easier option as evidence by the linked randomized trial. Thank you team at Greener by Default #climatechange #foodasmedicine "RESOLVED, that our AMA recognizes that animal-based agriculture is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and supports efforts to increase and promote plant-based menu options in hospital food services, for both health and environmental reasons (New HOD Policy);" "Our AMA encourages healthful food options be available, at reasonable prices and easily accessible, on the premises of health care facilities. 2. Our AMA hereby calls on all health care facilities to improve the health of patients, staff, and visitors by: (a) providing a variety of healthy food, including plant-based meals, and meals that are low in saturated and trans fat, sodium, and added sugars; (b) eliminating processed meats from menus; and (c) providing and promoting healthy beverages. 3. Our AMA hereby calls for health care facility cafeterias and inpatient meal menus to publish nutrition information. 4. Our AMA will work with relevant stakeholders to define “access to food” for medical trainees to include overnight access to fresh food and healthy meal options within all training hospitals" Addressing the Health Sector’s Contributions to the Climate Crisis https://lnkd.in/geSyDn4P Changing the default meal option at university events to reduce harmful environmental impacts: six randomized controlled trials: https://lnkd.in/gmeihQWH

Today we hosted the Virtual Conference “EU agrifood policy - Navigating the next mandate”.   Thank you to all who joined us, and to our panellists. Here are the key takeaways from our speakers: 🔸 Gijs Schilthuis from the European Commission: "Agriculture and food policies have become polarising topics in political and societal debates. It is possible to combine agriculture and protection of natural resources. We must work together and strengthen the dialogue between all parties and stakeholders now and for the future policy." 🔸 Stoyan Tchoukanov from the European Economic and Social Committee: "The fair distribution and the fair share of the profit needs to go to the farmers. That’s the key, because otherwise there will be no way to invest." 🔸 Faustine Bas-Defossez from European Environmental Bureau (EEB): "It's a myth that we must choose between protecting farmers or the environment. We must do both. Ecosystem collapse and climate change are the main threats to future food security and farmer livelihoods. To ensure the long-term viability of EU agriculture strong environmental laws are essential to support farmers in socially and environmentally just agri-food transition." 🔸 Harriet Bradley from Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP): "Adopting sustainable, regenerative agriculture systems is shown to help farmers’ resilience to climate change and support food security. But upfront costs and lack of knowledge are significant barriers to changing farming systems. EU policies and especially the CAP therefore need to put much more focus on alleviating these barriers and ultimately providing support for provision of public goods." 🔸 Emma Calvert from BEUC - The European Consumer Organisation: "The science hasn’t changed since 2019. We, as consumers, citizens and farmers, need this just transition as much as ever for our environment, for our biodiversity and for food security." 🔸 Angelo Di Mambro from Euractiv: "The next cycle will be an interesting converging period. All these different demands of sustainability, the CAP, the budget, Ukraine, must be unified." 👉 Watch the recording here: https://eurac.tv/9X1_

A really exciting and significant investment into furthering research and innovation at the intersection of land management, biodiversity, climate change, sustainable water supply and food security. These topics underpin our planetary and human health and are becoming increasingly important to consider as we adapt to changing climate conditions. Looking forward to following the progress and seeing what comes out of these joint efforts. #UKRI #researchandinnovation

"Adopting sustainable, regenerative agriculture systems is shown to help farmers’ resilience to climate change and support food security. But upfront costs and lack of knowledge are significant barriers to changing farming systems. EU policies and especially the CAP therefore need to put much more focus on alleviating these barriers and ultimately providing support for provision of public goods." Says our Harriet Bradley at the Euractiv conference on the future of EU agrifood policy 👇 📑 Read our vision for the future of CAP 👇 https://lnkd.in/edXHwUC8 #SustainableFoodSystems #CommonAgriculturalPolicy #votefutureEU 

There was a lot of ground covered at the #ESGinDairySummit last Thursday. The panel I spoke on looked to unpack the scepticism directed at dairy, and indeed agriculture at large. I was reminded of a quote from David Attenborourgh “Saving our planet is now a communications challenge. We know what to do, we just need the will.” From those I spoke to, and the comments from the floor, there was no shortage of will. A point brought home by fellow panellists’ Dennis Drennan, Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association - ICMSA and Conor Mulvihill, Dairy Industry Ireland. But there was frustration. A sense that what needs to be done is at risk due to over-complication and how the cost is distributed. The EU announcement this week to reduce the administrative burden on farmers recognises this. But there was also a sense that the progress being made, as highlighted by fellow panelist Prof. Karina Pierce, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science , is not getting the recognition it deserves. That the actions taken can feel fragmented as opposed to joined up. The climate crisis we face is complex, and requires complex and multifaceted solutions. All these parts on their own may seem small, but we must never lose sight of the critical goal that unites each and every sustainable action taken – to save our planet. Achieving this goal is the only option, so we must support and encourage those whose positive actions will have the greatest impact. The challenge is to use communications to unite our actions and our will, instead of fragmenting and polarising them. Finger pointing will only get us so far. #HavasGenus #Sustainabilitycommunications #ESG Havas Dublin Agri Insider

Are you ready to unlock the potential of environmental footprinting and Life Cycle Assessment in agri-food production? Join us for a special online course tailored for the North American market in May 2024! If you're asking yourself: 🔍 What exactly is environmental footprinting or LCA, and how can it benefit my business? 🚀 How can I future-proof my organization by embracing life cycle thinking? 🌍 Is sustainability a priority for my company, but I'm unsure where to begin? Then this course is perfect for you! Our expert-led sessions will cover everything from the fundamentals of LCA to corporate footprinting, ecolabeling, and navigating international and North American market standards and policies. Plus, we'll dive deep into technical aspects and specialized topics such as crop cultivation, animal farming systems, and defining healthy and sustainable foods. By the end of the course, you'll not only have a solid understanding of environmental footprinting but also strengthened skills in life cycle thinking to drive your business towards a more sustainable future. Don't miss out on this opportunity to gain invaluable knowledge and tools on Environmental Footprinting. Save your spot today – and find out more on the course via this link:  https://lnkd.in/dViH24Dk

I'm thrilled to announce that I have completed the E-course Food Systems from Wageningen University, Netherlands! 🎓🌱 This comprehensive course provided me with a deep understanding of the complexities and dynamics of food systems, including sustainable agriculture, supply chains, and food security. I'm grateful for the invaluable knowledge and insights gained throughout the program, and I'm excited to apply them to make meaningful contributions to addressing food challenges worldwide. #FoodSystems #Sustainability #WageningenUniversity #LifelongLearning"

How can we work more systemically to accelerate progress towards a more sustainable food system? The complexities within our global food and agriculture systems demand more than straightforward engineering solutions. We must transcend conventional approaches and embrace strategies that acknowledge and navigate the intrinsic social conflicts and challenges within evolving food systems. Our latest report, “Navigating Complexity in Food Systems: From Clockwork to Cloudwork” is a call to action for international development organisations and all stakeholders committed to transform food systems, to shape a new vision that embraces complexity to deal with today’s growing challenges. Download it today: https://lnkd.in/dnjdw7qY

👉 Check out this study! 🥑 Is a food system transformation possible, and what does this food transformation mean? ´The Big Food Redesign´, written by the MacArthur Foundation might offer a glimpse of what our food system may look like in the future.      🥕 Amongst other interesting points, the study highlights ecosystem thinking: “A key component is moving from looking at individual ingredients in isolation to understanding the wider ecosystems they belong to. This means designing in partnership with farmers to ensure that the reality of evolving farm systems is considered.” The study goes beyond by offering concrete steps on how to achieve this.    👩🌾 A most insightful and easy read that is beautifully designed. A great source of inspiration for #ReGen55! a collaborative effort between AGREA Agricultural Systems and ProFound that aims to create knowledge interchange between actors in the food & ingredients value chains. Read along!        #ThisIsProFound #AdvisersInDevelopment #CircularEconomy #RegenerativeFarming #ReGen55!