What’s the Buzz?

Wed, 11/15/2017 - 09:30

Bees are responsible for one of every three bites of food we eat, including almonds and honey – two of our favorite forms of delicious. But with honeybees dying off at a rate of 30 percent per year, we can’t afford to sit by idly. That’s why Justin’s is “Nuts for Bees.”

How to Cook with Fair Trade Ingredients This Holiday Season (Plus 6 Fair Trade Holiday Recipes!)

Tue, 11/14/2017 - 09:00

It’s the time of year for gathering around the table, and with more Fair Trade Certified produce on store shelves than any other time of the year (hint, hint!), it's the perfect time to extend our gratitude to farming families around the world. While it’s true that most of your favorite holiday recipes can be made sustainably by simply cooking or baking with Fair Trade Certified ingredients, we’d like to share a few from own tables and foodie friends, ranging from easy to ambitious.

Agriculture in the Anthropocene: The Challenge is the Solution

Wed, 11/08/2017 - 13:40

The world’s farmers not only must feed a growing population, but also cope with a rapidly changing climate.

Evergreen Agriculture: A Solution for Degraded Landscapes

Wed, 11/01/2017 - 12:00

Consumers Energy Foundation Supports Regional Food Processing Program’s Launch

Tue, 10/31/2017 - 10:00

The Consumers Energy Foundation announced a $232,000 grant to launch a regional food processing initiative designed to grow and expand West Michigan’s substantial agriculture economy.

One Year Later, Companies Share Water Stewardship “Lessons Learned”

Tue, 10/31/2017 - 10:00

PepsiCo, the global food and beverage company, understands the importance of taking a holistic perspective of water-related risk within its supply chain. When developing their global water strategy agenda, they looked across direct and indirect water use.

Erb Featured Business Sustainability Case Study: Cargill: The Risky Business of Integrating Climate Change and Corporate Strategy

Fri, 10/27/2017 - 15:45

The complex and fragmented agribusiness sector has been resistant to legislation surrounding greenhouse gas emissions and other climate change regulations. Cargill, one of the largest agribusiness companies and the largest privately held company in the U.S., has the ability to become a significant driver of the climate change conversation and set new industry standards.

General Mills Works to Make the Cocoa Sector More Sustainable

Wed, 10/25/2017 - 10:30

General Mills is working to make the cocoa sector more sustainable and to reduce child labor. In 2013, the company made a commitment to sustainably source its ingredients, with the goal to sustainably source 100 percent of its top 10 ingredients by 2020. Those top 10 ingredients include cocoa, oats, wheat, corn, dairy, fiber packaging, vanilla, palm oil, sugar cane and sugar beets, which represent over 50 percent of its annual raw material purchases.

Nestlé Purina, Ducks Unlimited Partnering to Ensure Future of Working Wetlands

Tue, 10/24/2017 - 13:15

Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, a global leader in pet care, is the newest corporate sponsor of the USA Rice/Ducks Unlimited (DU) Rice Stewardship Partnership. Through a $2 million commitment over four years, Nestlé Purina’s investment will help keep working ricelands healthy, preserve wetlands and create habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife.

This commitment is part of Purina’s long-term sustainability strategy to add value to the agricultural supply chain and ensure food for people and high-quality ingredients for pets are available well into the future.

When Seedling Met Soil: A Coffee Bean Origin Story

Tue, 10/24/2017 - 11:15

Nestlé has been on-the-ground in Colombia for nearly 75 years, building relationships with farmers like Nescafé Plan farmer Luz and her community. Luz is a sixth generation farmer who took over the family coffee farm with her brother. When she and her brother took over the farm, their coffee trees were dying from rust. Nestlé worked with the family to overhaul the farm and plant a new disease-resistant Castillo variety of coffee plant. It was a fresh start that was incredibly needed and now they’re helping to provide the highest-quality beans through Colombia’s National Coffee Federation.