Responsible Production & the Circular Economy

Food loss in the supply chain, the shift to a less-nutritious fast-food diet and wasteful irrigation techniques are among the most important challenges currently facing the food and agriculture system in the region. In Egypt, 2.5 million tonnes of wheat is lost per year mainly due to slow transit times. For fruits and vegetables, which have the highest proportion of losses and waste, estimated at 45 percent, country specific data indicates a substantial part (as high as 29 percent for fresh vegetables in Egypt) of these losses occur at the post-harvest stage. However, these losses between the grower and consumer along the value chain can be avoided.

Many companies are looking at their value chain as the focus area to drive large-scale change. But many are struggling to truly develop collaborative partnerships that will address complex societal and environmental issues.

Every year 20 to 50 million tons of e-waste is generated worldwide, but only 12.5 percent of that ends up being repurposed in other products. To narrow this gap and raise awareness on the growing issue among consumers, companies are coming up with creative ways to close the loop. Now, one electronics brand is bringing the e-waste issue to life in a flashy, unexpected way while tackling a problem prevalent in its industry.

International Flavors & Fragrances’ facility in the New Jersey township of South Brunswick was officially certified as a GreenCircle Certified LLC, Zero Waste to Landfill facility, making it the only facility of its kind in the flavor and fragrance industry to achieve GreenCircle's zero waste status.

There’s a popular phrase in Haitian creole, “tèt kolé,” which roughly translates to “heads together.” It’s an expression of unity, of working communally to get things done. In the same spirit, International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) approached Heifer International with an idea. One of IFF’s business endeavors is buying vetiver oil from distilleries in Haiti, then either selling it directly or using it to help develop scents for the fragrance industry.

IFF and Unilever, in collaboration with Oxfam Great Britain, Heifer International and the Ford Foundation, launched Vetiver Together on July 25th, 2016, a two-year pilot program aimed to improve the livelihoods of the vetiver farming communities, strengthen IFF’s vetiver supply chain and increase environmental conservation.

Albertsons Companies today announced the addition of the “Top 5 by 2022” Sushi Commitment to its Responsible Seafood Program.
As part of its ongoing efforts to advance the sustainability of the extensive seafood offerings at the company’s nearly 2,300+ stores, Albertsons Companie

The International Living Future Institute is hosting its 12th annual unConference, Living Future 2018, May 1-4, 2018 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon.

This three-day event will bring together Authenticity and Action as individuals and organizations with unique backgrounds, experiences and personalities gather to create unified action toward a living future. Keynote speakers—conservationist Terry Tempest Williams and activist Raj Patel—will kick off the event on Wednesday night and Thursday morning with inspiring messages for attendees.

Today’s environment, health, safety and sustainability (EHS&S) managers are challenged to embed their programs into every aspect of the business. To do so, they are increasingly looking to technology to lend a hand.