Impossible Foods’ Post

[#LetsTalkConsumers] Packaging is just the tip of the iceberg – the food and beverage industry needs to address other environmental problems like soil degradation and deforestation, as well as other #ESG issues like racial and gender equality, and fairness in trade and labour practices.  Read more ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gU7NMxBj  Kristen Walters, Partner, Mazars in US, explains the key challenges many businesses face when embarking on their sustainability journey. #mazars #mazarssingapore #sustainability

Beer. Developed, cultured and perfected by women 🍺 From ancient mesopotamia and Ninkasi (the goddess of brewing), beer and women have always been inextricably linked. In 14th century England, women were primarily responsible for brewing and selling ale. So an exploration into why beer has such a 'male' reputation is not only necessary, but really effing bloody interesting. As Sacha Harvey says, these conversations aren't just about elevating women's presence right now, it's about holding space and creating space for the women who aren’t in the room yet. I posted earlier this week about actually DOING the thing, changing your processes and putting in the work beyond your socials this week to demonstrate commitment to equity, so I loved hearing from Emma Heal about what Lucky Saint | B Corp™ do in this space. The living and breathing includes: ✅ Role Modelling flexible workplaces and living it (Think 9 in 10 patterns, 4 day weeks etc)   ✅ OPEN DIARIES. Committed to a school drop off? It's in the diary and you best believe nobody expects you to move it.   ✅ An increased focus on mental health, doing what they can, where they can, to support and enable their people. Mary Slot hit the nail on the head when discussing the power of role models and allies, saying "When you have more women in senior leadership, the organisation will perform better and have better social responsibility." Rachel Auty stole my heart with her work around mentoring, marketing, and women in beer. She shared stories around “The Brave Noise Movement”, which highlighted the processes that sit behind 'bad behaviour' and how this is helping people take action. Women On Tap CIC has a five point manifesto (i.e. being safe in drinking spaces, connecting/ learning/ exploring, representation, professional development and opening doors for women etc) - a tangible, actionable commitment to behaviour change in the industry. Brew York .... I think I love you. Liz Hemus talked passionately about raising visibility and taking action through DEI groups. It's the power of lived experience and holding space for people’s valid and vulnerable stories that really makes all the difference. And Pooja Patel... this world would be a freaking poorer place without your energy in it. "When women are in the position of power, they will create opportunities for other women. You can change mindset and policies- but you need to change things structurally. It inspires people." THIS is the action. THIS is what we want to see more of. And a beautiful quote from the Lucky Saint | B Corp™ team to close us out, “Instead of calling people out, call them in because they are probably trying their best.” I'm feeling inspired, optimistic, and like a group of incredible women have collectively kicked the world up the ass to take action. LOVE this. Cheers 🍻 #womeninbeer #brewing #marketing #iwd2024

🤝Supporting sustainable cocoa and coffee growth in Latin America! 🙌 Rikolto's role: Fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration for long-term impact. Take a closer look at how we are helping to bridge the #gender gap in Honduran coffee, fostering knowledge and multi-stakeholder collaboration in Central America's cocoa sector, and stimulating coffee partnerships for sustainable change in Peru 🇵🇪. Find out more about how these partnerships are empowering communities and driving innovation! 💪💡  https://lnkd.in/eHd3AhfZ   #SustainableCocoa #Coffee4Future #FoodSystemTransformation

🔦 Spotlight on #WomenInAg 👩🌾 👩🔬 For the next feature in this series, we spoke to Liz Shackleton, Chief Executive Officer at Animal and Plant Health NZ. Read on for her perspective on better representation in the agriculture and science sector. ➡ Q1. What do you enjoy the most about your work with CropLife Asia? We have a Māori proverb in #NewZealand, He aha te mea nui? Māku e kii atu, he tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata. What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people. This is an incredible industry to be part of because our people’s work in #science and #food enables and empowers communities to thrive. Crop Life Asia’s work strongly aligns with our vision here at Animal and Plant Health NZ, which is ‘Healthy crops and healthy animals safeguard our sustainability’. ➡ Q2. How do you think your work contributes to women’s empowerment in agriculture and science? Science and agriculture are underpinned by curiosity, diverse thought and giving things a crack. However, the reality is that many of our decision-making tables still miss out on the ideas of half the population. There’s a saying that we can’t be what we can’t see. Visible female leadership increases our representation in decision-making. We are strongly placed to act and shape traditional work models into a more flexible system that enables everyone to find the right balance. After all, if we don’t like the path we’re on, it’s up to us as leaders to forge a new one - by making a dent in the statistics one person at a time. Animal and Plant Health New Zealand is very proud to have an emerging leaders cohort within our membership, whom we engage, connect with and empower. Our female leaders have a critical role in wisdom transfer for our industry, blending old and new experiences to bring the best of both worlds to the next generation. Sharing our knowledge shows other women the opportunities available to them. Each day also brings opportunities to lift other women up, including making space for our voices at decision tables, advocating for our expertise, and providing encouragement. ➡ Q3. Why is closing the gender gap important for the agricultural sector and with crop production in particular? It’s a simple equation: Equal pay for equal work equals human rights for half the population. Being in science-based professions, we are in a prime position to enable positive change, as reviewing, reporting our results, and adjusting accordingly, is in our DNA. As leaders we can also ask the question: How do the norms of leadership effect our inclusion (or exclusion) of women? Are those norms what we want for our own daughters and granddaughters? There is already some great New Zealand research to explore solutions in this space, like the work of Dr. Amanda Sterling. Intersection of motherhood and leadership: https://shorturl.at/jrvP8 #internationalwomensday #femaleleadership #agriculture #sustainableagriculture #farming

This is the reason we need to bring more private sector actors to support our climate discussion and mainstream development

June 7th marks World Food Safety Day, which usually focuses on the impact of contaminated food and water on health. This year, I want us to focus on how food safety is crucial for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and how women hold the key to food safety. Women have always played a vital role in our food systems, yet their contributions are often overlooked (a trend seen in other development goals like climate change and biodiversity). Mothers, daughters, and community leaders manage critical food-linked decisions and hygiene practices, influencing food safety from purchasing and preparation to dietary choices for vulnerable groups. Women’s role in food systems are especially pronounced in low and middle-income countries. It is all connected, empowering women is at the very center of all sustainable development goals, whether you are talking about SDG 3 for Good Health or SDG 8 for Economic Growth. However, let’s all move beyond paying lip service to women's roles and start backing it up with action and investments. At IIX, we're honored to collaborate with inclusive development partners like Sida , Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Global Affairs Canada | Affaires mondiales Canada who necessitate a gender lens at the core of their projects. I'm eager to see more ecosystem actors follow suit and see a shade of Orange across the board. #OrangeMovement #OrangeforGenderEquality #investinginwomen #womenempowerment #WorldFoodSafetyDay #genderequality #sustainabledevelopment #inclusivedevelopment https://lnkd.in/gyE7BNkF

Last week our colleague Melanie Rutten-Sülz took part in Food ingredients Europe's Women's Networking Breakfast. Here she joined a selection of experts from across the food industry to explore ways of building a more equitable industry for all. Tackling the power imbalances in the agrifood industry can be difficult but is essential to changing the sector for the better. Currently women have a huge impact on this sector, but still relatively few of them sit on the boards of major companies. This needs to change. Studies have shown that this is not just the right thing to do, but also the smart thing. Companies with greater female representation at the Board level seem to gain from higher scores on social and environmental metrics, while the organizations' staff benefit from a more inclusive leadership style. The panel was full of fascinating information and moving personal experiences. Melanie used her time to bring forward the discussion on the important role for women in the Global South. Women in the Global South are a driving force, doing more than half of the important work of the global food system but remaining undervalued, underpaid and excluded from decision-making bodies. They often suffer from worse working conditions than their male counterparts, left to focus on informal, labour intensive aspects of agriculture and food production. At the same time they are often criucial for the livelihoods and well-being of their families. We need to end this #inequality and empower women. Doing so will have a transformative effect: creating stronger food chains, more resilient communities and more sustainability.

I’m not a fan of this International Women’s Day- obviously I am a strong advocate for women and utilize my powerful voice without hesitation, I just hate to give any lip service to the tokenism that I tend to see drain out of our industry on the subject. I tend to be less positive about the situation than most are, still not seeing much real power and equity in the hands of women. That is the change I focus on. That's why I come and play on this day.   It’s not that I don’t see progress. I do see lots of noticeable changes, it’s the hesitancy toward change that is disheartening for me. The reluctance, in my view, exemplifies a form of malevolence that has a direct impact on the financial well-being of farmers and farming communities. impact on farmers. This year’s theme (a theme???) is inclusion. Everything we “seem” to care so deeply about can be “cured” with inclusion. Trying to be positive in the only way I know how, by being truthful, this year I've chosen to focus on the culinary expertise of women, highlighting my own personal story and history of not being taken seriously for the culinary work Ive done in produce. This culinary work, that is widely dominated by women, is a critical, yet often overlooked aspect of our predominantly male-dominated industry. Our industry needs to place more emphasis the fact that our products are consumed- which means, shopped for, prepared and cooked. Women often possess unparalleled knowledge in this domain, yet their expertise largely remains untapped. I illustrate this point through a personal story about organic ginger, emphasizing that women's culinary prowess can significantly influence profitability and sustainability within our industry. It’s not lost on me, that I am placing women in the kitchen, but I’m doing so thoughtfully, not like the way Katie Britt was put in the kitchen. Like most women, I am in the kitchen, in the office, in the field and in the grocery store. I am everywhere all the time, as most women have to be. Sounds like a superhero.....

🌟✨Radiant Star Roasters✨🌟 ☕️ WOMEN AND COFFEE ☕️ Did you know that women have been intimately connected to the world of coffee since its discovery? From being crucial cultivators and processors to becoming empowered leaders in the industry, women have played a significant role in shaping the coffee culture we know and love today. Let's take a moment to celebrate the power and influence of women in coffee. ✨ A Rich History ✨ Throughout history, women have been at the heart of coffee production. In countries such as Ethiopia, Colombia, and Guatemala, women have been responsible for planting, nurturing, and harvesting coffee plants. Their hands have caressed the delicate cherries, carefully selecting only the ripest ones to guarantee the highest quality beans. 🌱 Nurturing the Future 🌱 Not only have women been involved in the cultivation and processing of coffee, but they have also been instrumental in nurturing and passing on the knowledge of coffee production from one generation to another. In communities around the world, women have played a crucial role in teaching younger generations how to care for coffee plants, ensuring the sustainability and quality of the industry. 💡 Empowered Leadership 💡 As the coffee industry has evolved, so too has the role of women within it. Women are now taking their place as leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators across the entire coffee supply chain. From farm to cup, women are bringing fresh perspectives, driving sustainability initiatives, and creating positive social impact. 🌍 Changing the World, One Cup at a Time 🌍 Women are not just shaping the coffee industry; they are also using coffee as a tool to drive social change. Through initiatives such as fair trade and direct trade sourcing, women are supporting communities, advocating for gender equality, and fostering economic empowerment. At Radiant Star Roasters, we are proud to support and champion women in coffee. We believe that diversity and inclusivity are vital to the success and growth of our industry. We source our coffee from women-owned farms, cooperatives, and organizations, ensuring that every sip you take contributes to positive change. Let us celebrate the women in coffee who wake up early to bring us the perfect brew, who nurture the very plants that give us energy and inspiration. Together, let's raise our cups to the women who have and continue to shape the vibrant world of coffee. #RadiantStarRoasters 🚀✨ Join the Conversation ✨🚀 We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts and experiences on the powerful role women play in the coffee industry. How can we empower and support women in the field? Tag a woman in coffee who has inspired you or tell us about your favorite coffee sourced from women-owned farms. Let's continue to shine a spotlight on the incredible women who make our coffee journeys so special. #WomenInCoffee #EmpoweredByCoffee #RadiantStarRoasters