Sustainable Business Podcast by Innovation Forum

This week: Sajeev Mohankumar, senior technical specialist at FAIRR Initiative, talks with Ian Welsh about the role of value chain actors in de-risking the transition towards regenerative agriculture. They explore how cost-sharing agreements and off-take contracts can help align environmental goals with economic realities.   Plus: Innovation Forum’s Niamh Campbell unpacks the latest findings from T...

Etelle Higonnet, founder of Coffee Watch, talks with Ian Welsh about the big sustainability challenges in coffee, from deforestation and water stress to poverty incomes and labour rights. They highlight solutions such as agroforestry, better farmer livelihoods and stronger governance to help shift coffee from being a cause of environmental and social harm to a force for regeneration.

Coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes – collectively known as blue carbon – are some of the most efficient natural carbon sinks on the planet, storing carbon up to 10 times faster than terrestrial forests. They also protect coastlines, support fisheries and provide critical habitat for biodiversity. Yet these ecosystems are disappearing rapidly, and their protection re...

This week: With the global race to secure sustainable critical mineral supply chains intensifying, financing remains one of the sector’s toughest hurdles. ING’s Tim van Pelt talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh to unpack where the gaps lie in funding critical mineral projects and how companies can navigate the challenges to unlock capital.   Plus: Innovation Forum’s Emilia Colman highlights key...

This week: Florent Bouguin, chief technology officer at Optel, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the top and bottom line benefits and opportunities of supply chain traceability, particularly in the context of a shifting regulatory landscape. Plus: Mars, PepsiCo, and ADM unite to boost Polish regenerative farming; CEOs prioritise sustainability action as competitive edge; report finds E...

Fashion’s climate and nature strategies are converging – but what does that mean for brands and suppliers? Beth Jensen, chief impact officer at Textile Exchange, reflects on the key takeaways from our recent apparel conference, from cross-industry collaboration to the role of data. In conversation with Innovation Forum's Tanya Richard, she explains why nature-positive practices are not only about...

This week: blue carbon ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrass and salt marshes, can sequester carbon up to ten times faster than terrestrial forests, while also protecting coastlines and supporting biodiversity. Ahead of our webinar, Yihan Wang from Terraformation talks with Innovation Forum's Ellen Atiyah to explain their climate potential, why they remain undervalued and how projects such as the...

This week: From tariffs to COVID-19, recent shocks have shown that resilient supply chains rely on trust, not transactions. Kristine Kim, senior director for impact and responsible sourcing at US fashion brand DÔEN, talks with Innovation Forum’s Niamh Campbell about how equal partnerships, responsible purchasing and long-term commitments can create shared value for both brands and suppliers.   Plu...

Vidhu Nagpal and Alex Abbott from SmartSolve Industries talk with Ian Welsh about why recycling rates for flexible packaging remain so low, and how new water-soluble, bio-based materials, could provide a breakthrough. They discuss the limits of recycling, the promise of zero-waste packaging technologies, and why rethinking materials at the design stage rather than only at end-of-life, could disrup...

This week: Henkel’s vice president for sustainability, Ulla Hueppe, spoke with Ian Welsh at the recent scope 3 innovation forum about the company’s strategy to cut supply chain emissions. They discuss balancing the costs of change with the risks of inaction and why data quality is the backbone of any credible sustainability strategy. Plus: Innovation Forum’s Hannah Oborne talks about the disconnec...

This week: WWF's senior director for beef and leather supply chains, Fernando Bellese, talks with Ian Welsh about the launch of the new deforestation free leather fund. They highlight how the fund aims to drive transparency, support farmers and reintegrate producers into stricter markets.    Plus: Indonesia’s deforestation puzzle raises accountability concerns; fashion giants under fire for weak d...

Alex Udermann and Mark Gutierrez, farmers at the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition, join Ian Welsh to share how they and their colleagues across the state are restoring soil, cutting input costs and building resilience. They discuss the power of peer-to-peer mentorship, practical tools for soil health, and why profitability and sustainability can go hand in hand.   This interview was recorded at the...

This week: Nicole Cramer from the Rainforest Alliance talks with Ian Welsh about how data collection can actually help farmers instead of burdening them. They discuss building farmer-centred data systems, translating information into practical improvements on the farm, and aligning long-standing agricultural programmes with emerging global regulations.   Plus: Innovation Forum’s Anamya Anurag talk...

This week: Etelle Higgonnet, founder of CoffeeWatch talks with Ian Welsh about the environmental and human costs behind global coffee production. From deforestation and biodiversity loss to pesticide overuse and child labour, they explore how agroforestry, living wages and responsible corporate practices can transform the industry.   Plus: UK supermarket Asda launches sustainable supply chain fina...

Farmers Jocelyn Schlichting and Carla Schultz share their perspectives on the risks and realities of implementing regenerative practices in the US agriculture sector. In conversation with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh, they discuss why partnerships with food manufacturers and genuine farmer voices are essential to making sustainability work on the ground.

This week: Beth Jensen, chief impact officer at Textile Exchange talks with Innovation Forum's Tanya Richard about key conversations and takeaways from the recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference in New York. They discuss nature-positive strategies and how brands can better align with farmers and growers. Plus: global plastics treaty talks collapse again; fashion emissions rise despite...

At the recent scope 3 innovation forum in Amsterdam, Tilmann Silber, head of net zero at Barry Callebaut talks with Ian Welsh about the current challenges in tropical supply chains. They discuss insights on supply chain resilience, on-farm adaptation strategies and the evolving role of KPIs in proving impact. They explore how brands and suppliers can collaborate to manage risk and co-invest in sol...

In this briefing, a snippet from the recent critical minerals webinar with World Resources Institute (WRI), Harmony Gold Mining Company, The Weir Group and Eramet. Reza Rahmaditio, critical minerals project lead at WRI Indonesia, outlines the biggest challenges in decarbonising nickel and other minerals. He discusses energy intensity, remote locations and market pressures – and how companies are b...

At the recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference in New York, Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Danielle Holly spoke with Innovation Forum’s Tanya Richard about how brands can make money without producing more clothes. They share lessons from the foundation’s Fashion ReModel project and examples from H&M and Coach that are proving the business case for circularity.

This week: Vidhu Nagpal, director for flexible packaging, and Alex Abbott, chief revenue officer at SmartSolve Industries, talk with Ian Welsh about why recycling rates for flexible packaging remain stubbornly low and how a zero-waste solution could change the game.   And, French bottled water brands face “natural”| label controversy; UK supermarket chain partners with food waste apps for real-tim...

This week: Davide Braghiroli, director for packaging sustainability solutions at Tetra Pak, talks with Ian Welsh about the impact of the European Union’s packaging and packaging waste directive. They highlight how the regulation will change material choices, supply chain transparency and potential opportunities.   And, Innovation Forum’s Lia Da Giau share latest updates in sustainable packaging, f...

This week: Alex Udermann and Mark Gutierrez, farmers from the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition, talk with Ian Welsh about how working on improving soil health improves productivity and farm profitability. They share insights on how healthier soils build resilience and cut inputs.   And, carbon markets expert and former CEO of Verra, David Antonioli reflects on the evolving role of the markets at th...

In the second episode of Innovation Forum’s podcast series on corporate readiness for the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), in collaboration with Deloitte & Touche LLP, we explore how companies can go further than ticking compliance boxes and instead use EUDR as a springboard for long-term business strategy. Ian Welsh is joined by John O’Brien, managing director at Deloitte & Touche LLP,...

This week: Kevin Rabinovitch, chief climate officer at Mars, talks with Ian Welsh about embedding climate targets into core business strategy, decoupling growth from greenhouse gas output, scaling pilots into transformational change and why science should set the pace to net zero. And, Innovation Forum's Hannah Oborne discusses how companies are moving compliance to build supplier partnerships tha...

This week: North Dakota rancher and UK Channel 5 TV personality Jay Doan joins Ian Welsh to share a frontline perspective on regenerative agriculture and farm resilience. Recorded at the recent Future of Food and Beverage conference in Minneapolis, they talk about why regenerative agriculture is far from a trend, it’s a decades-old practice rooted in resilience, land stewardship, and long-term thi...