Beyond the sustainability trade-off
“You have the ability to create an economic and financial ecosystem which supports sustainable choices and solutions, and influence responsible business practice around the world.”
Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands
Newton view Making decisions on key sustainability opportunities – from reducing packaging to identifying alternative supply options, factory improvements, re-formulations and optimising shipping options – requires leveraging digital, data and AI, coupled with deep knowledge of end-to-end value chains and, fundamentally, deep consumer understanding. We don’t see it as an either/or: the best initiatives will achieve what consumers want in terms of value, convenience and quality while increasing sustainability. But to deliver measurable impact and truly unlock possibilities, investments need to be made to fundamentally change how food is grown, processed, packed and eventually sold. Locked-in, longer-term retailer-supplier relationships were a crucial trend emerging from the Summit. These relationships aim to foster collaborative innovation but success hinges on understanding the minutiae of performance and the implications of any significant global changes.
As businesses, we need to find better ways of consuming what the planet gives to us. Big brands don’t see this shift as being a trade-off between affordability, profitability and sustainability – it is just good business. Aldi, for instance, is already experiencing supply chain disruption due to climate change, but is maintaining growth by building sustainability into its commercial models. One example of this is that science-based KPIs have been set to help protect farmers. The story is similar at The Bel Group where sustainability has been reshaped so that it sits at the centre of the business and no longer within a silo. “Sustainability for us is not an enabler, it’s a strategy,” said Cecile Beliot-Zind, CEO.
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