PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
October 19th 2018
Plant-Based Foods and Sustainable Ingredients Top of Summit Agenda
London – Plant-based foods, sustainable ingredients, and green marketing are focal themes of the upcoming Sustainable Foods Summit (https://www.sustainablefoodssummit.com/northamerica). For the first time, the executive summit will discuss the future outlook of plant alternatives to meat & dairy products in a high-level forum. The ninth North American edition will be hosted in San Francisco on 16-17th January.
Some argue the future of the sustainable food industry is intricately linked to that of
plant-based foods, since livestock and seafood products are linked to environmental and
/ or health issues. Bruce Freidrich, Executive Director of the Good Food Institute, kicks off the discussions by declaring the sustainability benefits of plant foods. Animals for food production take up two-thirds of agricultural land and generate 15% of all greenhouse gases. Michele Simon from Plant Based Food Association will show how plant-based foods are making inroads into the American food industry. Their research shows that meat alternatives are increasing by 24% per annum, whilst dairy alternatives are expanding by 9%, and now comprise 13% of milk sales. Innovation is a major driver; many new variants of plant milks are being launched, including cashew, walnut, hemp, quinoa, flax, as well as mixed blends.
Dr. Cheryl Mitchell from Elmhurst Milked will share the company’s journey. Starting off as a dairy in 1925, Elmhurst became one of the biggest dairies in New York. Declining sales in the last two decades led the company to re-launch itself as a plant-based milk company in 2017. Elmhurst has launched a novel range of ‘milked’ nuts and grains using HydroReleaseTM technology. Marketed under the Elmhurst 1925 brand, its plant-based milked products now have nationwide distribution. Other speakers will cover clean meat potential, new plant proteins, seafood alternatives, distributing and retailing plant-based foods.
Sustainable ingredients are another focus; seminars will show how food ingredients can add sustainable value to finished products. Alan Hahn, CEO of MycoTechnology, will give details on how it is creating new proteins using ‘mushroom technology’. Its ingredients are made by the fermentation of plant-based feedstock with the mycelium of Shiitake mushroom. Keith Lord from Sambazon will describe the challenges of setting up ethical sourcing projects. Sambazon is procuring acai berries from over 10,000 family growers in Amapa, Brazil. It is working with a number of NGOs, and has set up the Sustainable Amazon Partnership to ensure sustainable management of the Amazon. The fresh produce company Naturipe Farms will explain how blockchain technology can be
deployed to provide transparency in supply chains. Other topics include novel processing
& extraction methods, innovating with side stream ingredients, sustainable cocoa, and new sources of raw materials.
Organic is now well-established as the dominant eco-label in the North American food industry, comprising about 5% of total food sales. Laura Batcha, CEO of Organic Trade Association, will give an update on the organic market and highlight the need for continuous improvement. Details will also be given of the new Regenerative Organic Certified program, launched earlier this year. Jeff Moyer from the Rodale Institute will explain how the new scheme goes beyond organic certification by encompassing social fairness, animal welfare, and soil & land management. Another paper by Albert Straus, founder and CEO of Straus Family Creamery, will state how the organic dairy enterprise is facing up to sustainability challenges. Albert Straus received the Sustainability Pioneer Award at the 2018 Sustainable Food Awards earlier this year.
The summit will close by discussing some of the Green Marketing issues faced by operators in the sustainable food industry. Maryellen Molyneaux, President of NMI, will present the latest consumer research on organic & sustainable foods. Details will be given on product purchases, consumer preferences, sales channels, as well as marketing implications to brands. Alejandro Calvillo, Founder of El Poder del Consumidor, will highlight the role of consumer campaigns. His organization was responsible for advocacy campaigns to raise awareness of the obesity epidemic in Mexico. Terracycle will cast the spotlight on plastic pollution, explaining how food & beverage companies can close their packaging loops. Jake Hebert from Futamura will state how biopolymers can provide
eco-friendly packaging solutions. The company is using cellulose-based biopolymers to make compostable and biodegradable packaging materials.
About the Sustainable Foods Summit
The aim of the Sustainable Foods Summit is to explore new horizons for eco-labels and sustainability in the food industry by discussing key industry issues in a high-level forum. The ninth North American edition will be hosted at the Hilton San Francisco Financial District on 16-17th January 2019. More information is available from https://www.sustainablefoodssummit.com/northamerica/
About Ecovia Intelligence
Ecovia Intelligence (formerly known as Organic Monitor) is a specialist research, consulting & training company that focuses on global ethical product industries. Since
2001, we have been encouraging sustainable development via our services portfolio: market research publications, business & sustainability consulting, technical research, seminars & workshops, and sustainability summits. Visit us at www.ecoviaint.com
Further Information
For further information, please contact:
Ms. Katie Giorgadze
PR & Marketing Events Assistant
Tel: (44) 20 8567 0788
Email: [email protected]