There are labour challenges to manage, and a growing transient workforce, a changing consumer landscape, increasing food legislation, reformulation and regulation, packaging changes and highly scaled supply chains that require highly standardized processes. It’s understandable that executives are struggling to keep up, with little headspace for sustainability change and innovation other than how they will deliver critical cost savings.
This month Capgemini’s recent LinkedIn article – A little less conversation, A little more action, got us talking. The article followed the release of its third edition of the Our World in Balance research and reinforced many of the conversations we’ve been having. While many executives understand that data and digital technologies will deliver efficiencies and support greater sustainability measures, they can cost a lot and often introduce a new challenge. Greenwashing is also a growing concern, with 62% of executives worried that their organizations sustainability efforts might appear insincere to the public.
The call to adopt and benefit from advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere, and I’m not surprised that it features in many of the articles we have included in this edition of Earth Evolution.
Attendees at the recent FEFPEB conference in Belgium heard how AI will transform pallets and packaging within ten years, with an estimated 20-25per cent improvement in productivity forecast. And an article in the latest Vision magazine investigates the benefits and downfalls of living a life guided more and more by the technology, and how the produce supply chain can benefit from adoption.
I hope you enjoy the read, and as always get in touch if you’d like to discuss how the solutions we offer at PalletEarth can help your business to thrive in our ever-changing world.
Dave and the PalletEarth team
The National Association of Pallet Distributors, which represents the UK pallet repair and reconditioning industry, has reiterated the calls from European pallet groups for increased pallet reuse to help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and cost per use. Paul Tait, NAPD Chairman, said, “There is a clear need to increase reusability by boosting the lifespan of pallets, which we can do by manufacturing with the goal of reconditioning a repair from the start.”
Has the food industry made ‘sustainability’ into a marketing buzzword? This opinion piece in The Grocer looks at how this has undermined the truly impactful terms like ‘organics ’and ‘biodiversity’. Ecotone UK CEO Emma Vass calls for food manufacturers to use clear and consistent information to help consumers make informed decisions. You can read the survey findings about what UK consumers consider sustainable food choices as released by Ecotone here.
This Top Traders podcast talks with BNP Paribas Fortis Chief Economist, Koen De Leus, and Chief Strategist, Philippe Gijsels, co-authors of The New World Economy in 5 Trends: Investing in Times of Super inflation, Hyperinnovation and Climate Transition. Hear them talk about how technologies like AI and 3D printing will drive economic growth and why they are likely to create more jobs than they destroy.
The final report from the International Sustainability Summit (April, Vancouver) and a Sustainability Charter have been released by the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA), in partnership with the International Federation for Produce Standards (IFPS) and the Global Coalition of Fresh Produce. The report provides key takeaways from the conference, while the Charter offers a set of principles including adopting an integrated approach to sustainability, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, prioritizing global harmonization and common standards, elevating industry leadership and advocacy.
Sub-Saharan farmers have highlighted their barriers to accessing the tools they need to fully realize the potential of regenerative agriculture to improve food security in Africa. The comments follow the second Roundtable of African Farmers in Rome. Barriers include low public and private R&D investments, high upfront costs for modern technologies, limited access to insurance and credit policies and a lack of infrastructure.
With the world lagging behind the ambition set out in the Paris Accord, scientists say there has never been a more important time to observe, monitor and predict global climate changes to support our future adaptation. The FT’s climate editor Emiliya Mychasuk explains how great advances in data gathering and processing could help the world prepare for the worst of the more frequent weather extremes on the way.
To deliver true circularity, each pallet must come back to source. Hear Dave Cashmore talk about how the PalletEarth team works with each of its customers and their supply chain partners to establish a return route, which in many cases will already exist.
“A change is brought about because ordinary people do extraordinary things.” Barack Obama
In the third issue of Earth Evolution we continue to keep you up to date and informed on the latest innovations, trends and news in the supply chain industry
Misleading green claims are more expensive than real sustainability gains
Dave Cashmore talks about how its new pallet solution helps to make the movement of, and interaction with, pallets safer for your people.
In this video Carl McInerney, Director UK and Europe, talks about how companies need to prepare for these legislative changes and how PalletEarth’s new pallet solution can help deliver sustainability goals while addressing five key challenges facing supply chains in this new landscape.
Hear PalletEarth CEO Dave Cashmore discuss material intelligence.
“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” George Bernard Shaw
In the second issue of Earth Evolution we continue to keep you up to date and informed on the latest innovations, trends and news in the supply chain industry
“Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things” Theodore Levitt
As we accelerate towards 2030, the Paris Agreement deadline date to reduce emissions by 45%, the supply chain landscape is set to undergo transformative changes.
“The electric light did not come from the continuous improvement of candles.” Oren Harari
This is our last newsletter for 2024. The team and I wish you all a happy and, if possible, relaxing festive period wherever you may be based in the world and whatever your plans are. We look forward to talking more in 2025.
