Redesigning food systems through collaboration and accountability

At our recent future of food and beverage forum in Amsterdam, experts from across agri-food supply chains engaged in focused roundtable conversations to explore the leading opportunities and innovations that are shaping the future of food. These sessions covered a range of challenges facing the industry, from AI, MRV and data sharing to food waste reduction and the need to incentivize and future-proof farming. Below are some of the key takeaways.  

Supporting the next generation goes beyond just engaging young farmers – it requires retaining all farmers. Stability, profitability, and a renewed sense of purpose are critical factors to consider. Participants identified that regenerative practices, modern technologies, and reserving land for agriculture over urban development are all vital strategies in this shift. Educational programmes can also play a key role - raising awareness of modern farming practices and helping to make farming a more attractive and viable career path.

Participants agreed that there is a common goal in both approaches - it’s not organic or regenerative, but both. Whilst organic is more established and regulated, it can be more restrictive. Regenerative agriculture offers more flexibility but needs to be more clearly defined. Raising consumer awareness and communicating the distinct value of each approach will be key to improving support and scaling impact in line with environmental priorities.

An abundance of data doesn’t guarantee value - much of it remains unused, resulting in significant ‘data waste’. Whilst technology can enhance and streamline data and reporting, consistency remains a barrier. Participants established that approaches to data collection need to be standardised, and AI can help with this, but supply chains need to address who owns and can access the data. Heightened transparency and improved data stewardship are critical for unlocking the full potential of technology and AI.

Establishing the business case for a just transition begins with understanding a company’s specific context, followed by the development of an actionable and measurable framework. The next step is to assess which tools are available to support effective implementation. MRV can provide two valuable outcomes: enabling carbon payments as an ecosystem service that directly benefits farmers and broadening the focus beyond carbon to include social trade-offs and outcomes.

Internal alignment and hierarchical considerations are key to effective waste reduction. This starts by preventing waste at the source and then look to reduce surplus food waste further downstream. The discussion concluded that retailers and brands play a pivotal role, whilst implementers can drive and facilitate innovation in this process. A circular approach must address not only environmental concerns but also social and economic impacts to succeed at scale.

Participants emphasised that the onus shouldn’t be on consumers. Long-term business models, collaborative investment strategies, and stable regulatory incentives are essential to de-risk innovation. These must also be balanced with political realities, as political cycles are shorter than the investment cycles required to catalyse innovation. Companies need to demonstrate what consumers value, such as efficiency, quality and cost reduction – this shouldn’t be overly saturated with other business priorities. Multiple incentives should be stacked across the supply chain to share the risks and make real progress. 

A key proposed change is the allowance of indirect mitigation when direct actions are not feasible. This includes mechanisms like mass balance and Book and Claim, under strict conditions. In the current standard, SBTi requires residual emissions to be neutralised by the net zero year (max 10%). In the new standard, SBTi are proposing to already start addressing those emissions before the net zero year by, for example, setting additional removal targets. Participants were pleased by the proposed changes, which signify a strong move forward for standardised emissions reduction. 

The roundtable discussions made one thing clear: the future of food and beverage depends on collaboration, innovation, and action. From rethinking financing and data systems to supporting farmers and aligning on sustainability frameworks, continuing these dialogues and partnerships will be essential to accelerate progress.