May 24, 2018
Did you know that the thin walled produce you eat can be some of
the most concerning foods in your diet. From everything we think we
know - that just seems counterintuitive. How can Fruit & Veg
possibly worse than processed food, high fructose sugar, feedlot
beef? Well, that may come down to the eye of the beholder.
Concerns with neurotoxins and hormone disruptors used
extensively in common pesticides throughout conventional
production, or that of glyphosate are real and are worthy of
scrutiny.
On Sourcing Matters episode 21 we welcome Volkert Engelsman, CEO of
the EU's largest importer of organic and biological produce - EOSTA
of the Netherlands. Engelsman is a global thought-leader
fighting for cleaner food and healthier soils through a unique
process of engaging more stakeholders in sourcing. "When you
commoditize products, you anonymize origin and backstory" explains
Engelsman in describing why he launched trans & trace technology
platform Nature & More to validate the integrity of his supply
chain. Now, as the backbone of their produce distribution -
this framework brought mainstream through a "Sustainability Flower"
is used to evaluate, manage and communicate the sustainability
achievements of organic growers. The six flower petals deal with
ecology: soil, water, air, plants, animals and energy. The heart of
the flower shows the words "freedom", "justice" and "solidarity",
which refer to cultural, societal and economical sustainability
respectively.
Along with the UN and Ernst & Young - Volkert Engelsman and the
team at EOSTA have levered the Nature & More framework to prove
healthier & cleaner food has greater value than the cheap stuff.
The pilot program has been labeled "True Cost Accounting for
Food, Farming & Finance". We learn that French Government
has calculated a 54b Euro impact of externalized costs from
contamination on the water supply and environmental impact tied to
conventional food production. More over, the UN calculates $2.8
Trillion of environmental externalized costs and $2.1 Trillion in
social damage tied to extractive models of agriculture.
Engelsman explains that's about the equivalent of the total
revenues of all food products from around the world. “The
report makes clear that organic food is not too expensive, but
rather conventional food is too cheap.” - details Engelsman.
in 2015 Engelsman launched a viral initiative to engage everyday
citizens, VIPs, and political leaders to Save our Soils. With
30 football fields of soil being lost every minute to irresponsible
farming practices, this UN-backed Save Our Soils initiative aims to
inform consumers about the urgent need to halt the loss of
irreplaceable soils. To amplify the impact Engelsman employs
ambassadors like Prince Charles, Julia Roberts, King of the
Netherlands, Dalai Lama, Bishop Desmond Tutu, activist Vandana
Shiva and conservationist founder of North Face Douglas Tompkins to
support efforts in preserving soils, and promoting clean food on a
shrinking planet with a fresh look at true costs.
Have a listen, and hear what's going on around the world. There are
some pretty exciting concepts ripe for change. This guy, Volkert
Engelsman of the Netherlands, is a driving force teeming with
insight and creativity set on changing the world for the
better.