Explore Official Dialogue Feedback

Round 1: Standards, Policies, and Institutions Key Takeaways: - Standardize global regulations on seaweed - Encourage best practices and advocacy for smallholder producers - Increase data collection efforts The participants discussed a number of challenges related to the regulatory landscape of the seaweed industry. The primary issue is the lack of standardized regulations on seaweed’s food safety and nutritional content. For example, iodine standards in Europe limit some species of seaweed but these standards vary greatly across regions. While a number of participants mentioned that there i... Read mores very low risk of nutritional contamination of seaweed, they also highlighted the need to harmonize global standards to ensure a safe market for consumers. This harmonization is a challenge to seaweed’s integration since an overarching, international regulating body does not exist. While participants noted the preeminence of Codex International as a food standard setting organization, they also noted that a number of countries still utilize their own standards. While one participant advocated for creation of a global seaweed association, others suggested instead that dialogue with policymakers is necessary in addition to advocacy for farmers. The participants noted that an ideal regulatory environment for seaweed would encourage best practices and advocacy for smallholder producers. A couple of participants cited the importance of family-centric approaches and effectiveness of the farmer field school approach, emphasizing the importance of government investment in family farmer organizations and cooperatives. Policies that protect these farmers and encourage their participation will be important for growing the industry in an inclusive manner. Furthermore, national authorities must commit to joint data collection efforts that can inform standards and policies. In addition, a farmer field school approach raises the capacity for producers to innovate, create solutions, and standardize practices. Read less

Round 1: Indigenous Knowledge and Culture Key Takeaways: - Elevation of Indigenous and traditional seaweed farmer voices - The need for advocacy, education, and promotion around the consumption of diversified food resources, including seaweed The first topic this room dealt with was how to better integrate seaweed into the food system. Several of the participants noted that seaweed has not been enjoyed at home or as a food product for the majority of the world so far, and that needs to change for successful food system integration. One participant stated that especially in the United States, i... Read moret is a challenge for people to use seaweed in their homes and consume it regularly. As such, they said, the growth of the seaweed industry should focus largely on creating products that are accessible and easy to use in regular meals. One proposed solution was to develop a powdered form of seaweed that can be incorporated into flour for higher health benefits. The topic of industry growth took off for this group. A participant brought up the issue of marine tenure. Farmers need relatively exclusive access to the area they farm, which is not always possible or easily navigable for the farmers. On the other hand, there could be complementarities, as highlighted by a participant who shared the experience of Maine, which has more coastline than California and a rich history of shellfish farming, such as lobsters; the infrastructure needed for kelp farming and lobster farming is the same; and its lobster and kelp industries are actually co-synchronous, meaning that these farmers could have employment opportunities all year round by alternating between the two, especially given their expertise in lobster farming. . The conversation then shifted to the changes needed in the current industry and institutions. One of the participants noted that although seaweed is a relatively new player in Western industry, there is a rich base of Indigenous knowledge and history. Seaweed is the largest part of aquaculture globally, but is mainly produced at a small-scale by family businesses. Another participant expressed concern that the voices of Indigenous cultures and traditional producers are not well-represented in this burgeoning industry, making it more difficult for aquatic foods to get the prominence they need in spaces such as the Food Systems Summit. The participants concluded with a discussion about how to get these important voices heard and elevate the growth of the seaweed industry. One participant stressed that people should be in conversation with the member state representatives to the Food Systems Summit to stress the importance of Indigenous knowledge and aquatic foods for our collective food system. Another participant spoke of the need to create a strong coalition between powerful international organizations such as the FAO, the UN Environment Programme, the World Bank, and others. Together, they said, these organizations can send a strong signal as to the importance of this industry. All of the participants in this room agreed that there is a need for advocacy, education, and promotion around the consumption of diversified food resources, including seaweed. Read less

Round 1: Seaweed on the Farm Key Takeaways: - Need to sustainably scale up seaweed production to provide for agricultural purposes - Integrating seaweed into agricultural practices and the Western hemisphere requires industry regulations, educational resources, and standardized practices for farmers Throughout this breakout session, the participants had a highly engaging discussion about seaweed’s potential uses and benefits in agriculture. The group began the discussion by focusing on the challenges behind integrating the seaweed industry into Western production and consumption. They articu... Read morelated that one of the main challenges behind this was the current (lack of) regulations and standards as the industry moves from the Eastern hemisphere. An animated discussion began around the potential uses of seaweed within traditional agriculture. The participants highlighted that it can be used as fertilizer additions and as feed alternatives to the standard animal diets of soy and corn. Using seaweed as feed may lower methane production from livestock, especially cattle, the largest GHG source attributed to the agriculture sector. The group noted the need for both regulation and education within this area so those that produce seaweed for agriculture do it in a sustainable and regenerative manner. The discussion then pivoted to integrating seaweed into farming culture and agricultural practices in general. Many farmers may never have heard about the benefits of seaweed for livestock production and as a fertilizer for cultivation. A participant suggested creating a central resource to educate farmers looking to use seaweed where they can learn about good practices and where to responsibly source their seaweed additives from. All participants agreed that there needs to be further research conducted in a centralized manner around seaweed production for the specific use of it as feed, fertilizer, and in biorefinery. Lastly, the participants discussed how to scale up seaweed production to provide adequate sourcing for agricultural uses since one of the challenges at the moment is the small amounts of seaweed for use in agriculture. One participant felt it would be difficult to grow one aquatic product on a massive scale without having large environmental impacts. This led the group to agree that seaweed production has to be diversified and done sustainably by adding to aquatic ecosystems in a regenerative way rather than growing, harvesting, and polluting ecosystems. They concluded that integrated multi-trophic aquaculture is a solution to this problem and will allow the industry to scale up in a sustainable manner. The discussion concluded with remarks on the potential of seaweed to have remarkable, positive impacts on agriculture and through it to translate to beneficial impacts for the environment. Read less

Round 1: Innovations Key Takeaways: - The need for the diversification of seaweed’s usages - How to popularize seaweed as a food source to a Western consumer base - A lack of seaweed-centric institutions results in lack of collaboration, research, and funding The participants all agreed that a primary issue the seaweed industry faces is under exploration of the various ways in which seaweed can be used in the food industry. In order to overcome this challenge, participants suggested the creation of institutions which would support innovations and exploration of seaweed food applications. Par... Read moreticipants also agreed that seaweed diversity is underexplored. They expressed the need to explore the use of species other than kelp, especially varieties native to their respective production zones. Some participants expressed the opinion that seaweed as an additive to foods for nutritional purposes needed to be further investigated, as it could lead to a popular and lucrative market. The primary concern that participants expressed when discussing the consumer perspective was the challenge of popularizing seaweed as a food source to a Western audience. They cited the lack of familiarity and understanding as a challenge that marketing and PR would need to overcome with an awareness campaign about the benefits of eating seaweed. They also agreed that seaweed could slowly be introduced to the market as an additive to foods, such as an alternative protein source or as an iodine supplement. Participants all voiced that they believed seaweed has many applications and opportunities for incorporation into Western diets, it just needs marketable appeal. In the end, the participants agreed that focusing on innovations in seaweed as an additive was a more achievable short-term goal, whereas popularizing seaweed in the west as a staple would be a more long-term goal. When discussing how to finance innovations, the participants noted that a lack of seaweed institutions meant a lack of support to the industry. This lack of funding is what keeps the costs of producing and processing seaweed high, which hurts its market potential. All felt that the creation of seaweed research and funding institutions could provide financial support to the industry, bring costs down, and make scaling-up production a more achievable goal. Some participants also noted that lack of utilization of all parts of the plant keeps costs high. They urged innovation in utilizing all parts of seaweed, as they believed this would bring production costs down as well. They felt this would not only expand the market for seaweed, but also lower threshold costs for producers. Lastly, the participants touched on the environmental concerns surrounding seaweed production. They agreed that as the market is currently underdeveloped, there are not adequate regulatory tools to measure and monitor food quality across producers. This, they felt, was a challenge to overcome and cited the important role seaweed institutions and governments could play in creating a universal standard. Additionally, they circled back to the need for a wider variety of seaweed species to be used for food, as kelp being a dominant species could lead to a monoculture issue in the oceans. Overall, the participants had a lively and engaging discussion surrounding the possibilities for innovation and finance in the seaweed industry and how to better popularize seaweed in the food world. They all agreed that smart marketing of seaweed, the creation of seaweed research and financing institutions, and uniform standards were actionable areas for next steps towards integration to be made. Read less

Round 1: Economic Development Key Takeaways: - Integrate seaweed into the food system from early childhood - Support local seaweed products, encourage variety of seaweed consumption and use at restaurants - Governments need to pay attention to regulations and innovation of seaweed industry At the beginning of the discussion, many participants expressed their thoughts on how we can better integrate seaweed into the food system. Many said that modernization of seaweed is important; for example, it should be integrated as part of normal diets from early childhood. It is a common food in East Asia... Read more, but not as much in other parts of the world. There is a unique culture around the sushi industry, where seaweed is in common use, but other potential seaweed products would also support seaweed consumption. Seaweed snacks are one example of such a product. In addition to encouraging more consumption, there is a need to focus on supply-side challenges. It is important to understand if there is enough supply and labor to fuel our desired level of consumption in the food system. Participants talked about the unlimited potential of seaweed including as animal feed, a contributor to regenerating ocean ecosystems, food, and a sustainable alternative to plastic. One concern is that seaweed’s price may not be accessible to a full range of consumers, therefore participants discussed possibilities of fair price ranges for different types of seaweed, which would allow for more restaurants to use it as a central ingredient within their menus. In order for smallholder farmers to gain a fair profit, they have to triple their current price and have to develop different varieties of seaweed products. There are quality differences between local (North American) and Japanese seaweed. “If you want to support local, local is good, but if you want the best, restaurants go for the Japanese seaweed,” as one of the participants told the group. Participants expressed concern that it is hard to change habits, so it is going to be hard to bring about large scale change. The group concluded by discussing the need for the government to pay attention to regulation and innovation of the seaweed industry. Read less

Round 1: Nutrition Key Takeaways: - Seaweed’s many nutritional benefits - Opportunities to integrate seaweed as a sustainable and nutritious food globally - Barriers to introducing seaweed into Western diets Participants brought experience in innovation, research, food security, cooking and consumption, and policy-making. Combining thier unique perspectives, they were tasked with discussing the nutritional benefits of seaweed and how to leverage those benefits to more fully integrate seaweed into the food system. The participants considered the nutritional benefits and opportunities for seaw... Read moreeed as a tool to fight global hunger and malnutrition. Seaweed is a source of natural iodine, B12, protein, iron, and other micronutrients. One participant mentioned that the naturally occurring iodine in seaweed is a transformative mineral, but there is a need to educate the market to debunk the misconception that the danger of overdosing on iodine outweighs the gains. Participants stressed that the opportunities for seaweed as a sustainable and nutritious food and alternative protein , the participants stressed. It can be substituted for harmful ingredients and chemicals that are used in processed food since it can be used as a stabilizer and thickening agent. By scaling up seaweed production for nutritious consumption, the industry also creates jobs for women and smallholder farmers which can be beneficial in diversifying income sources. The group also focused on barriers to integrating seaweed into Western diets and consumption patterns, as well as places in the eastern hemisphere where seaweed is not typically consumed, but could be a beneficial tool to fight malnutrition. Participants came up with three concrete suggestions to break down these barriers: (i) public education, (ii) marketing and media that highlight the nutritional benefits of seaweed, and (iii) creating a centralized institution that can implement an international coordinated effort to increase knowledge and demand. One participant talked about how current economic forces push products like soy since there is a large market for meat alternatives now. They then articulated how if done responsibly, products created from certain seaweed species could enter the meat alternative market and provide key micronutrients, similar to those gained from eating meat, like Vitamin B12 and protein. This breakout group concluded their discussion on seaweed and nutrition by brainstorming next steps to follow-up on efforts to more fully integrate seaweed into diets. Participants suggested the following ideas: increase institutional financing to increase downstream demand, improve the messaging around the nutritional benefits of seaweed through media and education, incorporate seaweed into processed foods and culturally specific diets, create school lunch programs that test school children's nutrition and look at gaps that seaweed could fill, and lastly eat more seaweed! Read less

Round 1: Social Inclusion Key Takeaways: - Empower women - Diversify livelihood opportunities for coastal communities - Increase support for smallholder farms, including to help balance power relationships - Foster stronger institutional support. Participants shared their experiences with the seaweed industry and the extent it provides livelihood opportunities to coastal communities and marginalized groups. They then offered suggestions to make the industry more inclusive. The discussion on women’s empowerment focused on the need for gender-specific training and protective gear. For example,... Read more women in Tanzania are pushed to farm seaweed in ever deeper waters due to ocean warming, leading to a number of unsafe conditions. In the Tanzanian context, women are not taught to swim so additional training and gear is needed to ensure their safety. Local governments and multilateral institutions must provide these resources to create a socially inclusive industry. The lack of investment in smallholder farms is a primary challenge to social inclusion. A few participants noted that institutions in the Global North are uncomfortable working at the local level. Joint marketing and direct investments can go a long way in supporting small scale farmers. This would bring them closer to consumers in the value chain, promote technical innovation, and create a market that can sustain these farmers and their families. Participants agreed that institutions need to understand how seaweed benefits the families and small operations who produce it. Political will is an important component to ensure advocacy along the entirety of the value chain. This requires the buy-in of policy makers. Diversifying livelihood opportunities for coastal communities and bringing them into the global market requires accountability and knowledge transfer. A number of participants indicated that large scale seaweed farms hold the power despite an industry that consists primarily of small scale operations. These farms often resort to “ocean grabbing” which lowers the price of seaweed and makes it difficult for coastal communities to compete. All the participants agreed that a knowledge sharing platform amongst small scale farmers is necessary. This would allow them to share best practices and understand the value chain. Lastly, a global market for seaweed cannot be achieved without changing consumer preferences. It is important to invest in marketing that increases demand for seaweed where it is not normally part of the diet. The seaweed industry is on the precipice of expansion and it is necessary to set the tone now in order to ensure social inclusion. Multilateral institutions and local governments must work closely with smallholder farmers to provide necessary resources and investments. These public-private partnerships will be the foundation for global standards and producer rights as the industry grows. Read less

Round 1: Environment Key Takeaways - The need for more data and evidence to better understand the risks of mass cultivation for carbon sequestration - The importance of the role of government and policy - Seaweed as a climate friendly alternative ruminant livestock feed source In this session, participants discussed the need to be aware of the risks involved in scaling up production and the importance of data, the role of government policy, and potential of seaweed as a livestock feed. They shared their unique perspectives and various suggestions for ways to manage risk, areas of the world to ... Read morelook towards for examples, and next steps to take in regards to seaweed and the environment. The participants agreed that there is a need to better understand the potential risks involved in scaling up the production of seaweed to sequester large quantities of carbon. Questions such as, “what is the planet’s production capacity for seaweed?,” “how much seaweed is being produced currently?,” and “what is the sustainable limit - to avoid over harvesting and bringing harm to existing ecosystems?” were settled on as the most important questions to be answered before we can take big steps toward large-scale seaweed production for climate resilience. In order to answer these questions, all agreed that the currently disjointed seaweed industry and scientific communities needed to come together and pool their research. The role of governments was also an important topic in this breakout room, one which led to some divergence in opinion. Some participants felt that too much “red tape” was stifling the seaweed industry and making it unnecessarily hard for small producers to compete. They felt that unfair regulations in the industry resulted in the success of only big businesses, leaving little room for innovation or scientific discoveries. Others felt that the issue of government regulations and policies was a delicate one with much complexity. While they agreed that too many harsh regulations could stifle a fairly new industry, they felt that some regulation was needed, for example to avoid possible environmental harm on ocean ecosystems. They cited cautionary tales from other aquaculture industries and shared lessons learned, and ultimately circled back to the need for more data to overcome fear and uncertainty in the industry. The participants also discussed seaweed as a potential feed source for livestock, one that could possibly reduce methane emissions. All agreed that this was a fascinating and potentially win-win usage for seaweed globally. Not only does just a small amount of seaweed, particularly asparagopsis, significantly cut methane emissions from ruminant livestock but some participants pointed out that the production of seaweed does not require fresh water or fertilizer, compared to traditional feed sources. Therefore, not only would seaweed cut down on GHG emissions, but it would also reduce the use of resources and harmful run-off if widely used in the livestock industry. The session concluded with all of the participants agreeing that seaweed has many uses that make it a potentially powerful tool in climate mitigation. The only obstacle to this in their view was the need to overcome uncertainty in the industry with data and evidence. To accomplish this, the participants agreed the Western world needed to look to Asia as an example of how to cultivate seaweed successfully and learn from those who have been involved in the industry for decades. Read less

This Dialogue was conducted using a mix of plenary discussions and breakout rooms. There were two rounds of breakout discussions. In the first round, participants discussed the current state of play of seaweed and the food system. Breakout rooms covered social inclusion, environmental impact, nutrition, economic development, innovation, agricultural development, indigenous knowledge and culture, policy and regulations, and the value chain. Among the many rich themes that emerged from this first round of discussions, a few highlights were: - the potential of seaweed on multiple fronts, includin... Read moreg as a feed source for fish and livestock and as a carbon sequestration vehicle; - the need for international standards and regulations, and more generally for global collaboration, especially given that seaweed often does not have a clear institutional “home”; - the importance of ensuring secure tenure for smallholders; - creating a platform for sharing best practices among producers; - exploring integrating seaweed into children’s diets; - seaweed and the economic empowerment of women and youth; - the lack of financing for seaweed enterprises and a need for more investment in small scale farmers and advocacy along the value chain; and - the key role of stakeholders like chefs in communicating broadly about seaweed. In the second round, participants visualized themselves in 2050 and envisioned the pathway to achieving a future food system with seaweed fully integrated. Key points emerging from those sessions: - Production and scaling up: Better capture the ecosystem services seaweed provides; manage tensions between scaling up and challenges such as environmental and food safety; and involve producers more equitably. - Financing innovation: Rebrand and repackage seaweed projects to better appeal to blue investors; protect the intellectual property of coastal communities; better understand market signs and production costs; and collaborate across stakeholders. - Nutrition and diet: Recognize its nutritional value and its potential as a fortifying agent, acknowledging the cultural dimensions of taste and flavor; Asian youth and chefs could be key communicators. - Building the industry responsibly and ethically: Develop globally harmonized health and safety standards, with farmers at the heart of plans; invest inclusively to assure tenure rights and ownership protections for producers, especially family farmers and co-ops, so they have secure access to markets and value chains; focus on women, indigenous people, and youth; and set up training and knowledge hubs. European stakeholders emphasized regulation of larger companies and space for smaller farmers to collaborate and have negotiating power. - Production and consumption in Africa: A collaborative, demand-driven, farmer/producer-oriented approach is called for, that identifies the continent’s assets – including a long coastline and relatively cheap labor – together with better communication of the science and of the social benefits of seaweed, including employment opportunities for women and improved nutrition for all. These outcomes are discussed in greater depth below. Since the feedback report limits the number of outcome topics to ten, attached is a document that covers the additional four topics discussed during this Dialogue. Read less

This Dialogue had three aims: 1. Introduce seaweed to a variety of food system actors 2. Explore its potential to help address global food system and development challenges, along with barriers to that potential. 3. Visualize a food system in 2050 with seaweed fully integrated. This Dialogue was about how the food system can harness the power of seaweed to contribute to the sustainability of our food system, now and in the future. Participants, drawn from both seaweed and food system stakeholders, explored how seaweed can be a new foundation of ecosystem restoration through aquaculture and equ... Read moreitable blue food systems. The Dialogue highlighted the untapped potential of seaweed to contribute, through regenerative aquaculture, to restoring ocean health while helping ease hunger, malnutrition, and other global challenges. It also brought to light obstacles to achieving that vision. Read less

Strengthening Human Capital Development (Skilling) 1. For Africa, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, to realize its full agricultural potential to bolster its food systems, there is need for significant investments in key productivity-enhancing innovations to harness science solutions for growth. 2. Only a fraction of smallholder farmers has requisite entrepreneurial ability, productive assets and skills potential for value addition. Skilling such populations, and in general, improving the labour productivity is critical for African agriculture to play a greater role in meeting local to global foo... Read mored demand, in a competitive and cost-effective and competitive manner. 3. A more holistic human capital development is required to build the agricultural workforce, from production, to research and innovations, as well as entrepreneurship. African universities are pivotal in designing and implementing human capital development programmes. 4. Universities themselves have to change how they do business and respond to emerging needs and advance processes and mechanisms that ensure that graduates appreciate agriculture and agribusiness as a source of employment and livelihood. 5. Africa must not outsource its food security (export jobs) but build capacity to bolster its global food production and export markets. Read less

Discussion topic 1: Status of Food Systems In Africa: Key Drivers, Challenges And Needed Interventions There is need to strengthen food production to consumption fundamentals through STIs. This involves the development of yield enhancing resilient technologies (New varieties, breeds); value added and post-harvest reduction for diversified urbanizing populations; renewable production systems - climate change for posterity; and, effective and efficient knowledge generation (Agricultural Education and Advisory services) Development of human capital for the flourishing the food systems needs to be... Read more undertaken through balancing the human resource pyramid for science technology & innovations and entrepreneurship ; and leveraging and convergence, rather than competition, in science technology and innovations development and human capital development Africa needs to depend on its intelligence to inform its foresight and strategy investment planning, measurement, accountability and learning to inform investments and redesign of adaptation measures. African universities are best place to undertake this. Discussion topic 2: Emerging issues in West, Eastern and Southern Africa. Strategic thrusts to transform the food system include; • Develop human capital to innovate, adopt and enable transformed food systems • Increase Locally Relevant Research to create and adapt knowledge to strengthen value chains • Support Multi-stakeholder Platforms to Innovate and Scale to improve food and nutrition security • Improve Communication, Storing and Sharing advances and approaches and make them accessible to policymakers and from farm to table University and research need to; • Undertake resource mobilization to support human capital development • Feed the transformation of neglected value chain • Support Universities and research institution, but also for innovative and impact-oriented training model • Increase focus on practice-oriented training through establishment of hands-on practical units and stations within training institutions; and, development of enterprises that partner with universities in vocational training of graduates Discussion Topic Smallholder focus 1. Africa produces its food from two main types of systems: smallholder-based, highly diversified production systems and “progressive” semi-to-extensive production systems that are increasingly owned and managed by urban elite. 2. The smallholder farmers that feed and employ the vast majority of people, with women accounting for up to 70% of the labour force. 3. The primacy of Africa’s smallholder agriculture to underpin sustainable and equitable food systems that support food and nutrition security for all, for the present generations and posterity, is unequivocal and must be integral in discussions on global food systems. 4. The weak linkages between African smallholder farmers and research/extension, as well as agricultural markets must be strengthened. 5. Due to low technological advancements (hand held hoe) and other factors, African agriculture is not attractive to most youth. Read less

The future transformation of food systems in Africa requires innovative research, education, and training approaches that are rooted in local contexts. Universities in Africa need to adapt and create knowledge to strengthen and transform the food systems through strengthening links and improving production, processing, storage, transport, food quality, and businesses that link them and consumers. Universities must play a crucial and more effective role in anticipating the skill-sets and knowledge demanded by rapidly changing food systems, and provide these skills and information in ways that t... Read morerickle through the entire economy. In turn, the universities need to translate knowledge created into innovations that transform and develop potential to drive their own and Africa’s food system transformation. Now is the time to reassess and redesign the African universities and assist them to build their capacity to deliver Africa’s food system transformation. The COVID-19 pandemic was a wake up call to the glaring fragility and inequalities of the global, regional, and national agri-food systems, thus making the resolve for sustainable, inclusive, and resilient food systems extremely urgent. To build such food systems, there is need to examine existing systems and policies. Government leaders, policy makers, private sector, civil society, universities, research institutions, smallholder farmers, and other value chain actors, have a stake in shaping pathways for resilient and sustainable national food systems aligned with SDGs and Africa’s Agenda 2063. Read less

The dialogue focused on the entry points for universities in the food systems transformation of Africa. Future transformation of Africa’s food systems requires innovative scientific, research, educational and training approaches, and thus Africa’s universities must be actively engaged in this transformation process. Universities need to act with greater urgency for pioneering new approaches in delivering collaborative regional education, training, research and innovation programs for improved food systems and greater development impact.

There were five major areas of divergence: 1) Alternatives to animal-sourced foods (plant-based or cultured products) The importance of shifting towards alternatives as a key part of a more sustainable food system was raised by some, while others noted that alternatives are ultra-processed and lack the nutritional value of anima-sourced foods, leading to a negative impact on people’s health and nutritional outcomes. Alternatives are not necessarily more environmentally friendly – for example almonds have a very high-water cost. Dairy farming produces other benefits besides foods to regiona... Read morel communities which cannot be easily replicated by some alternatives. 2) Global trade Reliance on global trade often means less investment in local dairy industries which has a negative impact on regional communities and economic resilience. This reliance increases exposure to system shocks, such as COVID19. However, others noted that global trade allowed countries that were better positioned to produce food to help support the food security of people around the globe. Global trade helps shore up gaps to combat hunger and malnutrition. 3) Who bears the cost of sustainable development There was a fundamental tension between decent farmer income and the affordability of healthy diets for consumers. Making the food system more sustainable would increase costs of production, but who should pay the higher costs. While some noted that consumers should bear the costs, it was highlighted that 30% of Australians cannot afford a healthy diet with current prices. Most attendees agreed that farmers could not afford to bear the costs. Other suggestions included government, retailers, and dairy processors. 4) Larger vs smaller operations Some noted there should be a focus on supporting small-scale operations as this helps build up farm diversity and provides more support for regional communities and economies. Others highlighted that larger operations will be more efficient and productive, helping to reduce waste, emissions, resource use and overall environmental impact. 5) Consumer trust in food industries There was a tension between the dairy industry and consumers around the topic of trust. From one side, the dairy industry needed consumers to trust the industry so that legitimate sustainable products and services can be recognised and purchased encouraging more sustainable practice. On the other side, consumers remain wary of food industries, on the lookout for greenwashing and illegitimate claims, and seeking greater transparency. Read less

Ideas for improving responsible production and consumption across the whole value chain included: • Australia needs to continue being part of global discussions • Banks and institutional investors looking to ‘decarbonise’ their lending, favouring only low emissions sectors • Growing carbon trading and biodiversity credit markets • Increasing financing options across the value chain • Improving product integrity and communications across the value chain • More consistent metrics across the sector • Identifying and working with supporters

Ideas for improving responsible consumption of dairy products included: • Changing consumer preferences towards buying and eating zero carbon emissions foods and more plant-based foods • Introducing a 20% tax on discretionary or junk food and drinks • Enhancing welfare payments, such as those introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, that will allow low income and indigenous Australians to afford well-balanced diets rich in fruit, vegetables and low-fat dairy for their families • Changing the location of discretionary and junk foods in supermarkets, potentially limiting their sale throu... Read moregh legislation and higher prices • Better communication about what each industry is doing on sustainability • Educating the public about food production • Dialling up the culinary nutrition space and getting people excited to eat healthy food and reduce junk food consumption • Reintroducing basic cooking skills • Reducing the number of overseas dairy products on shelves • Increasing the price of food • Combatting public misinformation • Improving trust in dairy by increasing transparency and acknowledging areas that need improvement • Transitioning to a bulk/wholesale model for consumption would reduce packaging whilst maintaining shelf life • Introducing pricing structures based on milk freshness so consumers can get older milk if they need to pay less; this will also reduce food waste • Reducing consumer food waste • Better understanding generational shifts in consumption patterns • Developing a sustainability food tick similar to the Heart Foundation tick • Embarking on a whole-of-agriculture campaign to show sustainability credentials of the industry • Providing a public definition of regenerative agriculture • Focusing on a single compelling sustainability message Read less

Ideas for improving responsible transport of dairy produce included: • Transitioning to electric vehicles, this will need government support • Improving efficiency by reducing duplication of transport service with milk pick-up • Reducing the fuel use of transports

Ideas for improving responsible dairy processing included: • Developing novel end-of-life plastic packaging technology using catalytic hydrothermal reactors that can convert plastic milk bottles into renewable biocrude oil that can then be reused to make plastics in a true circular economy • Learning from sustainable models like the one used by Arla Foods, e.g demand more from suppliers, encouraging and rewarding on-farm change • Talking not only about mitigating impact, but also making a positive impact on the environment • Reducing waste by aiming to only have water and salts as outp... Read moreuts • Improving packaging use in processing, e.g. through using recycled sugarcane packaging • Improving product shelf life by using smaller trucks with more frequent collection • Better metrics to compare products, and improve clarity of comparisons between dairy and non-dairy products Read less

Ideas for improving responsible dairy farming included: • Wide-spread adoption of regenerative agriculture practices and soil carbon farming, backed by farmers being paid income for the carbon stored in their soils • Developing feed supplements that can massively reduce methane emissions from cattle, with farmers potentially paid carbon credits for methane abatement • Encouraging more farmer and food cooperatives • Focusing on building small and resilient rural communities • Better resourcing and funding of extension and adoption including adoption of any sustainability goals; a road... Read moremap for how farmers can implement any goals and improve; practical help to dairy farmers so they know what to do • Tougher compliance and regulatory measures, such as planning permits that align with the SDGs • More investment from corporates and big dairy farms into sustainable outcomes • Maintaining diverse dairy practices to bolster resilience • Providing financial incentives to farmers for sustainable outcomes, including ecosystem service payments, carbon payments, payments for improving practices • Introducing driverless small trucks that can operate 24/7 • Improving minimum standards and best practice for better sustainability outcomes • Standardisation and better monitoring for carbon sequestration • Improving particular practices including feeding cows better, composting, using home-grown fodder, silage wrap recycling, pain relief for dehorning, planting trees • Industry leaders admitting the need to change • Ensuring farms become energy self-sufficient • Improving refrigeration on farm and across the supply chain - smaller trucks could collect milk more frequently and improve efficiency of getting product to market Read less