Unlocking the Benefits of Nature Positive Practices
Thursday 26 October 2023 - Online
12:00pm to 1:15pm AEDT
As urgency heightens around the environmental issues we face, it’s essential that the food industry addresses their crucial role in solving the interconnected challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change and food security.
This session will explore the imperative to not just abate negative impact, but generate positive impact on nature. Featuring speakers from FMCG, government, and associate member Deloitte, the panel will discuss the critical enablers needed to unlock the economic and ethical benefits of transforming to a nature positive model. We will explore:
- The imperative to move beyond net zero to nature positive
- The movers and shakers - inspiring stories from agricultural companies, FMCGs and retailers
- Incoming regulations and biodiversity markets (nature repair markets)
- Ways to accelerate the journey to nature positive
Facilitator:
Partner, Consumer Industry Leader and National Executive Board Member
Deloitte Australia
Vanessa is a member of Deloitte Australia's Executive, responsible for the firm's go-to-market. She leads the Consumer industry and is a senior strategy partner at Monitor Deloitte, with more than 20 years of consulting experience across Europe and the Asia Pacific region.
Her purpose and mission in life is to fuel the revolution of food. She is deeply passionate about shaping a healthier and more sustainable future. Vanessa works with agri, food & beverage and grocery companies to help create a world in which food is produced and consumed in a way that is affordable, healthy and good for the planet. Vanessa is a Faculty member at Singularity University - SingularityU Australia - as a global thought leader in Food, and is a leader in Deloitte’s Future of Food practice.
Speakers:
Head of Sustainability
Blackmores Group
Sally Townsend is a passionate Sustainability and Communications professional. She has 20 years of experience in the retail and healthcare sectors and specialises in developing strategies with a strong corporate narratives and deep alignment throughout organisations.
In her current role as Head of Sustainability for Blackmores Group, Sally has responsibility for the Group Sustainability Vision aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and is working to integrate these commitments into the core business strategy to deliver on the company’s sustainability vision for a world where people and nature thrive together. In 2020, Blackmores committed to Net Zero Emissions by 2030 and has progressed the journey to have a deeper understanding of human rights, climate resilience and biodiversity impacts across their global supply chain.
Executive Chairman Bega Group
Giant Steps Australia
Barry Irvin is Executive Chairman of the Bega Group, which supplies both the Australian and international markets with a product portfolio that ranges from dairy ingredients to a number of Australia's most iconic brands including Vegemite, Farmers Union, Dare, Dairy Farmers and Daily Juice. Bega Group began as a co-operative based in a small regional community and largely produced Cheese products for the Australian market. Since deregulation of the Australian Dairy industry Bega Group has grown to include 20 manufacturing sites across the country, operate Australia's largest chilled distribution network and service customers in Australia and more than 40 countries around the world.
Barry grew up on his family dairy farm which his son Andrew now operates. The long history with farming has meant that Barry has had a particular interest in sustainable agricultural production and championed a number of environmentally focused projects. Most recently Barry has led the establishment of a Regional Circularity Co-operative with the ambition of making the Bega Valley the most circular region in the world.
Director
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Arianna Cowling is a Director at the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water with a focus on the Nature Repair Market & Environment Science, Biodiversity Markets Brand, Financing Solutions for Nature Section.
Prior to this, she worked at Treasury for six years on a range of issues, from taxation policy and revenue forecasting, to superannuation and retirement income policy and modelling. She also worked several years at the Reserve Bank of Australia.
Arianna is passionate about evidence-based public policy. She holds a Master of Economics from the London School of Economics, and an Advanced Science/Arts degree from UNSW.
Partner Climate & Sustainability
Deloitte Australia
Paul is the lead partner within the Climate & Sustainability services practice in Risk Advisory. Paul has over 24 years’ experience working with clients across diverse sectors in Australia and the United Kingdom. Paul has deep expertise across all areas of sustainability in particular understanding the impacts, risks and opportunities arising from climate change. Paul also has expertise in advising clients on nature and biodiversity including the emerging TNFD framework and how it can be integrated sustainability and climate programs.