Farming and food supply library

With global population rise and the growth of emerging markets, finite supplies of fresh water are being put under ever greater pressure. So will we be forgetting gold, diamonds and oil in the future? Will 'blue gold' become the world's most precious asset? In 2000, Fortune magazine wrote: “Water promises to be to the 21st Century what oil was to the 20th: the precious commodity that determi...

With industry focused on the bottom line, are businesses putting their sustainability agendas on the backburner? We look at current government initiatives and business strategies, as well as some outstanding industry best practice and why sustainability has become an essential part of corporate responsibility. Government intervention Calls for a Roosevelt style New Deal to stimulate the ...

Confused about sustainability terminology? The following glossary contains abbreviations, terms and clear definitions on a range of sustainability and CSR topics. Simply click on the link below: Several entries include links to IGD's free sustainability factsheets where you'll find even more information and links to related topics. A Agflation Agrichar ...

- What is the Marine Stewardship Council? - The history of the MSC - MSC standards - Seafood traceability standard - How to become MSC certified - How long is a certificate valid for? - UK companies offering MSC certified seafood What is the Marine Stewardship Council? The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is a certification and eco-labelling programme for sustainable seafood...

- Defining corporate social responsibility - What is sustainability? - Grocery industry involvement - Financial indices Defining corporate social responsibility Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a term used for business activities that address goals that are not purely commercial. Almost all food and beverage manufacturers and retailers incorporate a CSR dimension into t...

In uncertain times it is hard to predict the changes ahead. But according to a hall full of industry leaders in October 2008 – at the height of stock market volatility, rising unemployment and roller-coaster oil prices – it looks like the focus on sustainability is here to stay. At IGD’s flagship Convention more than 500 chairmen, directors and senior managers from the food and grocery indus...

This report tells the important but largely unknown story of the water we use and where it comes from. More importantly, it highlights the impact of the UK’s consumption patterns on water resources across the world. WWF’s intention in publishing this report is to start a debate about how UK-based organisations can help to ensure that critical, and often scarce, water resources are managed wisely...

This report argues that unless there is a collapse in oil demand within the next five to ten years, there will be a serious oil ‘supply crunch’ – not because of below-ground resource constraints but because of inadequate investment by international oil companies and national oil companies. Download now Date: August 2008 Source: A Chatham House Report

This report aims to present an overview on progress made in the last year on the commitments made in the Waste Strategy for England 2007 (WS2007). It does not aim to rewrite the strategy or produce the next one. It highlights what has been achieved since the publication of the WS2007 and areas where there is still more to be done in achieving the waste vision of reducing waste by producing produ...

The plastic shopping bag has emerged as ‘eco-enemy number one’ in the eyes of some media and environmental activists in the last few months. IGD considers what this means for the food and grocery industry, today and tomorrow. Plastic bags have become the arch-enemy of any self-respecting environmentally conscious shopper. They are regarded as a symbol of modern day consumer socie...