Mondelēz Worldwide has introduced the following stage of its third-party verified European wheat sustainability program: Concord Ambition 2030.
Now in its 15th 12 months, at present the Concord program collaborates with 1,360 farmers throughout seven European international locations. Its newest iteration incorporates regenerative farming practices, and by 2030, the corporate needs 100% of the wheat quantity wanted for manufacturing of its European biscuits – together with its belVita, Milka, LU, Oro and Opavia manufacturers – grown in response to these practices.
In Europe, no official definition of the time period ‘regenerative agriculture’ exists. In its absence, Mondelēz defines regenerative agriculture as a holistic strategy to farming which goals to provide top quality crops, whereas additionally restoring the pure rhythm of the ecosystem.
This includes not solely rebuilding soil well being and fertility, and carbon sequestration, but in addition reversing biodiversity losses.
For Mondelēz, regenerative agriculture additionally means fostering the financial wellbeing of its farming communities, defined Marie Ellul-Karamanian, Concord Program Lead at Mondelēz. “It’s essential our farmers are utterly embedded and supporting in that transition to regenerative agriculture.”
So what does Mondelēz’s strategy to regenerative agriculture appear to be on the bottom?
As is stands, no official definition of ‘regenerative agriculture’ exists in Europe. However Mondelēz Worldwide could be supportive of creating a definition on the EU degree.
“We’re positively supportive of creating a definition of ‘regenerative agriculture’, and even of ‘sustainable agriculture’ generally, in Europe,” mentioned Marie Ellul-Karamanian, Concord Program Lead at Mondelēz.
“We might be pleased to contribute to constructing the definition for the long run, as a result of it could assist to create an equal taking part in discipline throughout the business. It could additionally assist to drive additional environmental influence…all of us have a task to play.”
From cowl crops to melliferous fallows
Centre to Mondelēz’s regenerative agriculture programme is the rebuilding of soil well being and will increase in carbon sequestration. Concord Ambition 30 requires not solely that its farming communities diversify crop rotation, however that legumes be included in that crop rotation.
“The principle supply of greenhouse gasoline emissions in farming is fertilization, and legumes assist to optimise fertiliser,” Ellul-Karamanian instructed FoodNavigator. Legumes captures and metabolises nitrogen from the ambiance, earlier than releases it into the soil. Which means that fertilizer use might be optimised, and in the end, that fewer mineral fertilizers are required.
Using cowl crops – grown to cowl the soil, slightly than for the aim of being harvested – are additionally a non-negotiable in response to the brand new Concord Program chapter. “We all know that protecting the soil helps to maintain the carbon within the floor. It’s additionally the most effective for soil fertility.”
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As to reversing biodiversity losses, the corporate is banning the usage of drawback pesticides, notably glyphosate and neonicotinoids. The herbicide glyphosate might be poisonous to birds, essential bugs, and soil organisms that serve to keep up ecological stability, we have been instructed, whereas neonicotinoids can hurt pollinators.
Mondelēz can also be requiring farmers to dedicate 3% of their land to melliferous fallows devoted to biodiversity. The Concord Program lead described the initiative as a ‘daring transfer’ — not essentially in France the place this observe is below manner amongst Mondelēz’s farming communities — however in different European international locations the place Mondelēz wheat is grown. The corporate sources wheat from Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Poland, Italy, and Spain.
Mondelēz selects the number of flowers for these fallows primarily based on the meals supply of native pollinators. The total 3% needn’t be situated on productive land, however most could be, we have been instructed. “It’s an funding for them and that’s the reason we’re paying a premium to them with the intention to pay for the truth that they’d be shedding a little bit of manufacturing [land].” In the long run, the corporate hopes to show the sustainability advantages, starting from soil well being to elevated biodiversity, to its farmers.
Serving to farmers transition to regenerative ag practices
Supporting farmers within the transition to regenerative agriculture can also be a key component of the Concord Program, and it begins with paying a premium per ton of wheat grown in acknowledgement that a few of the farming practices put in place are extra demanding than that required by the EU’s Frequent Agricultural Coverage (CAP).
Going a step additional, Mondelēz can also be offering a ‘holistic toolkit’ to farmers. “Having monetary assist is vital, it’s crucial, however we have to do extra to persuade farmers to maneuver forward with us to do regenerative agriculture,” reasoned Ellul-Karamanian.
In response, the corporate is establishing the Concord Academy to supply digital and on-the-ground coaching. Dialogue and dialog between farmers will probably be inspired, to showcase the constructive influence such practices have on yield and margins. Digital instruments, below what Mondelēz is coining Concord Digital, will assist farmers document their practices, calculate environmental KPIs and enhance the effectivity of reporting.
This new chapter of Mondelēz’s Concord Program is already below manner in France. The corporate plans to study from the implementation of those practices this 12 months, earlier than rolling it out into different European international locations.
‘We wish to be identified for shielding bees’
The snacks and confectionery main is speaking its efforts in regenerative agriculture to shoppers in plenty of methods, from digital to TV via to on-pack communications.
On-pack, the corporate is specializing in 4 key pillars of the Concord Program: wheat high quality, native cultivation, sustainable manufacturing, and farmer engagement.
Mondelēz has plans to ramp up communication by way of storytelling – one thing that customers have expressed elevated curiosity in, we have been instructed. “They wish to play a task with us by way of sustainability and biodiversity safety particularly.”
Earlier than the summer time, 4 biscuit manufacturers – Mondelēz’s Fontaneda in Spain, Oro in Italy, Opavia in Czech Republic, and LU in France – will instigate a marketing campaign designed to contain shoppers in its bee safety efforts.
“Bees are accountable for lots of the pollination of crop meals globally. However at present, bees are threatened as a result of they lack meals sources and undergo from the destruction of their habitat. We’re ‘double clicking’ on the destruction of their habitats…and constructing ‘5-star bee motels’ within the melliferous fallows of our Concord fields.”
The ‘bee motels’ are handcrafted in France and constructed with ecological supplies. At round 1.5m in diameter and weighing round 55kg, the bee homes comprise 6,000 holes to draw various kinds of pollinators.
A proportion of biscuit gross sales will contribute to the development of those ‘bee motels’, which can deliver the patron on the sustainability journey, defined the Concord Program lead.
“We wish to change into well-known for shielding bees… [The campaign] is a brand new approach to contain shoppers. We wish to make sure that they contribute to the journey we’re concerned in.
“We wish it to drive environmental influence…and for our shoppers to assist – with our biscuit manufacturers – on this sustainability journey.”
