0:13

Welcome back to another Assurance and Action

0:15

podcast episode. Today we are excited

0:17

to bring you the fourth episode in our vegan

0:19

food series where we have been exploring

0:22

the dynamic trends and key players

0:25

reshaping the plant-based world. In

0:27

today's episode, our host, Patrick

0:29

McNamara, will be delving into

0:32

critical aspects of veganism and

0:34

sustainability with three incredible

0:36

experts. First, we'll

0:38

hear from Dr. Vincent Walsh from

0:41

Region Farm Co , who shed light

0:43

on regenerative farming and how

0:45

it connects to plant-based food systems. Then

0:48

David Mule , our VP of sustainability,

0:51

we'll discuss the importance of biodiversity

0:54

in sustainable food practices. Finally,

0:57

Tiago from our Intertech Brazil

0:59

team will bring us an inside

1:02

look at the vegan market in Brazil.

1:04

I hope you guys enjoyed today's episode. Over

1:06

to you, Patrick.

1:09

When consumers asked about their reasons

1:11

for moving to vegan or plant-based

1:13

diets, concerns about the ,

1:15

That was fascinating. Look at regenerative farming and

1:18

its role and sustainable food

1:19

Systems. The link between diets

1:21

The plant based to another essential aspect of

1:23

sustainability biodiversity,

1:25

Let's , that has been established in the public mind. Recent

1:28

reports from the I-P-C-C-F-A-O

1:31

and Wealth Health Organization on

1:34

the impact of food production, on climate

1:36

change support, both the

1:38

need for changes in consumer behavior and

1:41

in agriculture. Arguably,

1:43

the most important area of focus in

1:45

this context is regenerative

1:47

agriculture. And to

1:50

tell us more, I'm delighted to be joined by

1:53

regenerative agriculture expert and

1:55

founder of Regen FarmCo , Dr.

1:59

Vincent Walsh. Welcome, Vincent.

2:00

Good to be here.

2:01

Thank you very much. Now let's

2:04

start by asking, where does our understanding

2:06

of regenerative systems

2:09

come from?

2:10

Good question, Patrick. Our

2:13

understanding in my

2:15

, my own understanding

2:17

of where regenerative , uh, regenerative

2:20

systems come from is really our understanding of

2:23

the earth system, in particularly

2:26

the biosphere and the biosphere

2:28

is a region of the earth system where

2:30

all life resides , um,

2:33

and that the biosphere has evolved

2:35

for basically billions of years. Um,

2:39

and the biosphere, through

2:42

its development of living systems, has

2:44

enabled to develop a range of ecosystems.

2:47

And then ecosystems are

2:50

woodlands, forests, mangroves,

2:53

even coral reefs. And these

2:55

are ancient ecological systems.

2:58

Way before we were here, they have

3:00

been developed. Um, so when

3:03

I think of regenerative systems, I'm

3:05

thinking of systems that are highly

3:08

adaptive, highly sustainable, highly

3:10

flexible , um, and

3:14

that really cool , all our knowledge comes from

3:16

understanding of , of them, them systems.

3:19

So when we think about regenerative systems,

3:22

what I'm thinking of is the biosphere,

3:24

the region of the earth system, where all life resides,

3:27

and how the system has evolved. Very

3:29

complex ecosystems like forest,

3:31

woodlands, mangroves, and coral reefs.

3:33

So our understanding of

3:35

regenerative systems really comes from the understanding

3:39

of the earth system and how

3:41

it has evolved into a

3:43

regenerative, circular, ecological

3:46

system. Actually, what we call it is

3:48

energetically open, materially

3:51

closed, ecological life support

3:53

systems. That's what we understand

3:55

our earth system is.

3:58

Okay, that's interesting. Now

4:00

, um, what would you consider

4:02

to be then the most ipo important

4:04

part of a regenerative system?

4:07

Well, that question's really interesting as well, and

4:10

I think all elements of an ecosystem

4:13

or highly important. But

4:16

it would seem that the biosphere, the earth

4:18

system, has given us some gifts of knowledge.

4:20

For example, when water came into

4:23

the biosphere , uh, it

4:25

was around 4.5 billion years ago.

4:27

We call this time in cosmology, the late bombardment.

4:30

So it seemed within the biosphere,

4:32

how it developed, the first thing it did

4:34

is it produced water. Um

4:36

, then about 10 billion years later,

4:39

about 3.5 billion years ago,

4:41

something else significant happened.

4:43

It's called photosynthesis. And

4:45

then 1.5 billion years ago, something

4:48

else significantly happened, and that's

4:50

called the emergence of fungus. And

4:53

then only 450 million years

4:55

ago, soil emerged. So

4:58

soil is like the , the youngest out of

5:00

the four systems , if , if you like. Um

5:02

, so when I think of the most important

5:04

part of an ecosystem, when I design ecosystems,

5:08

always I start with water. And

5:10

he always start with water because that's how

5:12

the biosphere , um, started. It

5:15

first had to have water in to create every,

5:17

everything else. So even though every

5:20

part of an ecosystem is important, I

5:23

personally think hydrology water

5:26

is the most important part of

5:28

an ecological or regenerative

5:30

design system.

5:33

Okay. I mean , um, yeah, I

5:35

think water quality, and I think you've , you've

5:37

spoken about that and written about it at length as

5:40

well, which is, is really, really important.

5:42

Now , I think we can safely say

5:45

just bringing this more into the present

5:47

perhaps, and , and there's been some fascinating

5:50

things about the, the origins

5:52

of the ecosystem, et cetera. Uh

5:54

, I think we can safely say that our current

5:56

food chain is complex. How

5:58

do we build food systems which

6:02

also provide all ecosystem

6:04

services?

6:06

Very good question again, and , and , and that is a

6:08

real trick of the 21st century is

6:11

a real thing that we have to try to understand.

6:13

If we're gonna produce food, we

6:15

need to produce food on a global scale , um,

6:18

for the global community , uh, for

6:21

humanity. But you also need to do that in

6:23

a way that also creates , uh, the

6:25

right conditions for life. For everything else.

6:27

You know, we are not the most important thing

6:29

on the bio in the biosphere , um, you

6:32

know , worms, bees,

6:35

termites, ants, et

6:38

cetera . The smaller things actually are

6:40

the most important. Um, so

6:42

when we think about farming systems,

6:45

future farming systems, landscapes

6:47

and farms that produce food,

6:50

we also need to create ecosystems

6:53

that also , um, um,

6:56

create the right conditions for , for other , other

6:59

life. Um , so for

7:01

example, on my farm , um, you know, 37

7:03

hectares in, in North Yorkshire was

7:06

predominantly a sheep farm. And now what we're

7:08

doing, we're transitioning that farm. Uh

7:10

, we've 56 water features , um,

7:14

14 acres of meadows, 8,000

7:17

copies , trees , um, a

7:19

range of ecosystem features while

7:22

producing a range of different crops in the

7:24

Agroforestry system. So the

7:26

trick I think, for future landscapes

7:28

and farms is not just to produce

7:30

food, it's to produce a landscape

7:33

which provides all the ecosystems and services

7:35

like putting carbon in the soil, raising the biodiversity,

7:38

but also at the same time producing food,

7:40

which is ideal for the landscape and

7:42

the , an ideal for our climate. I think

7:44

that is the real trick of the 21st century.

7:48

So realistically, what we're saying is

7:50

that for each type of land

7:52

and each use of land, there is a best

7:54

environmental outcome , some of

7:57

which is growing food, and some of which is other activity

7:59

that benefits all life forms

8:01

, in fact.

8:02

Exactly. We can't just produce food anymore.

8:05

We need to produce food in an ecological way

8:08

that develops the right conditions for

8:10

other life to live there, but also produce

8:12

food.

8:13

Yeah, no, that , that's brilliant. Um , I

8:16

have one other question for you , Vincent , which I did

8:18

want to ask because , um, I

8:21

think Cop 28 in Dubai was probably

8:23

the first time that

8:25

food production really made

8:27

it onto the schedule in a big way.

8:30

And I know you spoke at Cop 28

8:32

, um, with Cop 29

8:34

in Baku . Now imminent, are

8:37

you optimistic about progress and climate change?

8:41

Yes, because I'm an optimist,

8:44

you know, and, and , um, and I,

8:46

I think we can do better. I think we

8:48

are in a, in a where we , we

8:50

are at the most exciting part of

8:52

, uh, or , uh, intersection

8:55

of how do we kind of create more sustainable

8:57

adaptive food , food systems. Uh , and all

8:59

the food companies that I work with, small ones

9:02

and large ones , uh, are all focused

9:04

on being able to transition. The

9:07

transition is, is a huge challenge, but

9:09

there is also huge benefits that come out, come

9:11

out of it. So I

9:14

understand that , that that , that it's not

9:16

gonna happen overnight. Um , but my

9:18

glass is always half full rather

9:21

than half empty. So I think the fu the

9:23

future of food is exciting, but

9:25

we do have to transition and we have to transition

9:27

as quickly as we can.

9:29

Spoken, spoken like a true believer

9:31

there , Vincent. I, I think that that breeze

9:34

that we heard in the background is a collective sigh

9:36

of relief from the listeners at Home <laugh> . Um,

9:39

but that is brilliant to hear. Um , Dr.

9:42

Vincent Walsh, thank you so much for joining us today. It's been an

9:44

absolute pleasure to speak to you.

9:46

Thanks for your time , Patrick.

9:47

And for those listening in, if you have an interest

9:49

in regenerative agriculture, please

9:52

follow Vincent online or head

9:54

over to Ridge and Farm , do co.com

9:57

.

9:59

That was a fascinating look at regenerative

10:02

farming and its role in sustainable

10:04

food systems. Now let's shift gears

10:06

to another essential aspect of sustainability

10:09

biodiversity. Let's dive in.

10:13

As the latest climate change conference,

10:15

COP 29 gets underway in

10:18

Azerbaijan, we are naturally

10:21

focusing on sustainability and

10:23

progress made on some of the targets set by previous

10:26

conferences. One of

10:28

the key initiatives is the 30

10:30

times 30 target set

10:32

by the global biodiversity framework,

10:35

which aims for at least 30% of

10:37

land and sea areas to be effectively

10:39

managed through well connected conservation

10:41

systems. Now, supporters

10:44

have described the framework as

10:46

a linchpin to enhance both biodiversity

10:50

and climate change mitigation, but

10:53

what exactly is meant by biodiversity

10:55

in this context? Why is

10:58

it so critical and what can

11:00

we do to protect it? And helping

11:02

us to clear a path through the forest of

11:04

information on this subject is David

11:07

Mo InTech's , VP of Sustainability.

11:10

Welcome, David.

11:12

Thanks, Patrick. Glad to be here.

11:15

Now, biodiversity is a term we

11:17

hear a lot, especially when discussing

11:19

conservation, climate change, et

11:21

cetera , but what exactly is meant

11:23

by the turn ?

11:27

Well, thanks Patrick, for the intro.

11:29

Uh, well, let's start with the basics , uh,

11:32

to, to have a ground level understanding.

11:34

So biodiversity refers to the variety

11:37

of life on earth, essentially in

11:39

all its forms. Uh, this includes

11:41

not just animals that you typically

11:44

see in TV and those types of things , but

11:46

also plants and fungi and microorganisms,

11:49

and even genetic diversity within species

11:52

. In fact , uh,

11:54

biodiversity is easily understood

11:57

it when you break it down into three different

11:59

levels. So there's common concept

12:01

of levels here. So there's species diversity,

12:05

and that's the variety of different species within

12:07

an ecosystem, whether it's a rainforest

12:09

, um, desert or coral

12:11

reef. Uh, there's

12:13

genetic diversity, and that's

12:16

the variation within species, which

12:18

helps populations adapt to changes

12:20

in the environment. And

12:22

then there's actually the ecosystem diversity,

12:25

and that's the range of, of , of different

12:27

ecosystems from forests and oceans

12:29

to, to wetlands and, and things

12:31

like tundras, for example. Yep

12:34

. And , you know, to

12:36

together these, these kind of consolidate

12:39

and kind of form what we call the web

12:41

of life, they're interconnected, meaning

12:44

if one part of this system is disrupted,

12:46

it can have a ripple effect , uh, across

12:49

the entire planet.

12:51

Okay. Okay. And I mean , biodiversity

12:54

has been a real focus for

12:57

climate change experts, climate change reports.

13:00

Why exactly is it so important to us?

13:04

Um , well , for starters, biodiversity

13:07

provides us with essential services that's,

13:10

that really support human life. These

13:12

are often called ecosystem services.

13:16

Um, for example, pollination.

13:18

Let's take that one. We all know about that many

13:21

of our crops rely on bees

13:23

and butterflies and other pollinators. Um,

13:26

clean air and water. It's

13:29

a forest and wetlands , uh, that we

13:31

have today help filter pollutants, purify

13:34

air, and , um, purify

13:37

the, the water we drink. Um,

13:40

you know, climate regulation, ecosystems like

13:43

rainforests act as carbon sinks,

13:45

carbon sinks actually absorb carbon

13:48

dioxide and help us regulate the

13:51

climate that we're in today. And

13:53

of course , uh, the other important reason

13:55

for biodiversity is medicine. A

13:58

lot of people don't realize that a significant portion

14:00

of medicines that we use are

14:03

derived from plants and animals and

14:05

microorganisms found in nature. So,

14:10

you know, biodiversity also provides us

14:12

with food. A lot of people don't

14:14

really draw the connection, but it's food

14:16

and raw materials , uh, even

14:19

operate in opportunities for recreation and

14:21

tourism, believe it or not. But

14:23

beyond the practical benefits of biodiversity

14:27

, uh, it has the intrinsic value.

14:29

Each species, no matter how small,

14:32

has a role to play in the balance of the, of

14:34

the ecosystems. And

14:36

as part of earth's biodiversity, we

14:39

humans really have a responsibility

14:42

and an obligation to protect it

14:44

.

14:45

Yeah, and I , I think , um, when you explain

14:47

it in those terms, David, and , and

14:49

you look at the range of things that we

14:52

benefit from, from good management

14:54

of biodiversity, it's clearly of

14:57

critical importance to us. So what

14:59

threats , what threats do you think it faces at

15:01

the moment?

15:04

Yeah, it's, that's a good question. Um,

15:06

unfortunately, many

15:09

would consider biodiversity is under

15:11

a serious threat at the moment. Uh

15:13

, scientists suggest

15:16

we're losing species at an alarming rate.

15:18

We've heard that for many years. Some

15:21

even say we're in the midst of a sixth mass

15:23

extinction, <laugh> . I wouldn't know if I go that far,

15:25

but I'm not a scientist. But , uh,

15:28

the main, you know, you think about some of

15:30

the main drivers and , and what's

15:32

impacting it. If you look at things

15:35

like habitat destruction, you

15:37

know, as we clear forests for agriculture,

15:40

urban development and industry, we are , we're

15:42

destroying homes of countless species. And

15:45

then of course, as we've already talked about climate

15:48

change , uh, we have rising temperatures

15:50

, um, altering weather patterns

15:53

as of today. There's a , a second massive

15:55

storm heading across Florida , uh,

15:58

the , at the time of this recording , uh,

16:00

extreme events like wildfires are

16:02

stressing ecosystems and, and literally

16:05

pushing species to the brink extinction

16:08

, um, pollution , uh,

16:11

we all know the challenges chemicals

16:13

in our air, water and , and soil harm

16:15

species directly and disrupt e ecosystems

16:19

and over exploitation. Uh , what

16:21

happens in the, with overfishing

16:24

and poaching and unsustainable farming

16:26

practices are depleting populations actually

16:29

faster than they can recover. And

16:32

evasive species , um, when

16:35

species are in , when new species are introduced

16:37

into environments, whether intentionally or accidentally,

16:40

they can actually outcompete native

16:42

species and disrupt ecosystems.

16:46

So, I mean, these threats just

16:49

don't affect individual species. They

16:51

actually weaken the entire ecosystem, making

16:54

them more vulnerable to further

16:56

disturbances like diseases

16:58

and natural disasters.

17:01

Yeah. Yeah . I , I think it's clear that

17:03

, um, we really need

17:05

to step up in terms of our responsibility

17:08

of, of management and, and the

17:11

range of ways in this, in which this

17:14

affects our way of life. And our relationship

17:16

with the, the biosphere, I think is , is critical.

17:19

But what happens if biodiversity

17:22

continues to decline?

17:25

Yeah, I mean, that's a, that's a great question.

17:28

It is far reaching. Um, I

17:31

guess obviously the main key item is

17:33

that ecosystems lose their ability to function. So

17:36

when an ecosystem fails

17:38

to function, any

17:40

number of things happen. You've got an

17:43

ecosystem collapse. If , if too

17:45

many species are lost, for example, an

17:48

entire ecosystem can break down , uh,

17:51

leading to the loss of ecosystem

17:53

services that humans depend on. Uh,

17:56

a lot of people also don't draw the connection to food

17:59

security threats with fewer

18:01

species. Agriculture becomes

18:03

less resilient crops and

18:05

livestock become more vulnerable

18:08

to disease pests and changing

18:10

weather and patterns, for example. And

18:13

of course, there's economic losses like we talked about

18:15

earlier with tourism fishing. Uh,

18:17

they rely heavily on ecosystems. And

18:20

when there's a decline in, in biodiversity,

18:23

this has a major impact on

18:25

small, local and, and communities

18:27

, um, that rely on tourism, fishing

18:30

type things. And then you have health

18:33

risks. Um, you know,

18:35

we, as we encroach on wildlife

18:37

habitats , uh, we're increasing our exposure

18:40

to what's called zoo noses , diseases

18:42

like COVID-19 , which,

18:45

you know, can jump from animals to humans very

18:48

quickly.

18:49

Yeah, yeah , abs absolutely. I mean, you

18:51

touched on food security there, which is something

18:53

that, given what I do, it's

18:55

something that we, we know is a , a serious

18:57

risk , um, because of the

19:00

way the current food prediction , uh, production

19:02

system works . And I think any

19:05

additional impact of biodiversity loss

19:07

would be very, very serious. Now,

19:10

David, we're at the beginning of the latest

19:12

climate change conference, and

19:14

in the last session I asked Dr.

19:17

Vincent Walsh, is he still hopeful about

19:19

climate change outcomes? So

19:22

are you feeling positive about the future of

19:24

biodiversity?

19:27

Uh, absolutely. I mean, I'm

19:30

a, I'm a glass half full

19:32

kind of guy. Um, I

19:34

always look at the positive and, and there's, there

19:36

is still hope. It's not all doom and gloom. I

19:39

mean, there, there is good news that are , there are

19:41

many ways that we can protect,

19:43

and even believe it or not, we can

19:45

restore biodiversity if we put

19:47

our mind to it. It does require

19:50

action at every level. And when, I mean, every level,

19:52

that's individuals and governments and international

19:54

organizations to really take

19:57

a stand and , uh,

19:59

you know, have some strategies. You

20:02

know, people often ask, what are some, what

20:04

would be some of the strategies? How do you protect, how

20:06

do you even restore? If

20:09

you look at things like , uh, conservation

20:12

focus and efforts, protecting

20:14

areas rich in biodiversity that exist

20:16

today, like Nat National Parks and

20:19

Marine Reserves , uh, can help safeguard

20:21

species and ecosystems. Uh,

20:24

restoration projects are also

20:26

essential for damaged habitats.

20:28

Right? So identifying those and, and making

20:30

sure we commit resources and , uh,

20:33

and support to, to, to restore

20:35

, uh, sustainable

20:38

agriculture and fisheries practice

20:40

like organic farming and agroforestry

20:43

and sustainable fishing, can reduce our impact

20:45

on, on ecosystems and maintain

20:47

the resources we rely on. And

20:50

of course, addressing climate change, which is the big

20:53

focus right now globally , uh,

20:55

reducing greenhouse gas, GHG

20:58

emissions, transitioning to renewables

21:01

and prote , and protecting our natural carbon

21:03

sinks such as forests and , uh,

21:06

are crucial for biodiversity and

21:08

climate resilience. Yeah , and

21:10

I think one of the most important things, and one of the first

21:12

steps we have to look at is,

21:15

is education. And that's, I think what

21:17

your , your approach is today

21:19

is, is getting people aware, making

21:21

people understand why biodiversity

21:24

is so important and what

21:26

actions they can take no matter how small

21:28

, um, can, can make a

21:30

big difference. And this in this includes

21:33

making good consumer choices and

21:36

supporting environmental policies and , and

21:38

becoming engaged in, in supporting the cause.

21:41

Yeah, I , I would absolutely agree. I mentioned

21:43

in the last session that , um, we

21:46

, we talked about the three strands

21:49

that the IPCC had pointed out

21:51

in terms of mitigating climate change and

21:54

they were less impactful agriculture

21:57

maximizing the use of biotechnology and

22:01

changing consumer behavior. And I

22:03

think that last one sometimes gets left

22:05

out a little. So I absolutely agree.

22:07

I think moving to more sustainable

22:10

consumer choices is absolutely critical. Now,

22:13

this is a subject that you are clearly,

22:16

personally passionate about, and

22:18

I know that Insect is a business is also

22:20

providing significant support

22:22

to customers to help protect

22:24

biodiversity. So what

22:26

kinds of services are we currently offering in

22:29

this area?

22:31

Yeah, well, certainly at,

22:33

at at Intertech, we are very well positioned with

22:35

our sustainable sustainability

22:38

solutions. Really end-to-end

22:40

, uh, solutions that

22:42

we can offer and support our clients with.

22:44

And , um, certainly as they

22:47

impact biodiversity is , is

22:49

, um, you know, one of the key areas. So

22:52

maybe I'll touch on a few topics here that kind

22:54

of resonate back into the discussion we

22:56

have, so, you know, GGHG

23:00

identification and calculation and reduction

23:02

strategies, we have a whole advisory service

23:05

portfolio that , uh, handles

23:07

that for clients. And again, we talked about

23:09

protecting our carbon sinks, forestry,

23:12

and all of these things. Well , eliminating GHG

23:14

, uh, you know,

23:17

and reduction strategies are absolutely

23:19

key. So our team of,

23:22

of consultants and advisors help to

23:24

organizations to streamline that. We

23:27

have audit programs and we can customize

23:29

audit programs, but we have one, for example,

23:32

our TGI think green initiative.

23:34

And that focuses assessment criteria

23:37

specifically on aspects of

23:40

biodiversity. We

23:42

have a whole division of testing and , and

23:45

certification under water and sampling, soil

23:48

sampling , uh, helps organizations

23:50

assess impact, get

23:53

a better handle on where the Im , where the

23:55

, uh, risks are coming from. We

23:57

have a biodiversity risk assessment to help

24:00

businesses understand the potential impacts of

24:02

their operations on local ecosystems.

24:06

Uh, a big one for us is helping companies

24:09

manage biodiversity within their supply

24:11

chain. This is huge. This is a

24:13

big area that's, it's not just what's

24:16

in your four walls, it's all of those organizations

24:18

that you network with, right? Yeah,

24:20

yeah. And we audit suppliers to,

24:23

and we put programs in place for making

24:25

sure they've considered biodiversity and

24:28

in all of their activities and

24:30

in the parent company . So , uh,

24:32

sourcing practices, we

24:35

have a whole group of, of testing and, and certification

24:37

around biodegradation and compostability

24:40

testing of anaerobic and

24:43

aerobic and marine, for example.

24:46

And of course , uh, one area that

24:48

we've been, you know, integral in, in

24:50

many parts of the, you know, along the,

24:52

along this activity is in the , uh, certification

24:55

and compliance with, with core

24:57

international standards such as ISO

25:00

14,001 for environmental management

25:02

systems. So there's

25:04

any number of , uh, solutions that

25:06

we have. Those are, just to give you a , a kind

25:08

of a , an idea in intro

25:11

to them. But you know, when

25:13

you think about it, bio biodiversity is actually

25:15

the foundation of life on earth. That's

25:18

how important this subject is. Indeed providing

25:20

essential services that sustain ecosystems,

25:24

economies and human wellbeing , uh,

25:27

it, you know, it's, it's richness and

25:29

robustness ensure the resilience of

25:32

natural systems, helping them to

25:34

adapt to changes and recover from

25:37

disruptions. And, you

25:39

know, really protecting biodiversity is not

25:41

just an environmental concern. It's

25:43

critical for ensuring food security, as we

25:45

just talked about, regulating

25:48

climate change, maintaining

25:50

clear clean water, and supporting

25:52

overall human health. And,

25:55

you know, as we face global challenges like

25:57

climate change and habitat loss, safeguarding

26:00

diversity is, is probably more

26:02

important than ever for the survival of

26:05

and prosperity of species, really

26:07

including our own.

26:09

Yeah, absolutely. And I think as

26:12

we look forward to the beginning of Cop

26:14

29 in Baku , I

26:17

think that's about as an important a

26:19

message as we can give , um,

26:21

the critical nature of biodiversity to

26:24

our continued existence. It doesn't

26:26

get more critical than that, I think. Um,

26:29

we're pretty much outta time, David, but thank

26:31

you so much for being with us today and

26:33

sharing your thoughts on this subject.

26:36

Oh, my pleasure. Thank you.

26:38

For those of you listening in, if you are interested

26:40

in learning more about the topics David's

26:43

covered today, you can head to intertech.com/sustainability

26:48

for more information.

26:52

That was great. Thank you all. Now

26:54

for our final segment of the round the World discussion,

26:57

we'll turn our attention to Brazil. Patrick,

27:00

along with an expert from our Intertech

27:02

Brazil team, will delve into the

27:04

evolving trends in vegan food. Over

27:07

to you, Patrick.

27:09

Now , in a program where we have concentrated

27:11

on environmental and sustainability

27:14

issues, it might seem appropriate

27:16

to take our tour of global vegan and

27:18

plant-based markets to Brazil.

27:21

So indeed we have, and joining

27:23

me from Burrow Air in Brazil today

27:26

is InTech's Regional Talent

27:28

Attraction Coordinator. Tiago

27:31

Crei . Welcome. Tiago.

27:33

Oh , thank you very much for the opportunity, Patrick.

27:35

It's a pleasure for me to talk

27:38

with you

27:38

Today . Thank you so much for being with us. It's great. Um,

27:41

just talking about Brazil then, how would you

27:43

describe the vegan and plant-based

27:45

market in Brazil right now?

27:48

Nice. I think that especially

27:51

when you look at Brazil nowadays, I

27:53

think that we can identify , uh,

27:56

a growing trend of vegan options

27:59

being offered to people in restaurant

28:01

and markets and things like that. I

28:03

think that , in my perception,

28:06

is a movement that I have noted

28:08

with vegan , I don't know , more

28:10

or less the last 20 years. At the

28:12

first moment it was , uh, uh,

28:15

a timid , uh, movement, but

28:18

now it's much more consolidated.

28:20

Yeah . When you go to a <inaudible>

28:23

market or a restaurant on these days , uh,

28:26

it's much more possible

28:28

to find vegan options being

28:31

offered. So we think it's nice. And

28:34

I think that also is increasingly

28:36

common to find the restaurants and

28:39

stores that are specialized

28:41

at , at bigger market nowadays.

28:45

When you are, for example, in the big city here

28:47

in Brazil, it's much more common to

28:49

find these kind of options and

28:51

specialize in stores and markets. And

28:55

Brazil is a very large country, but

28:58

I can see that vegan options are

29:01

being more and more common inside people

29:04

reality nowadays.

29:06

Yeah. That , that's, that's interesting. In a country

29:08

like Brazil and in fact in South America

29:10

generally, it's sort of grown in

29:12

popularity. Yeah . And, and what do you think

29:14

are the reasons behind that

29:17

growing interest in vegan food , do you

29:19

think?

29:20

Well, I think that people

29:23

are always impacted about that

29:25

discourse when we talk about animal

29:28

welfare and things like that. But

29:31

man , uh, uh, uh, I also realize

29:34

that people have , uh,

29:38

looking for a balance of diet. Uh

29:41

, and they are realizing

29:43

that a balance of diet doesn't necessarily

29:45

have to include animal meat in

29:47

every meal. And I think that's a point that

29:50

is important. And as

29:52

the vegan marketing, the options

29:55

for vegan people are growing. Uh

29:58

, the possibility of

30:00

people decided to include vegan

30:02

options inside their diets are more and

30:04

more frequently. Uh , and

30:07

we have some campaigns, for example, that take

30:10

place here as meatless

30:12

Monday , for example, where people try

30:15

to avoid meat from

30:17

animals Sure . On the Monets

30:20

. Yeah. And I think that this

30:22

kind of movement is, is

30:24

having more publicity nowadays with

30:26

the growth of internet and social networks,

30:29

and more people are being , uh,

30:32

toted by this idea. More people are

30:34

being more receptive about this idea of

30:36

that you don't need to have animal

30:41

meat options inside your diet in

30:43

every meal that you have.

30:44

Yeah, yeah . Yeah . That , that's good. It's interesting.

30:47

Meatless mandate is , is that a

30:49

, a government thing or is that just , uh,

30:51

a popular culture thing? Is it

30:54

driven by the government or is it,

30:55

I I don't know how it has started, but

30:58

I could have

31:01

the meet people that you

31:03

have this kind of , uh, behavior

31:06

that not include meat on

31:08

the mountain since I was a

31:10

teenager. But I could realize that

31:12

with the internet growing and the social

31:14

network is being more and more popular

31:17

, uh, this kind of movement

31:19

could get more publicity and

31:21

more people were , uh, trying

31:24

to deal

31:26

with this kind of , uh, option.

31:29

Yeah. We were try not to meeting

31:31

this more . And I think that is became

31:34

more and more popular. Um , it's

31:37

more common to have this kind of options

31:40

nowadays.

31:40

Yeah, it is . It's good. I mean , uh, I

31:42

suppose if you want to cut down the amount

31:44

of meat you eat, having a day where

31:46

you deliberately avoid it is a nice easy

31:49

way to do it. Um, you mentioned

31:52

that there are more restaurant options now

31:54

for vegan consumers in

31:56

Brazil. Yeah . But are food manufacturers

31:59

as well responding to consumers so we can see

32:01

more in the shops?

32:03

Yeah, for sure. Uh , I

32:05

think that when you look

32:07

to manufacturers and restaurants,

32:10

we have been more, more

32:13

and more vegan options being offered for the

32:15

customers here in Brazil. Uh , I

32:17

could notice for example, nowadays that

32:20

almost to all the restaurants and

32:23

a lot of different markets that you

32:25

visit , you will always have the vegan

32:28

option on the menu. Yeah. And

32:32

it can be, some restaurants have one option,

32:34

two options, but we have also restaurants

32:37

that are specialized and , and we also have

32:39

markets that , that are specialized

32:42

to vegan options. And we

32:45

, you go to those kind of places and

32:47

you have a lot of different , uh,

32:49

vegan products being offered

32:51

there for the clients. And I think it's

32:54

really nice and something that we can get

32:56

more and more often here in

32:58

Brazil nowadays. Uh , there

33:00

is, for example, a famous singer here in

33:02

Brazil that is named Anita. Anita

33:05

decided , uh, a few years ago

33:07

to become a partner in

33:09

a vegan meat company. And

33:12

I can notice, for example, that the products

33:14

of her brand are more

33:18

and more , uh, common on

33:20

the market here in Brazil. And Anita had

33:23

offered a , a huge line

33:25

of vegan products on the market. And

33:28

I think that it , it was a movement that was nice because

33:31

more and more companies

33:33

started to explore

33:35

, explore this kind of options

33:37

, uh, trying to commercialize

33:40

this kind of projects of the market . So nowadays

33:42

we have the, the , the brains of Anita

33:44

on the market, but we have also different

33:47

companies that are competing with her

33:49

in this segment too . And we have more

33:51

options

33:52

Of, there's nothing like popular culture to

33:54

sell a movement. <laugh> , do

33:59

you have a vegan food recommendation, maybe Tiago

34:02

for visitors to Brazil? Anything particularly

34:04

we should look out for?

34:05

Yes, I do. I think that , uh, a

34:08

famous proud to hear from Brazil

34:10

is Asai and Asai

34:12

, uh, is a

34:15

fruit . Yeah . It's from the north region of

34:17

Brazil. And when you go to the north region,

34:19

we have a lot of different , uh, uses

34:21

for Asai . Uh , but

34:24

when you go out to over the Brazilian

34:26

territory over the country , we have at

34:29

the least ask the , the asay

34:31

cream being offered as a dessert

34:33

option for people. And

34:36

also I would talk about two

34:38

, uh, a famous Brazilian dish that

34:40

we have that's Ada . And

34:42

here Brazil is very traditional to have Ada

34:44

being offered on the restaurants , uh,

34:46

usually on we Wednesday

34:49

and Saturdays. And when

34:51

you go to vegan restaurants, you also have

34:53

the option to have vegan fish water . And

34:56

I love vegan fish water . I think that it's

34:58

very tasty and I would , and

35:02

just , I would recommend to people that

35:04

I remember you to try the vegan fish

35:06

water . 'cause it's really nice.

35:08

I , I feel like getting on the plane to Rio

35:10

right now, to be honest. Um

35:12

, just very,

35:15

very quickly 'cause I've , I've asked everybody on

35:17

this particular podcast because we

35:19

are coinciding with the climate conference

35:21

and I suppose Yeah . And , and Brazil is

35:24

a focus for, for climate change

35:27

issues campaign . So I've

35:29

, I've asked everybody else, are you feeling

35:32

confident about climate change outcomes

35:34

in Brazil?

35:35

Yes. I think that's, it's a nice opportunity

35:38

to Brazil to show

35:41

to the world the initiative that we have here. And

35:45

also we have like a , a

35:47

huge part of the Amazon Forest here

35:49

inside our country. And we

35:53

nowadays have a lot of , uh, different

35:56

movements to try to protect. This area

35:59

is time more. And I think that when

36:01

we have like the copy happening

36:04

, uh, it's an opportunity to

36:07

also give more voice to those movements

36:10

and to, to alert

36:12

people about the importance of

36:14

the protect the environment and

36:17

the , the responsibility is

36:20

for everybody, not just for the politics.

36:23

And everybody need to be , uh,

36:27

have the consciousness about the importance

36:29

of protect the environment for all

36:32

the world , not just for Brazil or for some

36:35

people, but it's, it's something that

36:37

important for everybody.

36:39

Yeah . It , it's a shared social responsibility,

36:42

I think, for all of us. Sure . Yes . The one planet

36:44

, the only planet we'll ever have ti Yes

36:46

, it's true. We just have one unfortunately.

36:48

Unfortunately, we're almost outta time just

36:50

to say thank you, algo . Thank

36:52

you so much for being with

36:53

This today. Thank you . Pleasure . A pleasure to

36:55

meet you and a pleasure to talk about this

36:57

, uh, vegan options here in Brazil.

37:00

And congratulations for your work and for the

37:03

institute . It's a really nice movement that you

37:05

are taking inside internet .

37:07

It's very kind of you to say. So now

37:09

for those people listening in, if

37:11

you're interested in any of our work in Brazil,

37:13

if you go to intertech.com/americas/brazil

37:17

, that will give you context for Tiago

37:19

and all his colleagues.

37:21

Yes . Oh , no thanks.

37:24

That wraps up our fourth episode in

37:26

the vegan food series. We hope you found

37:29

this Perspectives on region , area , farming,

37:31

biodiversity, and the vegan market in

37:33

Brazil. As inspiring as we

37:35

did. Huge thanks to our guest

37:37

speakers for today and to

37:40

our host Patrick for sharing their

37:42

expertise and insights. Stay tuned

37:44

for more conversations on sustainability

37:46

and vegan innovation in our upcoming episodes.

37:49

Thanks for listening to Assurance and Action.

37:52

Stay tuned.