Food and Sustainability in China

DOW
Photo Credit: CHARLIE NYE/THE STAR

In February, Richard Brubaker, Founder and Managing Director of Collective Responsibility gave two presentations to DOW Agriculture leadership and sustainability teams on the sustainability and the future of food in China.

As one of the largest firms in the food & agricultural sector and one whose products extend throughout the food & agricultural value chain, Rich covered a wide range of important issues that are not only being faced by China but will be faced by numerous countries going forward to 2050.

These are issues faced today by individuals but are also critical to DOW (and others) who are both exposed to the challenges and seek to develop solutions to them.

To help DOW understand in greater depth what he is seeing in Asia, Rich covered a range of issues of strategic importance:

  1. How does China define sustainability, what are the key issues of concern, and what/who are the catalysts for change?
  2. What are the megatrends that are driving consumer demand in China, and what will be the resulting food-print of China’s plans to urbanize another 250 million people?
  3. What are the challenges of China’s farmers, processors, and brands to deliver safe and affordable foods at the quantities needed, and what are the short term stop gaps that will be needed to overcome those challenges?
  4. What are the key concerns of consumers, what are the perceived/real risks that they face, and what are the actions they take as a result?
  5. Who are the key stakeholders, and how are brands effectively engaging with stakeholders to better understand the needs of the market and develop solutions specific for China?

To help solidify the tangibility of the insights, Rich leveraged his knowledge of recent scandals to highlight the risks of remaining compliant, while at the same time leveraging his knowledge of entrepreneurs who are at the forefront of food innovation (in Asia) to highlight the opportunities that exist for firms who have a deep understanding of the challenges faced and the value proposition for solutions aligned to overcoming those challenges.

To learn more about how to arrange a similar briefing for your executive leadership or sustainability team, please contact Charlie Mathews at [email protected].

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