Sustainable Food Laboratory

December 12, 2007

In September, top managers at U.S. Foodservice participated in an intensive introductory session on how social and environmental trends are shaping the food business and what they can do about it.  This introductory session has turned into an energetic effort, faciliators say, to tackle sustainability from the ground up through the various food categories. Food Lab staff and US Foodservice managers have been in regular contact designing a strategy to help the company make the most concrete progress quickly.

Cindy Hallberlin, Chief Ethics, Diversity and Accountability Officer and Pat Mulhern, President of Monarch Foods and responsible for all U.S. Foodservice private brand development, sponsored and attended the kickoff session and followed up with category managers afterwards.

The Food Lab and WWF developed this Better Category workshop (referring to categories of food such as dairy, protein entrees, frozen vegetables and beverages) in collaboration with Rachel Sylvan, U.S. Foodservice’s Manager of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, to increase the category managers’ capacity to understand and expand sustainability in their value chain. Karen Karp of Karp Resources and Kai Robertson of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) led the workshop and reviewed global trends including water scarcity, soil degradation, and the impact on commodities. They then presented the Food Lab’s vision for an alternate future.

Robertson noted that the key to achieving a world with healthy soil, abundant and clean water, protected biodiversity, and profitable business is learning “how to think” instead of “what to think.” Using the example of a cup of latte that has approximately 208 liters of water embedded in its production, Robertson emphasized looking beyond an end product to the story of how it got there and the resources consumed along the way.

Karp and Robertson shared examples of using existing business pressures as points of departure for new and better product development and cross platform collaboration. They cited a need for managing risks related to future regulation and a quality supply, finding opportunities related to product enhancement and customer loyalty, and awakening to the influential role of business in shaping social and environmental trends.

They left participants with these five questions for a more sustainable product offering:

1. What are the social/environmental pressures, risks or opportunities in my supply chain?
2. How can addressing sustainability also help solve my business problems?
3. What are the more sustainable offerings in my portfolio?
4. Are there competitive advantages for more sustainable options?
5. Who in my network can be a resource to help me make a difference?

These questions have formed the basis for follow up meetings with category managers looking for viable opportunities for U.S. Foodservice to create healthier value chains and a more sustainable future.

Kim Brown, VP of Diversity, Corporate Responsibility and Communications noted, “The real impact from this session will be felt by all the category managers in attendance as they grow to understand just how influential they can be in creating a sustainable future.”