colin tetreault, sustainable food - covering the green economy
TRANSCRIPT
Serving Up Sustainability
Colin G. TetreaultMaster of Art’s, Sustainability
School of SustainabilityArizona State University
[email protected]: ColinTetreault
Steve ShortChief Executive Officer
Atlasta Catering &Event Concepts
[email protected]: atlastacatering
Outline for Discussion
Sustainability Overview
Current Business State
Systems Thinking
Sustainable Business Strategy
Food System Issues
Restaurant and Catering Concerns
Atlasta Story
Inquiries & Discussion
Sustainability Overview
What is your definition of sustainability?
Sustainability and environmental advocacy– Same, Different, Synergistic, Dissonant? – Jimmy Carter?– Hippies versus Capitalists?
Sustainability Overview
Webster’s Dictionary on Sustainability:
The ability to continue without interruption.
Metaphors for SustainabilityThe Earth does not belong to us.
We are borrowing it from our grandchildren.
Treating the Earth as if you intended to stay
Spaceship Earth
Stewards of the Earth
Don’t eat your seed corn.
Sustainability Overview
Sustainability Overview
Then I say the earth belongs to each generation during its course…No generation can contract debts greater than may be paid during the course of its own existence.
Thomas Jefferson to James Madison
The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased, and not impaired in value.
- Theodore Roosevelt
Sustainability Overview
We thrive and survive on planet earth as a single human family. And one of our main responsibilities is to leave to successor generations a sustainable future.
-Former UN Secretary-General Kofi A. Annan
Sustainability Overview
Sustainability Overview
Sustainability Overview
– Degradation of habitats and loss of biodiversity
– Exhaustion of natural resources
– Economic stratification
– Population growth
– Globalization
– Urbanization
– Water and food
– Climate change
– Uncertain legislation & regulation
There are complicated and difficult situations facing us
Current Business State
– Sustainability– Corporate social responsibility
(CSR)– Corporate citizenship– Triple bottom line (TBL)– Corporate accountability
– Environment, social and governance (ESG)
– Socially responsible investing– Eco-performance– “Green” companies
Varying nomenclature in the marketplace
Current Business State
What do you think?– What role does business play in the world?– Industrialization, Globalization, et cetrea– What does sustainability do for/to business?
Finite, Risk-Averse, ROI– Checklist-style scope– Long-term=3-5 years– Cash is king
Current Business State
Reductionist Tendencies– Dangerous, limiting, not strategic– Global Climate Change > Green House Gases >
CO2 > Reduce Emissions > Energy Efficiency > ROI > SUSTAINABILITY!
Green washing– Risk of being “caught”– Inflexible platform & structures
Is this really sustainability?
Current Business State
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Level of Sustainability Thought and Integration
Current Business State
• Climate• Biodiversity• Increased costs• Difficulty in sourcing• Boycotts & Bad Publicity• Litigation
• Innovation• Opportunity• New Markets• Security• Resource Intelligence• Preparedness• Resilience
Copyright: George Basile
Sustainability: A Decision Making Funnel
Current Business State
Systems ThinkingEco-Efficiency + Production Process
Core Biz Strat Product Design
Company based on sustainable principals
Market Strategy
Opportunity
Systems Thinking
Systems Thinking
Systems Thinking
Principles for Sustainabilitydefining success in the system
Global Systems & ScienceA way to understand the world
Strategic Principlesfor achieving success
Actionsinitiatives on several fronts
Toolsimplementation and assessment
Copyright: George Basile
Defining business within the “system”
Systems Thinking• Transparency• Stakeholder dialogue• Support sustainability
policy• Encouragement
• Differentiated taxes• Subsidies• International
agreements• Legislation
• Reinvestment• Backcasting• Flexible platforms• ROI• Precaution• Iterative
improvement
• Resource productivity
• Less waste
• Renewable• Nature-like• Degradable• Less area
required• Equity
Reduction
Substitution
Definition of sustainability
Strategy
PhysicalSocial
PolicyFactor X
LCAISO
14001
HHS
GRI
Eco-Footprint
SPIMIPS
Problem
Solution
Copyright: George Basile
Systems Thinking
• Transparency• Stakeholder dialogue• Support
sustainability policy
• Differentiated taxes and subsidies
• International agreements
• Legislation
• “Back-casting”• Creation of flexible
platforms• Reinvestment• Partnerships• Precaution
• Increase resource productivity
• Reduce waste
Use inputs that are:
• Renewable• “Nature-like”• Degradable• Less area
required• Equity
Reduction Substitution
Definition of sustainability Sustainability principles:4 basic principles
Strategy Physical Social Policy
Outcomes
System Science
Actions
Strategies
Toolbox Factor X LCA ISO14001 HHSGRIEco-
Footprint SPI MIPS
E.g., turn to renewable energy,
increase mix of green products, etc.
How is the system itself constituted?
What are the ecological and social principles for constituting the system?
Copyright: George Basile
Sustainable Business StrategyMapping the Business System
Sustainability Action Map
Operations Product ExternalSupply Chain
•Global energy efficiency
•Paper reduction•Green power•Green purchasing•Greener facilities•Global water•Employee incentives• Internal comms
•Packaging•Energy
efficiency•Green contest•Solar roadmap•Design for Env•Eco training
•External comm’s•Govt engagement•Green build demo•Trade sponsorship•Tradeshow offsets•Policy leadership
•Green fleet•Green purchasing•Key Components•Sector leadership•Eco guidelines
Vision | Goals | Strategy | Success
Copyright: George Basile
Sustainable Business Strategy
– Integrate sustainability principles and organizational definition of
success
– Establish value in sustainability via stakeholder engagement,
innovation, marketing, efficiency, and the “DOING THE RIGHT THING”
– Create a flexible platform for success that embraces change as
opportunity for growth
– PROFITS WITH PRINCPLES
Food Industry Concerns
Food, like oil, is BIG
Where does your food come from?– The farm
– The grocery store– The refrigerator
How much food do you eat?– 1 hamburger a day?
– 1 steak a week?
Food Industry Concerns
Volume: Not Grandpa’s Farm– Global Population: 6.8 Billion
– Urban Population: 50.5% of population (2010)
Resource Utilization: McDonald’s– 75b/sec*60sec*60min*24hours=6,480,000 burgers/day / .20 pound =
1,296,000 lbs ground beef/day.– 2,000lbs steer=400 lbs ground beef– 1,296,000/400=3240 cows per day.– 8 lbs of feed for every 1 lbs cow…wow…– Does not account for water, fuel to transport, electricity to run farms
Food Industry Concerns
Food versus Fuel Use– 2007 Clean Energy Act – consumption & production incentives
– Energy negative production– Global environmental modification for growth/Global starvation
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s)– Pro’s and Con’s
– Lack of labeling and awareness
– Control: domestic and internatinoal
Food Industry Concerns
Organic– Confusion
– Process – Legitimacy
Systemic Environmental Effects– Land-use change
– Transportation, production, consumption
Norms and Values
Restaurant and Catering Concerns
– Push vs. Pull
– Operational Size: blessing & curse
– Nomenclature & creative omission
– Marketing Misunderstanding
– Low handing fruit or systems thinking
– Evoke sustainability vs. operations plan & business as usual
Atlasta Story
– Formed 1974
– Major expansion in early 1990’s
– Precipitous drop – sales and staff – 2007-2008
– Personal reorientation
– Moving towards integrated sustainability
– Inside questions to ask
Inquiries and Discussion
Steve ShortChief Executive Officer
Atlasta Catering &Event Concepts
[email protected]: atlastacatering
Colin G. TetreaultMaster of Art’s, Sustainability
School of SustainabilityArizona State University
[email protected]: ColinTetreault