MARKETING AND COMMS -
Times Square has housed plenty of eye-catching sights over the years, but this might be the sweetest. In a bid to create buzz around its new product and the amount of added sugar consumed by children in the US each year — a whopping 4.7 billion pounds — KIND Healthy Snacks installed a towering pile of sugar — 45,485 pounds of it — in the heart of the highly trafficked square, stopping professionals and tourists alike in their tracks. The educational installation comes in the midst of back-to-school madness and visually represents how much added sugar kids in the US eat every 5 minutes.
WASTE NOT -
Supermarkets across the globe are doing their part to future fit the food system by rolling out new initiatives and products that aim to tackle food waste and CO2 emissions.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Transparency hasn’t always been a strong point for the food industry, but a new partnership between HowGood, a research organization and in-store rating system that identifies industry leaders in the food system, and supermarket chain Giant Food could serve as a turning point for the sector. The relationship, which started as a test pilot in Giant stores in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan area, is expanding to all Giant stores due to positive customer feedback on the program.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
The Natural Resources Defense Council and Ad Council today launched the second phase of their Save The Food national public service campaign, aimed at combatting America’s food waste problem from its largest source — consumers. In doing so, they seek to reduce the massive amount of money, water and energy that is wasted along with it.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Molson Coors Brewing Company has released its 2017 Our Beer Print report, announcing a bold, new sustainability strategy and goals to guide the company through 2025. This is the first sustainability report released since Molson Coors closed on the acquisition of MillerCoors from SABMiller in October 2016, making it one of the world’s largest global brewers.
WASTE NOT -
Neighbourly, a social network connecting local projects and community needs with companies ready to help with funds and volunteers, has announced the expansion of its food surplus program to include non-food product donations. UK retail giant Marks & Spencer (M&S) is the first to sign onto the donation scheme.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
A cocktail that gives back — that’s the premise for Danny Lafuente and Dan Maslow’s Simple Vodka, the latest company to enter the social enterprise space. The Idaho-based distillery aims to tackle the issue of food insecurity in the US one bottle at a time, with each sale of its gluten-free potato vodka resulting in the donation of 20 meals through partnerships with local and national hunger relief programs.
CLEANTECH -
The realities of climate change and shifting consumer preferences for responsible, sustainable products have sparked a paradigm shift in the food industry, one that is leading food companies and farmers alike to rethink the way food is produced and manufactured. The relationship between global warming and beef production in particular has long been a hot button issue for the industry.
PRESS RELEASE -
On August 11-13, Heineken® will once again bring its famous Heineken® House experience to the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in San Francisco. The Heineken House will feature incredible experiences, including exclusive performances by Big Boi and DJ Jazzy Jeff, a 360-degree HD video, and a digital graffiti wall.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Ahead of announcing the 2017 Buckminster Fuller Challenge semi-finalists, the Buckminster Fuller Institute (BFI) has unveiled some of the initiatives that were selected for the 2017 Catalyst Program, representing the top 17 percent of entries this year.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
What started as a simple home remedy and a middle school science project has exploded into a viable and affordable solution for fighting food waste across the globe.
During a trip to India to visit family when she was 12 years old, Kavita Shukla’s grandmother gave her a homemade tea of different spices to ward off illness after having ingested a glass of unfiltered tap water. The spicy concoction prevented Shukla from becoming sick and ultimately became the inspiration behind years of experimentation with rotting fruits and vegetables that would lead to the creation of Shukla’s revolutionary FreshPaper.
PRESS RELEASE -
PepsiCo and Tops Friendly Markets are partnering with Feed the Children today to provide 800 families in need with a week's worth of food and essentials – enough supplies to fill two large semi-trucks. The event kicks off at 11 a.m. at Parking Lot 40, 1650 Lake Avenue.
"We know families are beginning to prepare for a new school year and we want to help them get off to a great start by providing for some of their needs," said Bonnie Keith, account manager, west New York, PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division. "Families should never have to wonder where their next meal is coming from and we're proud to continue our partnership with Feed the Children and Tops Friendly Markets to help the great people of Rochester."
SUPPLY CHAIN -
More and more, we no longer eat just with our mouths and stomachs — now we also engage our hearts and minds.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Organic agriculture is likely one of the first things that come to mind when considering a sustainable food future, but emerging news would suggest that it is the laboratory — not the fields — where the sustainable food revolution is taking form.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Earlier this summer, British supermarket group Sainsbury’s inspired a flurry of criticism after launching its own in-house sustainability standard, ‘Fairly Traded.’ At the time of the announcement, The Fairtrade Foundation suggested the new model could bring about disempowerment — and set a dangerous precedent.
PRESS RELEASE -
Every summer, New Yorkers get a few truly sweltering days where they’d like to take a dip to beat the heat. They might even wonder what it’s like to swim in New York City’s rivers. Heineken®, together with Tribeca studios, just debuted a new documentary and virtual reality films that show how a first-of-its kind, floating pool will make that thought a reality.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Earlier this year, Heineken released its 2016 Annual Report, marking the first time the company has combined its annual and sustainability reports into one document. To mark the launch of the report in the United States, the company tapped creative agency Nice and Serious to create a series of GIFs in an effort to make the content more relatable and interesting to target audiences.
WASTE NOT -
Food waste and agriculture contribute considerably to greenhouse gas emissions, making farm and market-level interventions imperative in order to reduce impacts. Together with the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) and the Walmart Foundation, the World Wildlife Fund has launched a new research program geared at maximizing crop utilization and edible food recovery.
PRESS RELEASE -
We all say we want to do more “good” these days. And our consumers have a proven desire to support campaigns that do so. Heineken®, the beer that’s enjoyed in the most cities globally, is again supporting innovative local projects around the nation through our “Cities” program – which aims to make a positive and lasting impact on some of the best cities in America. (Last year’s campaign to save Miami Marine Stadium successfully led to the City of Miami approving a $45 million restoration budget!) This year we’ve found the perfect partnership with the Bruno Mars 24K Magic World Tour – which will offer fans sold-out concert tickets for supporting resourceful local projects.
PRESS RELEASE -
Nestlé Waters North America announced today that its Ontario, California, factory received certification for meeting the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard. Created and supported by prominent environmental conservation groups, development organizations, and industry leaders, the AWS Standard is the first comprehensive global benchmark for responsible water stewardship across social, environmental, and economic criteria.
Conformance with the AWS Standard was audited by SCS Global Services, an international third-party certification body.