The Sustainable Foods Summit returns to the Dutch city of Amsterdam for its fourth consecutive year on 7-8 June, with a focus on sustainable sourcing of commodities and food authenticity.
According to organiser Organic Monitor, the social impact of ethical sourcing will be discussed, along with transparency in the value chain, environmental footprints and risk mitigation.
The food authenticity session will look at the various types of food fraud, including adulteration, mislabelling, geographic origin, product substitution and counterfeiting, and their impact on human health, consumer confidence and the environment.
Another session will highlight sustainability initiatives, including South African retailer Woolworths' Farming For The Future programme.
Woolworths' sustainable agriculture projects, Organic Monitor said, had 'improved soil fertility whilst reducing agrochemical usage and conserving biodiversity'.
Furthermore, Robert van Otterdijk, from the United Nations' Food & Agricultural Organisation, will examine the role of distribution in waste reduction, suggesting methods to address the issue of around a third of food produced for human consumption going to waste.
Lastly, the conference will look at marketing and distribution innovations, such as the use of the smart phone to meet the informational needs of consumers.
