Environmental issues: Speakers urge industrial, agri sectors to adopt prudent practices

LAHORE: Speakers at a summit urged the industrial and agricultural sectors to adopt responsible growing practices to tackle the environmental issues in the South Asian region as countries are collectively striving towards ending hunger and achieving food security through Sustainable Development goals (SDGs) by 2030.

The event was arranged by the US Soyabean Export Council (USSEC), named “Sustain summit” for promoting sustainability and raising awareness about environmental issues. Over 100 participants from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka attended the event and discussed ideas and initiatives to urgently raise awareness amongst the South Asia populace regarding sustainability - whether it be food security, poultry, or aquaculture.

Industry stalwarts joined the conference to discuss and learn how the region can benefit from best sustainability practices and ensure that we collectively contribute towards protecting the planet without compromising on growth and productivity for future generations.

The summit also brought together leading experts, policymakers, and business leaders from all over the world to present innovative solutions and best practices for creating a more sustainable future.

The summit featured keynote speakers such as Juhi Gupta, Director of Sustainability, South Asia Markets, Tetrapak, Lucas Blaustein, Regional Agricultural Attaché, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, George Chamberlain, President, Global SeaFood Alliance, Alka Upadhyay, Partner, Climate Change and Sustainability, EY, Rida Amjad, Communications Officer, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) among many others.

Topics such as USDA’s role in sustainability, how farmers in western markets are using sustainable practices to ensure the longevity of their lands as they pass on to the next generations, incorporating ESG to earn credibility, creating green supply chains, etc to name a few.

Commenting on the success of the summit, Kevin Roepke, Regional Director, South Asia & Sub Sahara Africa, USSEC, said: “We believe that sustainability is a critical issue that requires collaboration and action from all sectors of society and this summit is an important step in promoting sustainable practices and inspiring the much-needed change. During the summit, we heard three recurring themes – we’re in transformative and volatile times, supply chains continue to face challenges, and the fact that consumers are calling for reduced carbon footprints and increased transparency. I believe this platform provided an excellent forum to further collaborate so that players across markets can leverage from US Soya’s superior quality, reliability, and sustainability innovations in response to address these challenges.”

“We firmly believe that sustainability is not just an option, but it is a responsibility. We recognise the important role we play in protecting the environment for future generations and are dedicated to reducing our carbon footprint. Our goal is to create a more sustainable future and set a positive example for others to follow.

USSEC’s Sustain summit proved to be a dynamic and inspiring event that encouraged us to be a part of the solution and push ourselves to do better to create a sustainable future,” added Deeba Giannoulis, Head of US Soya Marketing South Asia and Sub Saharan Africa (SASSA), USSEC.

“The event is a step in the right direction for the larger grower, buyer-seller ecosystem because sustainability’s fundamental principle is continuous improvement and that is exactly what the discussions highlighted. We look forward to continuing to encourage and partner with all stakeholders across the region to improve on this front with the help of science and technology,” added Dennis Fujan, a fourth-generation family farmer from Prague, Nebraska and a member of the American Soybean Association Board of Directors.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023