Breakout Sessions

Time: 11.45 am – 12.15 pm
Venue: Symposium Hall

 

Session 1: Sustainable Food by Roshith Rajan from Sodexo

Based in Singapore over the last 3 years, Roshith Rajan is the Director – Corporate Responsibility, Asia Pacific for Sodexo, a world leader in quality of life services. He is responsible for the development and execution of the ‘Better Tomorrow 2025’, Sodexo’s Corporate Responsibility roadmap, with a particular focus on hunger, gender, and waste. He influences internal and external stakeholders of the business value of Corporate Responsibility and integrating it into business strategy and everyday operations in the 15 APAC countries and sites through initiatives, standard practices, and policies. He also heads the ‘Stop Hunger’ for Asia Pacific, a philanthropic program that is a leading force in the fight against hunger and malnutrition with a target to impact 100 million beneficiaries by 2025. He strongly believes in the human aspects to address social and environmental challenges. Prior to Singapore, he worked with the Sodexo Group HQ in Paris for 5 years. He has an MBA (Finance) from HEC-Paris, France and a Bachelor of Electrical & Electronics Engineering from BITS Pilani, India.

Student reflection by Zilin:

In this session, participants, together with Mr Rajan, discussed some topics under Food Sustainability.

So, what are some topics brought up? First, let us look at some factors affecting the demand of food.

To consumers, costs is one of the top priorities when they consider what to purchase. According to a survey done by Nielson, 64% of consumers in Asia-Pacific (APAC), are willing to pay more for sustainable products. On the other hand, for regions such as Europe and North America, only 40% of consumers are willing to pay more. Some factors contributing to the greater willingness in consumers of APAC include: health, social and ethical impact of their decisions. However, such indication of willingness does not always translate to real actions, leading to an attitude-behavioral gap.

Plastic use, plastic waste. There have been many campaigns in the past decade talking about the detrimental effects of using plastics. Despite so, consumers, especially those from APAC, are not willing to reduce reliance on plastics or food packaging. During the discussion, some participants brought up the fact that there is less incentive in the APAC region and hence lower participation when it comes to reducing the use of plastic bags. Also, there needs to be a balance between employing the carrot and stick approach- giving incentives versus penalizing consumers for the use of plastic bags. Psychologically speaking, people will be more willing to participate if they are being rewarded for their choices. However, effectiveness of the different strategies vary depending on consumer perception and behaviour. For example, in closed communities such as schools, people feel more inclined to follow certain trends (such as meatless days) due to peer pressure. In such cases, consumers are the ones pushing for the change. Now, let us think about paying more for the use of plastic bags. If majority of the consumers are willing to pay the extra money for their convenience, it defeats the purpose of the system. In this case, food providers will have to take consumers on the journey of making decisions or even make choices for consumers to ensure that the right choice is made.

Next, participants also discussed about the viability of using new proteins. New proteins are proteins from alternative sources such as insects. In recent years, there has been a growth in insect farms. Insects are grown and ground into powder form, where it is fed to other farmed animals. In some parts of the world, the powder is also being mixed into foods for human consumption. Drawing parallels from the development of genetically modified foods, such foods face barriers when it comes to consumer acceptance. However, even when faced with such barriers, these developments will still have to proceed to ensure food security in the long run. Even though insects are part of the diet for many communities in the world (such as Thailand and Vietnam), it is still not widely accepted in many regions and more analysis on consumer perception with regards to alternative foods will have to be done to determine how changes can be introduced.

Lastly, Mr Rajan brought up the matter of moving towards more plant-based options. Introducing vegetarian diet can be easy in developing countries but may face more resistance in developed countries as there is a larger proportion of meat-eaters. Slow changes can be introduced to help consumers transit to more plant-based diets. Making vegetarian food more enticing can also encourage changes in people’s attitude with regards to vegetarian diet.

Moving on, let us look at food waste, a major topic which involves both consumers and suppliers.

The discussion focused on food waste encountered in buffet caterings. There is a fine-line between insufficient supply and oversupply of food. In some cases, it might be difficult for clients to estimate the turn-out. This will most likely lead to overpreparation, and hence food waste.

For many buffet caterings, food is constantly being topped up at the various stations to make them look more aesthetically pleasing. Studies done by Sodexo have shown that most of the food waste occurs in the last 15 minutes of food serving period as food is being topped up for consumers’ satisfaction but not consumed by them.

Other than reducing the source of food waste, what can be done to food that is wasted? In many European countries, the Good Samaritan Act encourages people to donate excess food, creating a food sharing community. Good Samaritan Act refers to protecting people who provide assistance to others with basic legal rights. In Asia, no such laws are available to protect those who are willing to donate food and hence, people are less willing to contribute as they are afraid of liability issues. What happens if the food that is not safe for consumption is being consumed? Who takes responsibility? These factors deter people from participating in food sharing. However, on the brighter side of things, there are some organisations who are willing to take on such responsibility. These organisations are able to use more advanced technology such as blast- freezing to ensure freshness of food. They will then deliver these foods to places such as nursing homes. The entire process is highly regulated. More developments in this area can be done to increase participation.

Overall, to target both suppliers and consumers in the area of food waste, here are some strategies that can be adopted:

For suppliers, food waste can be decreased if they allow for impromptu changes when they are being notified on the changes in turnout rate. Batch cooking whereby ingredients are being cooked in batches can also be employed to ensure that unused food for the session can be stored. Other actions such as combining buffet lines at the end of the serving period or changing sizes of plates available can help decrease food waste.

For consumers, more campaigns can be done to increase awareness. Also, suppliers can help track consumer waste and set a target for consumers to achieve. Other suggestions include tray-less dining, where the removal of trays can possibly help decrease food waste as less food can be taken at one go.

Through this session, I have learnt more about how food sustainability is being tackled in different regions. There are many factors (such as culture and legislation) which affects consumer behaviour. Hence, various strategies will have to be employed to help encourage sustainable food consumption depending on the region. Landscapes of sustainability have been changing rapidly, especially in the past decade. Studies have shown that more people in senior management of companies consider sustainability as one of their top priorities. There is also a growing trend in consuming more sustainably but more has to be done to ensure that attitude translates into actions. Moving forward, both food providers and consumers will have to participate more actively, choosing more sustainable options to ensure food security in the long term.

 

Session 2: Sustainable Palm Oil by Zhang Wen from PM Haze

Zhang Wen is an advocate for clean air and Executive Director at PM Haze, a Singaporean non-profit that works on the research, outreach and advocacy of the haze issue. Zhang Wen has a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from National University of Singapore. She completed the Masters of Environment Management from National University of Singapore in 2015 and embraced her passion of protecting the environment by working with civil societies in Singapore. She leads the public outreach activities at PM Haze which raise awareness of sustainable palm oil. She also pioneered the business outreach activities which encourage food service companies to use sustainable palm-based cooking oil. Her effort resulted in the first two Singaporean restaurants switching to sustainable palm oil in October 2017. She currently works on developing activities to empower ordinary citizens to advocate for clean air in Singapore. She also builds partnerships with private and public sector to increase adoption of sustainable palm oil. Zhang Wen is from Shenyang, China, where severe air pollution still affects the health of millions. She currently resides in Singapore.

Student reflection by Wan Qing:

Ms Zhang Wen, the executive director of PM Haze opened the discussion by sharing about the problems that arise with the use of unsustainable palm oil. We saw numerous photos that captured the full extent of destruction- ranging from deforestation to extinction of animal species. Interestingly, it is not the use of palm oil that was unsustainable but rather, the current cultivation practices of this resource. Palm oil remains to be a key ingredient in the production of many products, due to its high yield and comparatively lower inputs as compared to other alternatives such as soybean or rapeseed. Switching to RSPO certified palm oil ensures that

  • cultivators use responsible methods to cultivate palm trees instead of destructive methods such as the slash-and-burn technique
  • the workers have fair working conditions
  • Local people’s lands and rights are protected

This responsible consumption of palm oil goes a long way in protecting our environment.

To add on to the discussion, RVRC participants shared some of their findings from their own GEQ project. They found that one of the key reasons for the low uptake of sustainable palm-oil based products was because individuals could not see the impact it had on the environment. Such findings resonate with the difficulties that come with the clashes between individual responsibility and the overarching idea of capitalism. Our efforts to save the environment are inundated by the sheer magnitude of the problem. For instance, it might be difficult to see how that one bottle that we reuse is going to help the environment compared to the massive number of bottles produced and wasted daily by everyone else.

It then makes one wonder, what can a single individual do to effect a change?

However, throughout the course of dialogue, one reality became clear. The consumer has an unrivalled power. With our collective contributory refusal to purchase products that do not support and endorse sustainable practices, we can influence production patterns. Ms Zhang Wen ended the discussion with this quote: “Never let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” Take it from the 2 students (Regina Vanda and Gauri Shukla) who started the successful petition for Old Chang Kee to switch to Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certified palm oil. The power of collective individual efforts might not change the world overnight, but it can make people sit up a little straighter to hear what you have to say.

 

Session 3: Climate Action in Singapore by Jeremy Ng and Pui Cuifen from Singapore Youth for Climate Action – Sign up HERE

Jeremy Ng is a member of SYCA(Singapore Youth for Climate Action) and actively participates in workshops, seminars and events to promote actions in mitigating climate change. With more than 15 years of experience in wireless and sustainable technologies, the carbon markets and the yearly COP events, he hopes to bridge corporates and environmentalists to reach a common goal in fighting climate change. Jeremy is currently running projects to include Climate Actions Curriculum under the Skillsfuture program and CarbonCSR.org to encourage increased adoption of CSR Carbon Credit projects.

An environmental scientist for 15 years, Pui Cuifen started actively advocating for re-thinking what sustainable living is, what climate action is, what personal growth is, after attending transformative learning sessions on these topics overseas and locally. Inspired and empowered, Cuifen has gone on to initiate various community initiatives to move good ideas and actions forward. She co-founded SYCA and Foodscape Collective, and is also a community leader on growing edibles in the neighbourhood. Cuifen is a budding storyteller and speaker on her personal journey and causes she believes in.

Student notes by Sin Yeou:

Singapore Youth Climate Action

What do the company do? First time that most people heard of this company? What is already useful and what can they do more?

  • Raise awareness and action
  • 2018 is the year of climate action, everyone’s responsibility but not just youths
  • Cuifen went to the UN to listen if they are actually negotiating for the future, but in exchange need to create a network of people who are interested to create a change. Created SYCA Facebook page. Got to meet people from other countries and seen how their youth actively negotiate or argue with the government to create change. Inspired by the people she met.
  • Because of the global community, they are able to coordinate and network that allows people mix. Volunteers and members of public came together with the SYCA to talk about various issues such as food, fashion, what is done right etc. that makes people want to take actions themselves
  • Built leaders in the community that initiate activities in their own community
  • COP21 year when the Paris Agreement —> what was agreed upon: every country have to come up with they rown climate action, by how many percentage, details, and how they commit to it + sign the agreement. Every 5 years do a stock take, what have they done. 2 degrees is the threshold. Climate agreement is based upon our GDP
  • They are actually a lot of people interested in the climate. very willing to learn about the climate. Changed Jermey’s perspective on nature after walks through macritchie, the importance of protecting a river or a forest, its uses and advantages. Learn about ugly fruit through tours at Quan Fa organic farm. Fashion wise and do we really care about the clothes we wear. jeremy realised there isn’t a bridge between the corporate and the environmentalists because they can’t agree upon profits vs protection. there is a need to connect them together and find a common ground, and find true leaders that can link the three aspects: social + economic + environmental. Sad to hear that a lot of groups believe that their projects stop after the symposium and hope they can find people that are really interested in the environment and sustain it.
  • Psychological aspect (encourage them or stop them from doing environmental change), what make you want to continue doing it or is it just a one-time project?
  • Cuifen: Values change overtime based on knowledge accumulated and believe it. Practice yourself and not make it out of line with your own integrity value. Journey of discovery of what you truly value. Test buds change and being comfortable with eating certain food. Believe that many people live life according to what society expect and their parent’s expectations. Re-decide the change they want to see. How can all of us work as a team and live on this planet meaningfully.

 

SYCA programs:

  • Learning & leadership program (LLP)
  • UN climate change conference
  • Local / regional coordination
  • SkillsFuture

 

What can youths do to help with climate change because there is a conception that youths are usually not able to help?

  • 35 is the limit age for youth
  • Not so much that a youth can do but is about the passion and interest in sustainability and how much they care about it —> borrowing the earth from the grandchildren, destroying the earth and causing the children to suffer in the future. What most people is focused on is the current situation.
  • Children grows up knowing that there is an importance to change our behaviour and learnt about it. But their classmates behave as if they don’t know about anything, makes them feel disappointed / dejected since the people around them don’t seem to respond to it
  • NGOs around that can help promote.
  • Lepak in SG, list of sustainable events in SG such as coastal cleanup and DIY gardening. Willing to lend their support for the people.
  • Notable example such as Pamela in NUS, wrote a proposal to the Provost (think cart eat??) to promote sustainable eating in NUS canteen; PM haze Yi Han quit his job and flew to Indonesia to find the source of pollution; One More Generation started by two children that is always curious and his father started educate people around. As long as you have the interest and passion, there is always an outlet for them to join
  • Public action (publication): engage the government but usually become a dialogue session only. Need to know what the government is doing. Discuss about a current publication: what things they want to applaud or what thing is good about it.

 

Initiatives are usually top-down from the government but youths have different idea of what it should be?

  • Carbon tax: SYCA submitted their responses to the NEWR and what did the public think about the carbon tax. SYCA have avenues to do that by submitting proposals to the government (??)
  • Industries are afraid about the liabilities of the food rescue. But food rescue must be wiling to take all the liability of the food donated
  • Repair kopitiam: bring old machines or technologies for them to repair

 

Leeways to work with the government who have more red-tapes to their decision making?

  • Carbon emission trading scheme / carbon tax
  • Look at the environmental initiatives more holistically
  • Open to listen to the people’s feedback
  • People need to know about the topic and how to contribute to it (possible solution or suggestions after they complained about it?)

 

Personal takeaways:

There’s a common misconception among my generation, the youth, that we are unable to enact any real changes when it comes to environmental stewardship. The prospects of red tapes and top-down bureaucracy stop most of us short in tracks of pursuing initiatives. Yet, the stories that Cuifen and Jeremy shared with us are proofs that the youth are capable of more than just empty petitions and protests. I’m heartened to learn that the environmental leaders who have undergone training from the SYCA were able to kickstart their own initiatives with the support of schools and industry and impart their passion for the environment to the younger generation.