Featuring the theme Growth Through New Retail, the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit kicked off yesterday, with delegates from across the retail and CPG spectrum descending on Vancouver, Canada, for the annual gathering of industry leaders.
As moderator Alex Thompson noted in his introduction, for the major brands present, addressing socio-political imperatives is “going to become more important in the years to come”.
This point that was emphasised, albeit indirectly, by the appearance of Greenpeace protestors at the event, calling on the brands present to do more to address the issue of deforestation.
But as was highlighted repeatedly during the day, deforestation, along with environmental sustainability, plastic waste, forced labour and other issues, are among the core initiatives the Forum is addressing in its ‘drive to positive change’, with speakers addressing the collaborative efforts underway in these areas.
Global Thinking
Forum members are committed to “advancing the wellbeing of the planet”, as Forum co-chair Ian Cook of Colgate-Palmolive explained in his opening address, examining how the industry is being challenged by the rapid pace of change.
Later, Max Koeune, president and CEO, McCain, pointed to the challenges associated with feeding a growing population, which could cause pressure when it comes to land use, greenhouse gases and water usage.
Stating that “business as usual is not an option”, he outlined the need to shift towards a more sustainable agricultural approach, and the importance of reducing food waste.
McCain CEO Max@Koene on solutions for new agriculture : 1) reduce food waste 2) AgTech 3) Regenerative Ag pic.twitter.com/2KYy3iKkWr
— christianverschueren (@christianver) June 12, 2019
Also, as Peter Freedman, the managing director of the Consumer Goods Forum put it, the Forum is dedicated to the formation of “coalitions of action”, making accountability clearer across the industry.
Trade Tariffs
The event also saw a presentation from Canadian finance minister Bill Morneau, who addressed the growing level of protectionism around the world, and moves by some economies to embrace trade tariffs.
‘As economies grow, the growth is unequal - it’s the age of anger....and we need to put the environment first - put a price on pollution.’ Bill Morneau, Canadian Finance Minister. @CGF_The_Forum #CGFsummit pic.twitter.com/gYG4KJEyTG
— Water Unite (@Water_Unite) June 12, 2019
“We see tariffs as a tax on your own people,” Morneau said, adding that a key driver of the tariff-led approach is the “feeling that global business is not being positive enough” in helping society’s less fortunate.
“It is incumbent on us all to think about and address that,” he added.
Lessons From Canada
Elsewhere, Canadian retail leaders Sarah Davis, president of Loblaws, and Tina Lee of TNT Supermarkets gave their assessment of the challenges and opportunities in Canadian retail; the latter from the point of view of the influential Asian population – the “chopstick consumer’, as she put it.
CEO Tina Lee's insights about Asian-Canadian #Consumers & @TNT_Supermarket shoppers' habits #chopstickculture #CGFSummit 2019 pic.twitter.com/M02OTe4Ri9
— Consumer Goods Forum (@CGF_The_Forum) June 12, 2019
The afternoon session saw an insightful conversation with Arnold Donald, CEO of cruise firm Carnival, on the importance of diversity in business.
“Innovation, by definition, is about diversity of thinking – you are more likely to have diversity of thinking, if you have diverse people working in your business,” he explained.
Roll on day two!
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
