Delivering for the Decisive Decade

As we move into 2022, we have passed another important milestone in this decisive decade: there are now fewer than 3,000 days left until 2030.

That’s not a lot of time to make the changes that we know lie ahead of us in order to limit the impacts of climate change: reducing food waste and emissions by 50% to put us on the road to net zero, net positive and a circular economy (50% target based on UN SDG 12.3).

Ever since the Sustainable Development Goals were agreed, by 192 governments, back in 2015, I’ve been clear that my future would be in helping to achieve them. Our vision at Provision - to create a circular food system - was born from that clarity.

And so, when we sat down two years ago to write our strategic plan for the first half of this decade, we recognized that going it alone, as a small team of ten people, wasn’t going to deliver the kind of impact that was needed.

It’s not news that the food and beverage industry still has a long way to go to reach the targets that the Sustainable Development Goals lay out for us.

To accelerate the changes we knew were required and to serve the industry in the way we believed it needed to be served, was going to require collaboration, and most likely the support of a partner or an investor.

And so began a process that took many months, many, many conversations and which culminated a couple of weeks back with the announcement that Provision had joined Anthesis Group, the largest group of sustainability professionals globally.

Sending you the press release with this announcement was one of the proudest things I’ve done in my career, because it was driven by purpose, by our very reason for being as an organization: to help more food and beverage companies become more sustainable, faster.

Why Anthesis?

Well, we talked to a number of banks, investors and other companies and heard a lot of good things. But the more we talked to Anthesis, the more we had the feeling that they were like a larger version of us (or at least how we like to think of ourselves!): disruptive, creative, challenging, fast-moving, purpose-driven…they work in similar areas and in similar ways, are a B Corp and, strikingly, have made a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 3 Gigatons by 2030 through working with their clients. Just to put that number in context, it’s larger than Walmart’s ‘Project Gigaton’!

But why should you care?

I don’t for a minute think that just because you graciously take the time to read my blogs that this news would be any more than a blip on your radar. In fact, you may have never heard of Anthesis.

But if you are interested in sustainability and committed to a food system that is fairer, more resilient and less wasteful, then you now have another 800 people who stand for the same things as you, who have your back and who are committed to your success. By simply dropping me an email, you can tap into some of the best minds in the world on net zero, ESG governance & strategy, education and branding, packaging, supply chain, even finance. And if you want to be inspired by the ways food and beverage companies in other countries (like the UK or the Netherlands) are transforming their businesses to be net zero or even net positive, then you can now connect directly to the people who are leading this change and bring that knowledge right to your teams.

Every single one of the next 3,000 days matters.

We all have a lot to do.

Wherever you are on your sustainability journey, whether you are just defining what sustainability means, or whether you are well on your way to net zero, we are here to meet you where you are, to support and champion you.

Two years ago, we set a big objective of finding the partner we needed to make our food system more sustainable, and ultimately circular. We are so thrilled to have found that partner.

What big objective will you set this year?

Yours,

Cher Mereweather
CEO, Anthesis Provision