During Climate Week NYC, Wholechain and Regen House, in collaboration with HowGood and EIT Food, hosted an event that brought leaders from the food and fashion industries together to explore how their respective sectors can collaboratively drive sustainability. The event highlighted two of the most impactful yet challenging industries in addressing climate change: food and fashion, both of which contribute significantly to global CO2 emissions. Food systems account for about 34% of global greenhouse gas emissions, while the fashion industry is responsible for roughly 10%, making these sectors critical focal points in the climate conversation. Sessions focused on data standardization, deforestation-free supply chains, and climate-smart agriculture, with participants sharing innovative strategies to tackle sustainability challenges.

These discussions underscored the need for collaboration across industries and the pivotal role that traceability, transparency, and innovation play in creating more sustainable supply chains. The event also highlighted the increasing convergence between the fashion and food industries, both of which have faced pressure to improve environmental and social impacts, from raw material sourcing to production and waste.

To open the event, Wholechain and the UN Global Compact Ocean Stewardship Coalition introduced the Better Food Future (BFF) Partnership, marking a pivotal commitment to sustainability at the intersection of food systems and ocean conservation. This initiative, co-chaired by Wholechain and the UNGC Ocean Stewardship Coalition, unites UN Global Compact signatories to tackle shared sustainability goals through high-impact programs aligned with the “Tipping Points for Healthy and Productive Oceans.” Erik Giercksky (UN Global Compact Ocean Stewardship Coalition), Mark Kaplan (Wholechain), and Tony Malave (TrueGrade Foods) formally introduced the BFF Partnership, highlighting its mission to drive cross-industry alignment and scale actionable solutions that address environmental challenges, from sustainable supply chains to decarbonized shipping.The event launched with a foundational focus on Global Data Standards for Sustainable Supply Chains — a framework that underpins the partnership’s initiatives and accelerates the impact of programs across industries. Through data standardization and strategic alignment, BFF aims to address real-world use cases like deforestation-free supply chains and climate-smart agriculture. Representing this effort, Tony Malave shared how the cruise line industry is already applying the BFF framework, illustrating the initiative’s potential to foster traceable, scalable change within key sectors.

Panel 1: Unlocking Sustainability Through Data Standardization

The first panel centered around the role of data in fostering sustainability and traceability across supply chains. Moderated by Jayson Berryhill, co-founder of Wholechain, the session featured speakers from food, cruise, and fashion sectors who delved into how standardized data can enable greater collaboration and transparency, particularly in managing supply chain risks.

Carrie Wilkie from GS1 US emphasized the importance of creating standardized systems to track sustainability metrics, noting that without common standards, supply chains remain fragmented. “Standardized data is the key to unlocking sustainable supply chains. It allows us to connect the dots between producers and consumers, helping to ensure that what’s claimed as sustainable really is,” Wilkie explained.

From the seafood perspective, Renee Perry of Culimer USA highlighted the complexity of the global seafood supply chain, especially given its reliance on global trade. “Ensuring sustainability in seafood means we need complete transparency. Traceability systems that track from vessel to shelf enable us to meet the growing demand for sustainable and ethically sourced seafood,” Perry said, pointing out how data serves as the backbone of these efforts.

Lucy Wallace from EIT Food echoed the need for cross-industry collaboration to scale these efforts. “Fashion and food, despite being different industries, share a common challenge: ensuring transparency and traceability from source to consumer. We need to break down silos and build more standardized data systems to drive progress across the board,” she explained.

Carla Guilbaud from CLIA also pointed to the role that data can play in building consumer trust. “Our goal is to provide transparency for consumers, allowing them to make informed decisions about the products they buy. Standardizing this data ensures that sustainability claims are more than just marketing — they’re backed by real, verifiable information,” Guilbaud said.

The message was clear: without solid, standardized data practices, it’s difficult to assess and improve the sustainability of any product. Cross-industry partnerships are necessary to scale these efforts, ensuring that both fashion and food industries work toward more sustainable, traceable, and efficient supply chains.

Takeaway 1:

Standardized data is essential for unlocking sustainable supply chains. Cross-industry collaboration will be key to scaling efforts and ensuring that both fashion and food sectors can achieve traceability and transparency at all levels of production.

Panel 2: Tackling Deforestation-Free Supply Chains (DCF)

Moderated by Joe Sellwood, this panel shifted the focus to deforestation-free supply chains (DCF), especially in industries that rely heavily on agricultural commodities such as beef, leather, and soy. These commodities are known drivers of deforestation, making it essential for companies to implement robust traceability systems to ensure sustainable sourcing.

Patricia Sugui from CJ Selecta shared practical insights into how their company has developed traceability systems to meet international demand for deforestation-free soy. “Our soy is produced at scale, and preventing contamination with deforestation-linked products requires a rigorous traceability system,” she said, explaining the complexities of maintaining sustainability in large-scale agricultural operations.

Fernando Bellese of WWF emphasized that traceability alone is not enough. He explained that while certifications are an important tool, they need to be supplemented by transparent data-sharing systems to guarantee DCF supply chains. “Certification is important, but it’s just one piece of the puzzle. To truly ensure a deforestation-free supply chain, we need to look at the entire process and work closely with producers to incentivize sustainable practices,” Bellese noted.

Tony Malave from True Grade Foods contributed to the conversation by highlighting the role of sustainable practices in food production and the importance of working closely with suppliers to ensure compliance with deforestation-free policies. “It’s not just about having the certification; it’s about continuous engagement with your supply chain to ensure that sustainable practices are actually being implemented,” said Malave.

Cliff Lee from ID Water spoke about the importance of managing water resources effectively as part of the broader sustainability equation. “Water is a key component in both food and fashion supply chains. Efficient water management practices help not only in reducing waste but also in ensuring the longevity of resources that are being impacted by deforestation,” Lee explained, pointing out the need to address multiple factors simultaneously when tackling DCF supply chains.

Earl Shank from Tapestry also stressed the importance of material traceability in the fashion industry, particularly as consumers increasingly expect responsible sourcing practices. “For the leather industry, deforestation-free sourcing is a key priority, and traceability allows us to verify that our raw materials are sourced responsibly. This transparency is essential for maintaining consumer trust,” Shank noted.

Takeaway 2:

Ensuring deforestation-free supply chains requires rigorous traceability systems and ongoing engagement with suppliers. Collaboration across industries will be essential to address deforestation effectively and ensure sustainable sourcing practices.

Panel 3: Climate-Smart Agriculture and the Role of Innovation

The third panel, moderated by Sid Mehta of Greenworks Inc., delved into the intersection of climate-smart agriculture and innovative solutions for reducing emissions across global food systems. Panelists positioned sustainable agricultural practices as critical to ensuring long-term food security, beyond combating climate change.

Jessica Norup from Canada’s Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-Food shared how Canada is working to develop a sustainable agricultural strategy that integrates climate mitigation with adaptation measures. “Farmers are not just part of the problem — they’re part of the solution. Our climate-smart strategy is rooted in supporting farmers with the tools they need to adopt sustainable practices that will help both reduce emissions and protect biodiversity,” Norup said.

Serge Picard from Cafe William took the conversation beyond agriculture, sharing how his company has completely overhauled its coffee supply chain to reduce its environmental footprint. “From sail-powered shipping to electric-powered roasting, we’ve rethought every stage of the process. Our aim is to create a model for a zero-emission supply chain, demonstrating what’s possible when we commit to innovation,” said Picard.

Carla Guilbaud from CLIA highlighted how the cruise industry is integrating sustainability into its operations, noting that the overlap between food, fashion, and travel industries can drive innovative partnerships. “Cruise lines source food and fashion products on a massive scale, and we have a responsibility to ensure that these supply chains are as sustainable as possible. Collaboration with other sectors, like food and fashion, allows us to create impactful changes,” Guilbaud said.

Tony Malave emphasized the role of innovation in addressing climate-smart agriculture, highlighting how True Grade Foods is exploring new technologies to improve agricultural efficiency and reduce emissions. “The future of food production lies in harnessing technology to create more sustainable and resilient systems,” he said, pointing to the need for investment in research and development to drive these efforts forward.

Dr. Essam Yassin Mohammed from WorldFish expanded on the role of small-scale fisheries in contributing to global food security while reducing the environmental footprint of protein production. “If we were to restore global fish stocks, we could reduce carbon emissions by 1.6 billion tons annually,” he stated. Mohammed emphasized that restoring fish stocks is a practical, nature-based solution that can contribute to both climate change mitigation and food security, especially for the most vulnerable communities.

Takeaway 3:

Farmers and small-scale fisheries are essential in climate-smart solutions. Support from leaders in food and fashion, along with technological innovation, will be critical to driving sustainable practices across these industries.

Better Food Future Initiative

The Food and Fashion event showcased the challenges and tangible steps industries are taking towards sustainability. However, these efforts require ongoing engagement and collaboration. One such initiative that offers a platform for this kind of cooperation is Wholechain’s Better Food Future Initiative. In partnership with the UN Global Compact, the initiative seeks to create a more sustainable food system by addressing traceability, food security, and environmental impact across supply chains.

Through the Better Food Future Initiative, companies are invited to join a growing community focused on building transparent, ethical, and climate-smart supply chains. The initiative aligns with the goals of the UN Global Compact, which encourages businesses to adopt sustainable and socially responsible practices globally. It is a platform for collaboration, where businesses can come together to share solutions, innovate, and tackle the complex challenges of sustainability.

We also invite companies and stakeholders to collaborate on other relevant initiatives within the sustainability space, from deforestation-free supply chains to climate-smart agriculture and water management.

To get involved and learn more about how you can contribute to collaborative initiatives and other sustainability efforts, we encourage you to engage here. We are collectively looking to build solutions that engage a network of individuals and organizations working to solve common problems and pave a path toward a more transparent and responsible future.