Sustainability, Perception,
and the Real World –
The Raw Material
Conundrum
Kent Swisher, Vice President, International
Programs
At First Glance
Overwhelming
Definitions
Sustainability, Perception, and the Real World –
The Raw Material Conundrum
• Sustainability – Different meanings to different
folks
• Conundrum - A question or problem having only a
conjectural answer
– Conjecture - an opinion or conclusion formed on the
basis of incomplete information
Perception
Meeting your customers perception of sustainability
-Until you know how your customers define
sustainability (perception), any conclusion formed is
pure conjecture.
OR
You can define sustainability for your own
industry/company and try to shape the perception of
your customers.
Objectives of this Presentation
• To provide a broad review of how industries
address sustainability
• To get the audience thinking of how they can/do
address sustainability in their own
industries/businesses
• Show how the rendering industry fits into the
concept of sustainable food production
UN Definition - 1987
Development that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.
Source:
United Nation's World Commission on Environment and Development (the
Brundtland Commission), 1987.
Sustainability – Venn Diagram
Case Studies
• Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)
• U.S. Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol
(USSP)
• IFFO Global Standard for Responsible Supply
(IFFO RS)
WHY RSPO?
WHY RSPO?
Indonesia
Singapore
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm
Oil (RSPO)
• An example of a sustainability initiative forced
back on the producer from the consumer
• Initiated by the World Wildlife Federation (WWF)
in 2001
• Formalized in 2004 with the seat of the
association located in Zurich, Switzerland and the
Secretariat in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
U.S. Soy Sustainability
Assurance Protocol
• Certified aggregate approach
• Based on farmer participation in U.S. farm
programs – 95% of US farms participate.
• Also certifies specific export shipments
• Initiated at producer level
• Taking what soy producers are already doing and
communicating it
International Fishmeal and Fish
Oil Organization (IFFO)
• IFFO Global Standard for Responsible Supply
(IFFO RS)
• Launched 2009
• Focused on certifying sustainable production
• Requires third party certification
• Penalized producers who deal with unsustainable
raw material providers
IFFO RS – cont.
• An example of sustainability certification being
driven both my industry and by consumers
• IFFO is tasked with distinguishing itself from
many other certification entities
Is the rendering industry
“sustainable”?
Development that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.
Source:
United Nation's World Commission on Environment and Development (the
Brundtland Commission), 1987.
Is the rendering industry
“sustainable”?
• Environmental
– Millions of dollars are put into waste water treatment
and odor controls in rendering plants
– Renderers are removing by-products from the food
chain that would otherwise be disposed of with an
environmental impact
• Social
– Renderers help communities and employ both in rural
and urban areas
– Renderers are creating a better tomorrow for our
children
Is the rendering industry
“sustainable”?
• Economic
– Rendering is a 10 billion dollar industry
– Rendering provides value added, renewable products
for customers in the livestock feed, pet food, oleo
chemical, and biofuel industries
Final - Conclusion
• Sustainability is a concept more than a definition
and it can be broadly interpreted
• Rendered products overwhelmingly meet
sustainability criteria – is there a need for a
“certification” to market that information?
• As a supplier you can try to discover your
costumers “perception” of sustainability and try to
provide what their perception demands
• You can create and market your own concept of
what sustainability means and market that to your
customer.
Thanks