Rethink, Reduce and Refuse: Can the Food Industry change fundamentally to meet UN Sustainable Development Goal 12?

FOODRED examines whether food systems can be rethought and activities that lead to oversupply and overproduction reduced or refused. This would require boards of major food companies to direct their businesses to make substantial changes, which is difficult when profit margins are very narrow in many food businesses. This would require leadership from Boards and Executive Officers, and so there is a need to understand how Boards and Executives might influence the adoption of more radical 'reduce' and 'refuse' principles in their corporations, and which persons in those roles have the greater influence to drive change. Unless businesses are prepared to consider changing the prevailing business models, the food systems will be vulnerable to collapse in supply even more damaging than that seen in Europe during the 2019-21 Covid pandemic. We ask what it would take for corporations to explore the potential for increased profits through savings and for enhanced corporate responsibility through reducing wasteful activities, and which members of the Board are likely to drive that change. There is also the question of whether better Economic and Social Governance (ESG) would enhance the reputation and therefore drive customer growth, if these more difficult steps were taken. Furthermore, FOODRED would examine the role of women board members and executives in the drive for CE principles within firms, investigating whether there are links between SDG12 and SDG5.5.2. This also tests whether the OECD findings on the roles of women in achieving a CE are evident at the highest levels in corporations. There are very few studies that currently address these questions and as well as contributing to academic knowledge, our work has high potential for making a contribution to policy making in corporations, government and supra-international level for those looking for how to persuade corporations to do business for purpose rather than profit.