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Bridging the Gap: A "Sustainable Food Seal"

RESEARCH Report by Paul E. Schickler, III , Francesca DeBiase , Sally Rockey , Jennifer Goldston , Peggy Tsai Yih , and Natalie Burdsall
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Kenny Eliason

A "sustainable food seal" empowers consumers and farmers to support a more sustainable food supply chain.

A “Sustainable Food Seal” Needed to Improve Transparency between Farmers and Consumers about Sustainable Food Production

Climate change is wrecking havoc on the global food supply chain, drawing attention to the benefits of sustainable practices for preserving the food system. As a result, consumers are starting to shift their purchasing behaviors, opting for more sustainable food options that might have a smaller carbon footprint or use fewer resources. To help inform their purchasing decisions, consumers are demanding more information on how and where their food is produced, but they are largely unable to find a labeling system with clear and comprehensive standards; existing "green" and "eco" labels are often private certification schemes that focus on only one aspect of sustainability. 

A "sustainable food seal" is a potential solution. A label that would standardize a food product’s eco-score to reduce consumer confusion, sustainable food seals take an inclusive approach to food labeling that use comparable metrics that involve all parts of the food value chain—from farm to fork—and offer the opportunity to validate practices and empower stakeholders to support a more sustainable food supply chain. 

Based on a November 2022 roundtable, the first in a series of regular convenings, the white paper “Bridging the Gap: A ‘Sustainable Food Seal’ Needed to Improve Transparency between Farmers and Consumers about Sustainable Food Production” explores current food labeling practices, identifies challenges to label standardization and voluntary adoption, and proposes potential actions and strategies to provide insight into the role a “sustainable food seal” can play in enhancing sustainability through food.

About the Authors
Paul E. Schickler, III
Former President, DuPont Pioneer
Paul E. Schickler is pictured from the shoulders up wearing a gray suit jacket over a white button-up and red tie, and is smiling into the camera.
Paul E. Schickler was President from 2007 to 2017 of DuPont Pioneer, the advanced seed genetics business of DuPont. In this role he continued to expand Pioneer’s global business by remaining focused on innovation that improves local productivity and profitability of farmers in more than 90 countries.
Paul E. Schickler is pictured from the shoulders up wearing a gray suit jacket over a white button-up and red tie, and is smiling into the camera.
Francesca DeBiase
Former Executive Vice President, Chief Global Supply Chain Officer, McDonald's
Francesca DeBiase is pictured from the shoulders up wearing a blue dress and is smiling into the camera.
Francesca DeBiase is the former Executive Vice President and Chief Global Supply Chain Officer at McDonald's. As a pioneer in the integration of supply chain and sustainability, she developed and ran combined supply chain and sustainability operations which contributed to McDonald's stand-setting leadership in this space.
Francesca DeBiase is pictured from the shoulders up wearing a blue dress and is smiling into the camera.
Sally Rockey
Former Executive Director, Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research
Sally Rockey is pictured from the shoulders up wearing a black blazer, smiling into the camera.
Sally Rockey was the inaugural Executive Director of the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) from 2015 to 2022. Prior to this role, Dr. Rockey was an award-winning leader in Federal research, overseeing the operations of the extramural programs in both agriculture and biomedicine.
Sally Rockey is pictured from the shoulders up wearing a black blazer, smiling into the camera.
Jennifer Goldston
Founder and CEO, AgTech PR
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Jennifer Goldston established AgTech PR in 2019 following a 25-year career in public affairs, marketing, and communications.
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Peggy Tsai Yih
Former Managing Director, Center on Global Food and Agriculture
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Peggy Tsai Yih led the Council’s continued work on global food and nutrition security and in advancing a more sustainable and resilient food system. She has 20 years of experience in food, agriculture, and natural resource policy, with nearly 15 years at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in Washington, DC.
Headshot of Peggy Tsai Yih
Natalie Burdsall
Former Communications Officer
Natalie Burdsall is pictured from the shoulders up, smiling into the camera, wearing a black blazer over a green button-down shirt.
Natalie Burdsall joined the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in 2022 as the communications officer for the Center on Global Food and Agriculture. In this role, they promoted the work and impact of the Center to expand public engagement in global food and agriculture, and assisted in bringing the Council’s digital transformation to fruition.
Natalie Burdsall is pictured from the shoulders up, smiling into the camera, wearing a black blazer over a green button-down shirt.

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A "sustainable food seal" is critical to move consumer markets on sustainability.