Former Marks & Spencer sustainability chief Mike Barry has launched a new consultancy team to help companies transition to “a fundamentally better food system”.
He has joined forces with public health nutritionist Ali Morpeth and former Quorn nutritionist Veronica Moran to launch Planeatry Alliance, to help food companies deliver sustainability strategy.
Barry was responsible for the retailer’s flagship sustainability strategy, Plan A, launched over 10 years ago when many businesses were not yet assessing their impact on the environment. He left M&S in 2019 to pursue personal ventures.
“The global food system needs to transform”, Barry wrote on LinkedIn as he announced the launch of Planeatry Alliance.
“Serving the need of billions of people in a growing global population for safe, affordable food that delights and inspires them.
“But, all done in a way that reduces profoundly its impact on the planet and human health. Whilst at the same time building resilience in the face of ever more extreme weather and the loss of key ecosystem services.
“We believe there is a better way. We’re a small, experienced team with can-do attitudes and solutions-only mindsets.”
Barry, widely considered a pioneer of sustainability in the grocery world, was also the co-chair of the Consumer Goods Forum’s sustainability work, which brings together retailers and manufacturers globally to tackle climate change.
Meanwhile, Morpeth is a registered public health nutritionist with over 15 years of experience working with food businesses, including having led the WWF’s retailer work on sustainable diets, as well as being involved in NGO policy and advocacy.
The new project will focus on helping companies devise health and sustainability strategies “to make them genuinely impactful, commercially viable, and long-lasting”.
“We set up Planeatry Alliance to bridge the gap between business, sustainability, and health,” reads the company’s description on social media. “By helping business integrate ‘good for you’ (human health) and ‘good for the planet’ (sustainability) we are driving transformative change in food systems.”
No comments yet