Janet Voûte, Global Head of Public Affairs, Nestlé, took over responsibility for the world’s biggest food and drinks company’s public affairs in 2011 where she helps create value both for Nestlé’s shareholders and for the communities in which the company operates. GlobeScan co-CEO Christophe Guibeleguiet recently interviewed Janet to gain insight on the value Nestlé puts on stakeholder intelligence to help build recognized leadership in an uncertain world. Business leaders and experts all emphasize that the world in which business operates becomes more complex and … “GlobeScan Dialogue: Recognizing Leaders | Janet Voûte, Nestlé”
This article by Eric Whan originally appeared on GreenBiz.com, as part of our Proof Points blog series. 7 June 2013 – A protest against genetically modified (GM) foods took place in 250 cities around the world late last month. Two million people took part, according to organizers. In light of the March Against Monsanto, as the event was dubbed, and the undeniable pressure the global food system faces to meet the needs of a projected 9 billion people by 2050, it is timely to revisit … “What Companies are Missing in the Outcry Against GM Crops”
NEW YORK CITY – 25 April 2013 – A study by The Regeneration Roadmap – a joint project by GlobeScan, SustainAbility, and BBMG – finds that nearly 9 in 10 consumers globally (86%) say “ingredient transparency is extremely important or very important” for companies to address as part of their products, services, or operations, including 88% of consumers in emerging markets and 84% of consumers in developed markets. However, only 57% regularly “check the list of ingredients before purchasing” products, highlighting the gap between interest and action … “Consumers Rank Ingredient Transparency Among Most Important Issues For Brands”
26 March 2013 – Circle of Blue, a team of award-winning journalists and researchers reporting on water and other worldwide resource issues, and the Institute for Globally Transformative Technologies (LIGTT) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a pioneer in bringing scientific solutions to critical global problems, have partnered to create Choke Point: Index, the first dynamic, open-source data and on-the-ground journalism project exploring the globally significant competition between water, food, and energy. The world’s demand for fresh water is growing so fast that, by 2030, … “First Dynamic, Open-source Data and Journalism Project to Explore Linkage between Water, Food and Energy”
The past few weeks have seen the food industry in Europe engulfed by a crisis with potentially far-reaching ramifications. A range of processed meals sold by a large number of prominent consumer brands have been found to contain horsemeat instead of beef. The unfolding scandal has exposed the complex multi-country supply chains involved in meat processing and the lack of transparency for the end consumer, and is raising concerns about what the pressure to keep down consumer prices means for … “Will horsemeat scandal challenge Europeans’ relaxed attitude to food safety and quality?”
The rise in global food prices over the last year is having a major effect on consumption habits in the global South, according to GlobeScan research on behalf of Save the Children, with many reporting that they have cut back on the amount of food they buy for their family.
The price of staple foods such as beans, wheat and other cereals increased substantially during 2011, following severe weather in some of the world’s biggest food exporting countries, which damaged supplies. GlobeScan’s findings reveal that majorities in Peru (56%) and Nigeria (54%) and substantial proportions in Bangladesh (49%), Pakistan (40%) and India (29%) say that they have reduced the amount of food they buy for their family as a result of rising prices.
The last time global food prices peaked, in 2008, food riots resulted in the Indian subcontinent, Africa and Latin America, and GlobeScan tracking found that the price of food and energy was a greater concern than the ongoing economic crisis.
Finding from GlobeScan research conducted on behalf of Save the Children, 2012
For more information on this finding, please contact Sam Mountford (Read Bio)
Save the Children reported this week that the recent rise in global food prices was taking its toll on families across the developing world, and that half a billion children risk being born physically and mentally stunted over the next fifteen years if no concerted action is taken. GlobeScan’s recent polling for Save the Children, as well as its regular global attitudes tracking, confirm the scale of the problem.
GlobeScan’s own annual tracking research reveals high levels of concerns about the rising cost of food and energy among citizens across the world, with proportions saying this issue is “very serious” particularly high in the Philippines and the Latin American countries surveyed. The rising cost of food and energy is also of relatively high concern in China and Russia; concern has grown significantly in China over the past two years as food prices have continued to rise rapidly in that market.
In many developing countries, the effects of rising food and energy prices are particularly felt among those who have not benefitted from economic growth that has frequently been concentrated to specific sections of society, often leaving behind low-income and low-educated groups. In a recent survey fielded by GlobeScan on behalf of Save the Children in India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, and Bangladesh—countries where half the world’s malnourished children live—large majorities in all countries polled say that the rising price of food has become their most pressing concern this year. Concern is most acute in Nigeria and Bangladesh, where people overwhelmingly feel that food price rises are the most pressing issue they face.
A third of parents surveyed revealed that their children complained they didn’t have enough to eat. Around one in six parents (16%) – and nearly one in three in Nigeria (30%) – say they have allowed their children to skip school to help pay for their family’s food. The charity warns that if no concerted action is taken, half a billion children will be physically and mentally stunted over the next 15 years.
Finding from the GlobeScan Radar, Wave 2, 2011
For more information on this finding, please contact Sam Mountford (Read Bio)
Multi-country nutrition research, topline results conducted on behalf of Save the Children.
Multi-country nutrition research report conducted on behalf of Save the Children
Download the Full Report: “A Life Free from Hunger” (PDF) Download the Topline Results of the Global Nutritian Poll (PDF) 15 February 2012 – New global research by Save the Children has revealed that, after a year of soaring food prices, nearly half of surveyed families say they have been forced to cut back on food. Nearly a third of parents surveyed said their children complained that they didn’t have enough food to eat. The poll, conducted in India, Nigeria, … “A Life Free from Hunger: Tackling Child Malnutrition”