Sonoco FRESH Food, Packaging & Sustainability Summit Rescheduled for September, Virtual Event Scheduled for March

The second annual Food, Packaging & Sustainability Summit hosted by Sonoco FRESH at Clemson University originally scheduled for March 2 – 4 has been rescheduled for Sept. 19 – 21, 2022. FRESH will present a virtual event on March 3, 2022.

“The health and safety of our attendees and staff comes first,” said Anne Barr, executive director of Sonoco FRESH. “Due to the uncertainty with the COVID situation, it was decided to change the in-person Food, Packaging & Sustainability Summit to the fall and host a virtual event in March featuring some of the keynote speakers.”

The March 3 virtual event, “FRESH Perspectives on Sustainability,” will feature leaders from three global corporations who will share how their companies are addressing sustainability throughout the food value chain.

The Shifts Creating Ripples Across Food & Agriculture
Rob Dongoski, partner, global agribusiness industry leader, Ernst & Young LLP
Part I: A look into macrotrends and consumer behavior provides insight into the drivers reshaping the food system and offers insight into considerations to (re)position for growth. Today’s remarks are a precursor to Part 2: A more in-depth look at the reimagined food system at the September Food, Packaging & Sustainability Summit.

Inspiring Positive Change for People and the Planet
David Allen, vice president & chief sustainability officer, PepsiCo Foods North America
PepsiCo has recently introduced PEP+ (PEP Positive), a strategic end-to-end transformation to drive sustainable long-term value and competitive advantage. David Allen will describe how this initiative is changing the way PepsiCo is sourcing ingredients, making and selling products, improving packaging sustainability and inspiring people through its brands.

Hundred X: Digital Technologies & Transformations to Enable Sustainable Goals
Sandeep Dadlani, chief digital officer, Mars, Incorporated
Before joining Mars, Sandeep Dadlani worked in investment banking and later led one-third of the P&L of an $11 billion Indian software company. In 2017, Dadlani then joined Mars to lead an ambitious digital transformation to accelerate the Mars Purpose by shaping the world we want tomorrow by empowering associates to create value 100x faster today. Dadlani’ s presentation will illustrate how the Mars digital transformation came to life, highlighting how Mars is digitizing its supply chain and how the digital transformation is contributing to the Mars commitment to achieve net zero GHG emissions in its full value chain by 2050.

Also included in the March 3 event will be presentations from Clemson faculty and students and updates on upcoming events, including the FRESH Summit.

Registration for both events is open. The registration fee for the March 3 FRESH Perspectives on Sustainability virtual event is $49 per person.

The Early Bird Registration rate for the September FRESH Summit is $479 for individuals through June 30, 2022, at which point it will raise to $599. Early Bird Registration is $429 per person for groups of 5 or more registering together before June 30, 2022 at which point it will raise to $499. Proceeds from both events will support future activities of the FRESH initiative at Clemson University. More information on both events, including agenda and speaker updates, can be found at www.SonocoFRESHSummit.com. Sponsorships are available.