Today, we sat down with Corey Blumenthal, Sustainability Specialist at Shake Shake and Lauren Brown, Senior Program Manager, Carbon Reduction Data & Analytics at Neutral Foods.

Shake Shack partnered with Neutral to source carbon-free milk, initially available in Washington and Oregon, and later expanded to their East Coast locations. Corey's role at Shake Shack involves overseeing sustainability initiatives, while Lauren focuses on carbon reduction strategies at Neutral.

Corey and Lauren highlight the importance of sustainable practices in food production, particularly in addressing emissions from dairy farming. They discuss initiatives such as regenerative agriculture and feed supplements aimed at reducing methane emissions from cows. Lauren explains how technology and innovation play a crucial role in measuring and mitigating methane emissions on farms, emphasizing the need for upfront financial support to incentivize farmers to adopt sustainable practices.

The conversation delves into the intersection of sustainability and productivity, emphasizing the potential for practices like regenerative agriculture to improve both environmental outcomes and farm efficiency. Corey and Lauren also discuss the challenge of balancing sustainability with affordability for consumers, emphasizing the importance of collaborative efforts across sectors to drive meaningful change in the food industry. Overall, the episode provides insights into the practical strategies and collaborations driving sustainability efforts in food production.

Guest Quotes:

“ You know, we've seen it over and over again in surveys, consumers saying, yes, they care about sustainability, but they're not willing to pay extra for a product that's produced sustainably if it costs more. So at Shake Shack, as part of my role as a sustainability specialist, I've been trying really hard to find avenues for us to incorporate sustainability without having to pass that cost onto consumers. ” - Corey Blumenthal

“I think from Neutral's perspective, I mean, we know that 93 percent of households in the United States have some sort of dairy product in their fridges at home. And we also know that dairy has a very significant climate impact. And so we're trying to address that issue. We know that consumer behavior is notoriously difficult to change. So we're meeting them where they're at with a more sustainable option. And so we're doing a lot of that work to really invest in farms, invest in these systems, to set consumers up with a better choice that they can make.” - Lauren Brown

Time Stamps:

• * (00:00) Intro
• * (01:25) Corey and Lauren’s Background in Food Sustainability
• * (06:02) What’s new on the sustainability front?
• * (09:25) Fragility, and Regenerative Agriculture
• * (12:49) Sustainability Leading to Productivity
• * (14:25) Measuring Methane Emissions
• * (17:05) Keeping it Affordable for Customers
• * (24:21) Many Many Microbes
• * (20:44) Challenges in public-private partnerships in food regulation
• * (29:24) Sharing Sustainability Data
• * (34:42) What else is possible through partnerships?
• * (38:11) Neutral’s Carbon Credits Process
• * (41:08) ​​Food Waste vs. Food Productivity
• * (49:11) Wingin’ it

Sponsor copy:

Today's episode is brought to you by Ancera, the company that gives poultry companies a birds eye view into their operations. Find out how Ancera is replacing opinions with objectivity at www.ancera.com.

Links:

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