US SIF NY Climate Week Event

Investing in the Future of Food Systems: Beyond the Business Case

Collaboration between: US SIF - Food Systems for the Future Institute - BCG - Neuberger

The conversation around sustainability in food and agriculture is changing.

Across boardrooms, investment committees, and public institutions, sustainability is entering a period of heightened scrutiny. Political polarization, evolving regulatory priorities, shifting investor expectations, and increasing demands for demonstrable business value have changed both the language and the context in which sustainability decisions are made.

At the same time, a notable convergence in thinking is emerging. Recent work from Boston Consulting Group, Harvard Business Review, the Milken Institute, US SIF, and others, points to the same conclusion: while the narrative around sustainability may be evolving, the strategic importance of investing in long-term resilience has not diminished. Resilience is increasingly being understood as a driver of competitiveness, risk management, innovation, and durable value creation.

Food systems sit squarely at the intersection of that shift.

Rather than focusing on individual organizational initiatives, this roundtable discussion will consider what has changed in the broader landscape, which investment propositions continue to resonate despite increased scrutiny, how institutions are adapting their strategies and communications, and whether there are opportunities for business, investors, and philanthropy to reinforce one another in ways that sustain momentum without requiring alignment on every aspect of the sustainability agenda.

SPEAKERS:

Ambassador Ertharin Cousin – President & CEO, Food Systems for the Future Institute

Ertharin Cousin founded and today guides the Food Systems for the Future team as President and CEO. As a global nutrition and food systems thought leader and advocate Cousin also serves as a Distinguished Fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and a Visiting Scholar at the Stanford University, Center on Food Security and Environment. From 2012 until 2017, Cousin served as United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director. In 2009, Cousin was nominated and confirmed as the US Ambassador to the UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture in Rome. Prior to her global hunger work, Cousin helped lead the U.S. domestic fight to end hunger including service as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of America’s Second Harvest - now Feeding America. Cousin’s previous private sector experience includes working for Albertsons as the Senior Vice-President of Public Affairs. Cousin is currently the nonexecutive board chair of Camelot North America, an advisory board member of the Angelena Fund, a member of the Bayer AG Supervisory Board, the Royal DSM Sustainability Board, the Heifer International Board and a trustee of Akaydemia2063.

Shalini Unnikrishnan- Managing Director & Senior Partner, BCG

Shalini Unnikrishnan is the Social Impact Strategy and Engagement Lead and Global Lead for Sustainable Food, Agriculture, and Nature at Boston Consulting Group. Shalini’s work at BCG is focused at the intersection of the private, public, and social sectors. She is the co-author of “Total Societal Impact,” which explores how companies can gain business and societal value through their core operations. Shalini gained expertise in this subject through her work with private sector clients. Shalini has worked extensively in emerging markets–on value chains of private sector companies in agriculture, financial inclusion, women’s empowerment, and economic development.

Maria Lettini - CEO, US SIF

Maria is the Chief Executive Officer of the US Sustainable Investment Forum, the pioneering network focused on sustainable investing. Previously, Maria led the FAIRR Initiative. During her seven years at FAIRR, she and her team ambitiously drove the narrative around the risks and opportunities in the global protein supply chain with the aim of directing capital towards a more sustainable and equitable food system. Prior to joining FAIRR, Maria worked for the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) where she cultivated and expanded the global investor network, managing the PRI’s Signatory Relations strategy and raising awareness of responsible investment with institutional investors. Maria started her career in global finance and capital markets, working at both J.P. Morgan and Deutsche Bank. She has served on the Sustainability Accounting Standard Board Standards Advisory Group. She is also a member of the Intentional Endowment Network’s (IEN) Steering Committee.

Dan Hanson, Neuberger

Daniel Hanson, CFA, Managing Director, joined the firm in January 2022. Dan is the Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of the U.S. Quality Equity team. Dan brings a 25+ year history of managing US and global equity institutional portfolios and has maintained a 19+ year continuous large cap core ESG track record dating back to 2006. In addition to his investment acumen, Dan has been a leader and champion of sustainable investing for over 15 years and has made significant contributions to the industry. Dan is an active shareholder advocate, and is involved in a number of initiatives in the area of governance, corporate reporting, and sustainable investing. Dan was a founding member of the board of directors of the Sustainable Accounting Standards Board (“SASB") from 2011-2016, and created the SICS® classification system in 2012 (SASB Materiality Map®). Advisory and board roles have included UC Berkeley Law, Journal of Impact & ESG Investing, Canadian Coalition for Good Governance (CCGG), International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), Global Initiative for Sustainability Ratings (World Business Council for Sustainable Development), and the IFRS International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) Investor Advisory Group (IAG).

Please be aware that this is a small invite-only event. If you do express interest in attending, we will be in touch shortly to confirm your attendance. Thank you.