Environmental and Social Investment Implications in the Food Sector

Environmental and social concerns are becoming material issues in the food sector due to a range of catalysts, including growth of consumer demand, new market segments, rising commodity prices, product innovation, and climate change.

World food prices have reached record levels and show few signs of abating. Low-income consumers in the developing world have been hit especially hard, with ripple effects spreading around the globe. The long-term food outlook is no better. Water stress, resource scarcity, waste management and climate change are having a further destabilizing effect on agriculture, food sourcing and production. The sector also faces various social issues relating to product quality and safety, labor standards, and supply chain management. The intersection of these environmental, social, and business issues is making effective management of soft commodities sourcing and food production a top priority issue for the industry and investors alike.

But what is the macro- and socio-economic impact of these ESG issues? How can the world’s leading food producers become committed to shrinking their global environmental footprints while growing their market share? And what’s the impact of E&S issues on the financial performance of listed equities in the food sector?

MSCI ESG Research, Credit Suisse and WWF cordially invite you to an investment webinar where experts from the industry will identify key E&S issues in the food sector, assess their effect on commodity prices, and discuss their impact on the risk / return profile of securities and portfolios.

The webinar will be hosted by Randy O'Neil, Vice President, Sales, MSCI ESG Research , and speakers include:

• Andrew Aulisi, Director, Sustainability Affairs, Americas, Credit Suisse

• Olga Emelianova, Senior Analyst and Regional Lead for North America, MSCI ESG Research

• Joshua Levin, Senior Program Officer, Finance & Commodities, WWF