Who’s Your Neighbor? (Words Matter) | #PSC 211
OVERVIEW: Episode 211 explores how the words we use can influence our beliefs which influence the decisions we make and the actions we take:When you think about chocolate, who is your neighbor?
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Episode 211
This episode of #PodSaveChocolate was inspired by a post I made earlier this week that begins with the sentence “Who’s Your Neighbor?” But before we get to that, let’s explore sustainable and sustainability.
What Do You Mean When You Use the Word Sustainable?
“In late January 2018 I travelled from New York to Köln, Germany, to attend ISM as an invited member of the press to cover the launch of Barry Callebaut’s Hidden Persuaders in Cocoa and Chocolate. While not my first visit to Köln, it was my first visit to ISM, and when I was not taking part in scheduled press activities around the launch event, I had time to tour the exhibition floor and participate in conference sessions.
“One session I attended was on “Sustainability in the Cocoa Sector,” moderated by a sustainability “expert.” As the session progressed, I formed several disconcerting impressions. Two of them were:
- There exists a “sustainability industry” and that industry insiders had developed a sophisticated, somewhat opaque, vocabulary to communicate among themselves.
- There was no consensus around what the word sustainability even meant.
“These two factors made – and continue to make – it difficult for outsiders to join the conversation and contribute meaningfully without first learning the lingo.
When the session opened up for audience Q&A, I asked the moderator: “What do you mean when you use the word ‘sustainable?’ Because it’s not at all clear to me after listening for the past forty minutes.”
It might not come as a surprise to learn I did not receive a satisfactory answer to my question.
“Since then I have been actively working to create a workable definition for sustainability that is easier to explain to the average chocolate fan than the seventeen UN Sustainable Development Goals.”
What is clear from the Conference Board research I cite in the International Confectionery article, consumers tend to view sustainability very differently. When there is no common understanding, people talk past each other. This makes communicating both harder and easier at the same time – depending on which side of an issue you’re taking.
What are the UN SDGs?
The Brundtland Commission defines sustainability as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." This definition emphasizes the importance of balancing current development with future environmental and social considerations.
United Nations
A commonly-referred to definition.
TheChocolateLife Definition of Sustainable/Sustainability
When I talk about sustainability, this is the framework I use. It has four components, and all 17 UN SDGs can be fitted one or more of these four points:
- Environmental Sustainability
- Economic Sustainability
- Social Sustainability
- Market Sustainability
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Who Is Your Neighbor?
As I mentioned, I posted on LinkedIn earlier this week asking this question, and it inspired today’s episode. Upon reflection, the answers to this question have direct implications for the sustainability discussion, above.
- Global North vs Global South
- First World countries vs Third World countries
- Developed countries vs Developing countries
What Do You Mean When You Use the Word Craft?
- How is Craft different from Artisan or Fine?
- What does Bean-to-Bar mean?
- How is Bean-to-Bar different from Craft, Artisan, and Fine?
- How can you meaningfully compare Craft/Artisan and Industrial?
- Are there better terms than Bean-to-Bar, Craft, Artisan, or Fine?
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Clay Gordon
Episodes 201-300 (links to older PSC archives are in the top nav).
Clay Gordon