Purpose-Driven Food System with Les Szabo of Purpose Pledge

Les Szabo discusses the Purpose Pledge, a holistic framework for companies aiming to operate with integrity and in alignment with their higher purpose. He discusses why the Purpose Pledge was created, how they decided to focus on companies working in food and agriculture, and how they settled on their 10 commitments. The conversation highlights the need for shared standards, systems of support, and collaboration to drive systemic change in business practices. Tune in to hear how Les and the team plan to scale the pledge in the future, and how your brand can join the movement.Key topicsPurpose Pledge framework and commitmentsImportance of shared standards and transparencyRole of support systems and catalystsFocus on food and agriculture impactBalancing ambition with realism in sustainability goalsCollaborative supply chain transformationMeasuring progress and accountabilityIndustry-specific challenges and opportunitiesSound bites“Well-intentioned companies highlight where they perform well, but at the same time they ignore parts of the system.”“Our idea is that we have to have a common framework that's a true operational definition of purpose across 10 commitments.”“How are you honoring and serving all of your stakeholders? We we use this term ‘right relationship’, which originates from spiritual and wisdom traditions, and it means to be in integrity with somebody and where it's a true kind of reciprocal relationship.”"The industrial food system is one of the most powerful forces shaping climate change, public health, and social in inequality, often in in ways we fail to see.”“The goal is to have all commitments achieved within that nine-year period. Anybody can go to the site and and it makes those commitments very visible and easy to track.”Chapters00:00 Introduction to Purpose Pledge and Dr. Bronner's04:55 Defining Purpose and the Need for a Common Framework10:00 Focus on Food and Agriculture: The Rationale14:46 The Ten Commitments of Purpose Pledge20:12 Commitment Achievement and Continuous Improvement25:14 Collaboration and Community in Purpose Pledge32:16 Challenges in Launching the Purpose Pledge35:42 Understanding Living Wage and Its Implications39:20 Navigating the Application Process for Companies46:18 Eligibility and Commitment Areas for Companies50:23 Expanding the Purpose Pledge Beyond Food and Agriculture54:23 Purpose Pledge vs. Giving Pledge: A Comparative Insight01:02:22 Envisioning a Better World Through Right RelationshipsLinksLes Szabo on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/les-szabo-5a214314/Purpose Pledge - https://purposepledge.orgPurpose Pledge on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/purposepledge/Purpose Pledge Commitments PDF - https://www.purposepledge.org/s/Purpose-Pledge-10-Commitments-Full-Details-July-2026.pdf…LinkedIn post on the Giving Pledge article by Inc.- https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7470679564374175744-BHM_/LinkedIn post on the Purpose Pledge article by Inc. - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7470131248229810177-WTLs/…Brands for a Better World Episode Archive - http://brandsforabetterworld.com/Brands for a Better World on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-for-a-better-world/Modern Species - https://modernspecies.com/Modern Species on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/modern-species/Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gagemitchell/…Print Magazine Design Podcasts - https://www.printmag.com/categories/printcast/…Heritage Radio Network - https://heritageradionetwork.org/Heritage Radio Network on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/heritage-radio-network/posts/Heritage Radio Network on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HeritageRadioNetworkHeritage Radio Network on X - https://x.com/Heritage_RadioHeritage Radio Network on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heritage_radio/Heritage Radio Network on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@heritage_radio…The Food Institute - https://foodinstitute.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.