Blog08 Oct 2024Corporate
Seizing the Moment: Navigating Climate Action at a Crucial Juncture – Insights from Climate Week NYC 2024 As The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) team returned from Climate Week NYC 2024, we had the opportunity to sit down with Sharon Bligh, Director of Health and Sustainability, and Didier Bergeret, Director of Sustainability. We...
News Update30 Sep 2024Corporate
Leading the Charge on Climate and Sustainability: The CGF at New York Climate Week 2024 As New York Climate Week (NYCW) 2024 has now come to an end, The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) reflects on a week of impactful discussions and collaborations centered on climate action. Throughout the event, the...
Blog30 Sep 2024Corporate
Can Pork Production Lead the Way in Sustainability? Can Pork Production Lead the Way in Sustainability? Cooperl, France’s leading pork producer, is pushing the boundaries with ambitious targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions, aiming for a 46% reduction in agriculture and a complete...
News Update19 Sep 2024Corporate
The CGF at New York Climate Week 2024: Climate Action at the Core of Our Sustainability Vision As the world gathers for New York Climate Week (NYCW) 2024, The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) is ready to bring together our global network of retailers and manufacturers to drive meaningful progress toward one unifying...
News Update14 Jun 2024Corporate
Live from Chicago: Final Thoughts from #CGFsummit 2024 Highlights from Day 3 of The Global Summit Groceries delivered by drone to high-rise windows. Pilotless freight planes. Shelf-stocking robots that can detect spills. These are just a few of the rapid-fire retail visions...
News Update14 Jun 2024Corporate
The Consumer Goods Industry Receives a Call to Action in Chicago Highlights from Day 2 of The Global Summit ‘You have a responsibility to take care of my health, to look after it, to look after the health of future generations’ exhorted 17-year-old food activist...
News Update13 Jun 2024Corporate
Industry Leaders Unite in Chicago for the CGF Global Summit Highlights and Strong Moments from Day 1 of The Consumer Goods Industry’s Premier Annual Event As The Consumer Goods Forum’s Global Summit began this morning in Chicago, CGF Board Co-Chairs Frans Muller, President &...
Press Release12 Jun 2024Global Summit
The Consumer Goods Forum’s Global Summit Gets Underway, Spotlighting Sustainability Progress Across the Industry Chicago, 12 June 2024 – Attended by almost 1,000 CEOs and C-suite leaders from the world’s biggest consumer goods companies, The Consumer Goods Forum’s (CGF’s) 2024 Global Summit kicked off today with a series of...
Press Release21 May 2024Global Summit
CEOs from World’s Major Businesses Set to Advance Action on Urgent Sustainability Challenges at The Consumer Goods Forum’s Global Summit Paris, 9 May 2024 – Hundreds of CEOs from the world’s major consumer goods retailers and manufacturers are gearing up for The Consumer Goods Forum’s (CGF) Global Summit, in Chicago, United States, which will involve...
Press Release23 Apr 2024China
The Consumer Goods Forum Brings Together Industry Leaders and Experts for its Sixth Annual China Day The Consumer Goods Forum is hosting its annual event for members operating in China, regional industry experts, and leading CEOs today and tomorrow in Shanghai, China. This ‘China Day’, the sixth the organisation has held,...
News Update28 Feb 2024Corporate
Sharon Bligh to Highlight the Opportunities for a Sustainable Food Future at Upcoming World Retail Congress The Consumer Goods Forum’s Director of Health and Sustainability, Sharon Bligh, will speak about how we can create a sustainable future to protect the world’s long-term food supply at the World Retail Congress. Taking place...
Press Release27 Feb 2024Corporate
Powerful Impact of Consumer Goods Retailers and Manufacturers Uniting to Tackle Global Challenges Paris, 27 February 2024 – The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), the only CEO-led organisation that brings together both retailers and manufacturers globally, today publishes its 2023 Annual Report, demonstrating how it is catalysing industry transformation...
Blog20 Dec 2023Corporate
Reflections from COP28 Just short of 100,000 badges were issued for participants to attend the recent UN climate talks in Dubai, touted by many as a defining moment in our fight against climate change. Sharon Bligh, Director of...
STANDARD: The BRCGS Global Standard for Ethical Trade & Responsible Sourcing Issue 2 achieved SSCI Recognition under Scope AI — Social Compliance: Manufacturing & Processing in November 2021.
BRCGS is an established global standards leader, with a rigorous GFSI recognised assurance program that touches every aspect of the 21st century supply chain – from food ingredients to packaging, distribution, retail and beyond. It sets the benchmark for best practice manufacturing, helping to provide reassurance that products and services are high quality, legal and safe. BRCGS is recognised across food and non-food categories as the global standard underpinning brand reputation through compliance, at over 30,000 certificated sites in 130 countries. Visit brcgs.com to find out more.
STANDARD: The Florverde standard for the sustainable production of flowers and ornamentals version 7.2.1 is currently being benchmarked under Scope BI – Social Compliance: Primary Production.
Florverde Sustainable Flowers (FSF) is an independent social and environmental standard which ensures that flowers certified under this scheme have been responsibly produced. This requires flower growers to adopt measures that will protect and enable worker’s rights, implement best environmental practices, and comply with national regulations. FSF also helps safeguard quality by requiring the proper care and handling of flowers.
STANDARD: FSSC 24000 Social Management System Certification Version 6.0 achieved SSCI Recognition under Scope AI — Social Compliance: Processing and Manufacturing in January 2024.
The aim of FSSC 24000 is to ensure that social sustainability management system requirements are met, resulting in certifications that assure organisations provide safe and fair working conditions, meet business ethics requirements, and apply due diligence in their supply chain management. FSSC 24000 provides a strategic approach incorporating the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle and risk-based thinking, which ensures the identification and control of social risk and continuous improvement. This process demonstrates corporate responsibility and facilitates improving the social management systems and performance thus driving impact.
FSSC 24000’s scope of certification includes the manufacturing and processing sector (food and non-food), including its related service provision. The certificate confirms that the organisation’s social sustainability management system is in conformance with the FSSC 24000 Scheme requirements based on the following normative documents:
BSI/PAS 24000:2022 – Social management system requirements (Publicly Available Specification)
FSSC 24000 Additional Requirements (as determined by the FSSC Board of Stakeholders)
The FSSC 24000 certification scheme is owned and governed by the non-profit Foundation FSSC and outlines the requirements for the audit and certification of a Social Sustainability Management System of an organization. More information on the FSSC 24000 Scheme is available on their website.
Responsible Fishing Vessel Standard
STANDARD: The Responsible Fishing Vessel Standard 2.1 achieved SSCI Recognition under Scope CI — Social Compliance: At-Sea Operations in November 2022.
In 2018, Global Seafood Assurances and the UK Sea Fish Industry Authority (Seafish) announced a memorandum of understanding to work together to create the next version of the Responsible Fishing Scheme (RFS), committing to expand its global applicability, which resulted in the creation of the Responsible Fishing Vessel Standard. Now part of the Global Seafood Alliance, GSA took ownership of the standards last year. The first RFVS-certified vessel was announced in Australia in January, and the second set of RFVS-certified vessels was announced in the United Kingdom in April. The standard addresses social responsibility, including working conditions and worker voice, about fishing vessels.
STANDARD: The SIZA Social Standard Version 6 achieved SSCI Recognition under Scopes AI — Social Compliance: Manufacturing & Processing, and BI — Social Compliance: Primary Production in June 2023.
SIZA, the Sustainability Initiative of South Africa, is enabling the South African agricultural sector to become a global leader in sustainable farming, ethical trade, and environmental stewardship. The aim is to encourage continuous improvement in practices over time. SIZA aims to have a cost-effective approach for growers by supplying one standard and one audit, no matter which market a producer supplies. SIZA engages directly with stakeholders throughout the value chain to improve supply chain sustainability, ensuring compliance and reducing risks while at the same time offering support and training with regard to best practices and continuous improvement. Verification occurs via third-party audits. For more information on SIZA, please visit our website: www.siza.co.za
Founded in 2003, the amfori BSCI enables companies to drive sustainability by setting up the human rights due diligence principles that business enterprises strive to implement in their global supply chain.
Representing over 2,400 participants in 46 countries, the amfori BSCI operates in a variety of sectors, the two largest being General Merchandise, and Garment & Textile with a combined annual turnover is evaluated to EUR 1.6 trillion.
The amfori BSCI Code of Conduct set out the values and principles for the implementation of supply chain due diligence, based on the OECD’s six-step framework. The amfori BSCI System Manual outlines the supporting tools and methodology for participants to exercise human rights due diligence and environmental protection set out in the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct.
Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association (EHPEA)
STANDARD:The Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association (EHPEA) is currently being benchmarked under Scope BI – Social Compliance: Primary Production.
Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association (EHPEA) is a business membership organisation which was established in 2002. It is an organisation meant to promote the interest of its members who are engaged in the production and export of cut flowers, fruit, vegetables, herbs, cuttings as well as vegetable seeds.
Fairness, Integrity, Safety, and Health (FISH) Standard for Crew
STANDARD: FISH Standard for Crew Version 1.0 is currently being benchmarked under Scope CI — Social Compliance: At-Sea Operations.
The Fairness, Integrity, Safety, and Health (FISH) Standard for Crew is a voluntary, third party labour certification program for wild harvest fishing vessels. FISH is designed to provide harvesters a tool to demonstrate to customers and other stakeholders that the seafood harvested comes from responsible sources with respect to crew treatment, compensation, and conditions. It was developed with input from the full seafood supply chain, including large and small harvesters, processors, retailers and restaurant groups, in consultation with labour non-profit organisations, to create a program that is open to vessels and fleets of all sizes around the globe. Read more about the Standard here.
STANDARD: The KFC Flowers and Ornamentals Sustainability Standard Version December 2021 is currently being benchmarked under Scopes AI — Social Compliance: Manufacturing & Processing, and BI — Social Compliance: Primary Production.
Kenya Flower Council (KFC) is the country’s leading Business Membership Association for growers and exporters of cut-flower and ornamentals. KFC members account for approximately 80 percent of Kenya’s floricultural exports.
KFC also owns the Flowers and Ornamentals Sustainability Standards (FOSS), a trusted standard worldwide. It is one of only three internationally benchmarked standards that demonstrate sustainable social, environmental and good agricultural business practice benchmarks set by the EU-based Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI). The standard encourages commitment to ethical practices, innovation and promoting equitable trading practices, thus ensuring that certified producers foster sustainable, responsible and safe production of cut flowers and ornamentals.
The Council is in the forefront promoting Kenya as a reliable source of quality cut flowers and ornamentals and the country’s competitiveness in the global floriculture trade. KFC is actively engaged in all major trade negotiations in existing, new and emerging markets and in amplifying Kenya’s image in the international market as the most trusted source of cut flowers and ornamentals.
Currently, Kenya is the third largest producer of cut-flowers and ornamentals in the world and exports to over 60 destinations globally. Floriculture is the fastest growing export sector in the Kenyan economy, providing direct employment for over 200,000 workers.
KFC engages with key actors locally for a favourable business environment for growers and exporters of cut flowers and ornamentals.
The Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard, is designed to deliver more value to the more than four million farmers and workers and thousands of businesses that use Rainforest Alliance certification to drive more sustainable agricultural production and responsible supply chains. The Sustainable Agriculture Standard is used in more than 70 countries around the globe. Their program focuses on coffee, cocoa, tea, bananas, and many other important commodity sectors facing urgent environmental and social challenges.
Wine and Agricultural Ethical Trade Association (WIETA)
STANDARD: WIETA Standard Version 4.0 is currently being benchmarked under Scope AI — Social Compliance: Manufacturing & Processing.
The Wine and Agricultural Ethical Trade Association T/A WIETA was the first South African social standard, established in 2002, to establish an appropriate social auditing methodology for fruit and wine suppliers in South Africa. WIETA proudly demonstrates how a multi-stakeholder model can successfully promote a world class ethical trade and human rights programme within the wine value chain. Innovative social dialogue engagements, a rigorous capacity building and training programme for both workers and producers, coupled with a participative multi-pronged approach to auditing and remedial approach to ensure sustained corrective actions.