Blog23 Sep 2024E2E Value Chain
How and Why Data-Driven Decisions Form the Backbone of Sustainable Business Practices Leveraging data reliably and efficiently is more important than ever. From enhanced consumer engagement to complying with new regulations, businesses need data to make informed decisions and drive progress toward a more sustainable future. This...
Blog26 Jun 2024E2E Value Chain
Demystifying the CPG Aisle: How Data and GPT are Reshaping Consumer Packaged Goods Industry The CPG industry, encompassing everything from your morning coffee to beverages and snacks, is undergoing a significant transformation. While core consumer needs remain the same, how we shop for and interact with these products is...
Blog11 Apr 2024E2E Value Chain
Embracing Sustainability Regulations: Strategies for CPG, Retailers, and Suppliers in a Changing Landscape The evolving landscape of sustainability-related regulations presents opportunities for CPGs and retailers to drive innovation and strengthen partnerships within their supply chains. Proactive collaboration will be key to balancing compliance with these important initiatives while...
Blog05 Mar 2024E2E Value Chain
Overcoming Regulatory Challenges With Data Management Consumer product companies and grocery retailers are essential businesses that provide critical food products across the world and have built trustworthy relationships with consumers. As major economic drivers with a sizable influence on the environment...
Blog05 Dec 2023E2E Value Chain
The Imperatives of Data to Support Sustainability and Transparency Companies run the real risk of failing to meet consumer and regulatory demands Pressure increases on businesses: regulations and changing consumer demands are coming their way, demanding sustainability through transparency. And all companies face this...
Blog19 Oct 2023E2E Value Chain
Mind The Gap – How to Develop a Sustainability Agenda and Your B2B Partnership Simultaneously As a core strategic focus, sustainability has escalated quickly over the last five to six years, with retailers and suppliers recognizing the importance of sustainable practices and their impact on the environment, society, and...
Blog18 Sep 2023E2E Value Chain
From Demand Chain to Value Chain: The Power of Product Enrichment in Modern Retail In an era marked by rapid technological advancements and shifting consumer preferences, supply chains across the food manufacturing and retail sectors are undergoing a transformation. As these industries evolve towards a more customer-centric approach, product...
Blog04 Aug 2023E2E Value Chain
CSOs: Are You Ready to Collaborate on Data Strategy? The number of Chief Sustainability Officers (CSOs) have tripled in the past two years. Many are relatively new and are tasked to lead the development of sustainability plans and interact with various departments across the...
Blog06 Jul 2023E2E Value Chain
How Can Major Retailers Increase Their Agility? The pandemic has ended, and many impacts have dissipated, but large retailers will continue to face challenges. There will be future economic, health, and environmental crises, whether major, minor, localized, or international, that will be...
Blog08 Jun 2023E2E Value Chain
The Impact of Digitisation on CFOs: How Customs Management Can be Transformed by Technology In recent years, the role of Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) has become increasingly strategic. They are no longer simply responsible for managing a company’s finances but are expected to contribute to business growth by ensuring...
Blog01 Jun 2023E2E Value Chain
Future-Proofing Innovations That Improve Sustainability, Compliance, and Performance It has long been known that in order to create sustainable change in our industry for the better, certain requirements need to be met: You need to have visionaries dedicated to the cause, motivated by...
Blog21 Apr 2023E2E Value Chain
Aligning Purpose with Profits: How Consumer Goods Companies can Unlock Business Growth by Integrating Sustainability into their Operations The rapid advancement of technology and social media has created a new generation of well- informed, empowered, and discerning consumers. These individuals prioritise brands that not only provide high-quality products and services, but also resonate...
Blog30 Mar 2023E2E Value Chain
Enhancing Enterprise Sustainability through Supplier Management Pressure continues for companies to accelerate their actions in addressing the climate crisis. Investors are demanding ESG progress; governments are implementing new regulations, while customers and employees are pushing for change. Furthermore, the planet itself...
Blog24 Mar 2023E2E Value Chain
Extending Your Data Reach to Drive Value Data is not meant to sit idle in databases, silos or even a department in a large organisation. Unlike oil, data is a renewable resource that can generate more value as it is used over...
Blog30 Jan 2023E2E Value Chain
Retail & CPG: Winning the Cost and Profitability Race in a Volatile and Uncertain Market Today’s business landscape in the retail and CPG world is riddled with unprecedented global uncertainty. Inflationary pressures, logistical issues, foreign exchange and energy price rises – the variability and volatility in component costs have increased...
Blog09 Dec 2022E2E Value Chain
Will Inflation Take Us to the Reign of Private Labels? It is undeniable how powerful the private label is becoming in almost every segment of retailing. What seemed years ago to cater to a highly price-sensitive customer segment has become a defining element of “brand...
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.