Blog11 Jun 2019Health & Wellness
Consumers Expect a Healthier Future Today, consumers want to live a healthy life more than ever before. Consumers’ expectations with regard to health continue to evolve, but food always plays an important role in a healthy lifestyle. In 2019 it’s...
Blog22 Nov 2022Healthier Lives
Global Survey Shows Consumers Want to Save the Planet, but Inflation Is Taking a Toll Consumers realise that the planet is in trouble, and they want to do something about it. To help guide them, consumers welcome information about the environmental friendliness of the products they buy but many say...
Press Release18 Jun 2014
The Consumer Goods Industry Strengthens Commitment to Improving Health and Wellness for Consumers Worldwide The Consumer Goods Forum Board of Directors agrees to new strategic milestones to help ensure the wellbeing of consumers PARIS, Wednesday 18th June 2014 – Recognising the importance of health and wellness to consumers, The...
Blog03 Jul 2020Corporate
Consumers and the ‘New Normal’: Which Retail Changes Could Become Permanent as a Result of COVID-19? The retail sector has weathered its fair share of storms in recent years, from business rates to the growing influence of e-commerce. But even if retail veterans have become seasoned crisis responders, industry challenges do...
Blog30 Mar 2021Industry Solutions
Food Fraud: Impact of Counterfeits on Consumers’ Safety & Brand Reputation With over 30% of shoppers saying they will shift at least some of their spending away from brick-and-mortar stores towards e-commerce, consumers are showing increased trust in online shopping for their groceries. In fact, the...
Blog03 Dec 2019Industry Solutions
The Balanced Economy – How Marketers Are Growing Closer to Consumers In a world dictated by technology and social media, consumer brand loyalty is more relevant than ever before. That’s right, 43% of consumers are spending more money at brands that they are loyal to, which...
Press Release15 Mar 2013
New Report Discusses Worldwide Impact of Ageing Consumers By 2047 There Will Be More Than Two Billion Mature Consumers PARIS, 15th March 2013 – The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) and A.T. Kearney today announced the publication of a joint report – “Understanding...
Blog07 Aug 2020Data-Driven Value Chain
Consumers Are Ready to Be Analytically Educated Creating financially aware and healthier lives for consumers post-COVID Retail has always been one of the most innovative industries in the world by being incredibly responsive to the consumer, moving quickly, and being at...
Blog24 Nov 2022
Why Sustainability and Product Superiority Must Go Together for Consumers After speaking at this year’s Sustainable Retail Summit, Guillaume Lebert, P&G Sustainability Director explains why superior performing products, that are environmentally sustainable is the winning formula that’s irresistible for consumer choices. At P&G we have...
Blog15 Sep 2021Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative
Giving Consumers the Reassurance They Seek and Workers the Protection They Deserve Today’s conscious consumers are transforming their relationship with global brands. They are increasingly making more informed, ethical buying choices and although we saw signs of a consumer shift before the pandemic, recent reports indicate that...
Blog20 Jun 2014
How to Ensure Trust in Engaging with Consumers in a Digital World? It’s a very fine line: companies can attract their customers by personally engaging with them – but when they go too far, they trespass this thin line, and it can backfire, since consumers perceive...
Blog07 Apr 2015
Celebrating World Health Day with an Industry Committed to Change and Empowered, Healthy Consumers Globally However, a quick reality check shows us that worldwide obesity has nearly doubled since 1980 and that half the world is expected to be obese by 2050. These are challenging stats but opportunities shown...
Press Release29 Sep 2017
New ‘One for Good’ Campaign Looks to Inspire Healthier Consumers HAGERSTOWN, Md. and PARIS, 29th September 2017 – The Consumer Goods Forum has launched a pilot campaign in Hagerstown, Maryland, to support community members in adopting healthier diets and lifestyles. Partnering with Healthy Washington County,...
Press Release27 Jan 2016
New Survey Shows Consumers More Empowered than Ever to Make Informed Lifestyle Choices PARIS, 27th January 2016 – The Consumer Goods Forum (“CGF”) today published results from its 2015 survey designed to measure where its members are in the implementation of its Health & Wellness Resolutions and Commitments....
News Update01 Mar 2018Food Waste
Smart Reduction of Consumer Food Waste: Using Technology for the Benefit of Retailers and Consumers We are pleased to announce the publication of a new report, entitled Smart Reduction of Consumer Food Waste: Using technology for the benefit of retailers and consumers. Capgemini and The Consumer Goods Forum, through this End-to-End Value Chain Learning...
Press Release30 Jan 2012
Study Shows Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Results in Improved Food Safety for Consumers PARIS, 30th January 2012 – The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), managed by The Consumer Goods Forum, announced today that a recent study conducted by the University of Arkansas shows that food manufacturers who...
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.
Fairness, Integrity, Safety, and Health (FISH) Standard for Crew
STANDARD: FISH Standard for Crew Version 1.0 achieved SSCI Recognition in March 2025 for 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 Florverde standard for the sustainable production of flowers and ornamentals version 7.2.1 achieved SSCI Recognition under Scope BI – Social Compliance: Primary Production in April 2024.
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
Wine and Agricultural Ethical Trade Association (WIETA)
STANDARD: WIETA Standard Version 4.0 achieved SSCI recognition under Scope AI — Social Compliance: Manufacturing & Processing, and BI — Social Compliance: Primary Production in January 2025.
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.
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.
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.
STANDARD: The MPS-SQ Standard is currently being benchmarked under Scope BI — Social Compliance: Primary Production.
MPS, owned by Stichting MPS, is a leading organisation dedicated to supporting sustainability in the agricultural sector through its trusted certification schemes. The MPS-SQ Standard, introduced in 2002, is designed to ensure that agricultural products are produced under good working conditions. The standard applies to growers and their entire company, addressing key areas such as employee working conditions, health, and safety. It is built on universal human rights, the codes of conduct of local representative organisations, and international agreements of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
The MPS-SQ Standard also ensures fair treatment for family members working in family-run agricultural operations and sets minimum requirements for working conditions, encouraging compliance with stricter national, local, or international laws to provide the highest level of worker protection. By promoting ethical labour practices, My MPS aims to improve worker safety, health, and well-being while enhancing the image of the agricultural sector. MPS is applying for SSCI’s Scope BI — Social Compliance: Primary Production, reaffirming its commitment to advancing sustainable and responsible practices across the agricultural supply chain.
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.