News Update28 Mar 2017
Ruediger Hagedorn Presents at VMT Event on the Future of Food End-to-End Value Chain & Standards head Ruediger Hagedorn recently attended the VMT Food Future Event 2017. Held at the Congrescentrum 1931, Den Bosch in The Netherlands, the event provided delegates with updates on the latest...
Press Release03 Nov 2015
Leveraging the Global Food Safety Initiative to Meet China Food Safety Challenges BEIJING, 3 November 2015 – Today over 300 top food safety executives from China and the rest of the world are gathered in Beijing for the 4th annual GFSI Focus Day China. One month after...
Press Release11 Jan 2015
For the First Time Ever, the Food Industry’s Flagship Food Safety Event, The Global Food Safety Conference (GFSC) Goes to Asia PARIS, 11th January 2015 – For the first time, the flagship food safety event of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), gathering 1,000 food industry leaders annually, is going to Asia in 2015 after 13 successful...
Press Release06 Feb 2018Food Safety
Action on Food Safety to be Central Focus of GFSI Global Food Safety Conference 2018 PARIS, 6th February 2018 – The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), a worldwide project to advance food safety and improve consumer trust, is holding its annual conference in Tokyo, Japan, on 5th-8th March 2018, bringing...
Press Release20 Sep 2017Environmental Sustainability
Companies Commit to Simplify Food Date Labels Worldwide by 2020, Reducing Food Waste NEW YORK, 20th September 2017 — “Sell by,” “Use by,” “Display until,” “Best before,” what do they all mean? Consumers around the world navigate a range of date labels on food products, and the resulting confusion...
Press Release11 Feb 2015
Malaysia to Host Top-Ranked Global Food Safety Conference The Consumer Goods Forum GFSI Global Food Safety Conference 2015 convenes in Kuala Lumpur 3rd – 5th March First time the world’s premium food safety event is hosted in Asia Over 800 global delegates expected...
News Update03 Nov 2016
Food Waste Front and Centre at this Year’s Sustainable Retail Summit Some 240 delegates from nearly 30 countries joined this year’s Sustainable Retail Summit, held in Paris on 27th & 28th October. The event delivered on its promise to inspire and inform, leaving participants equipped with the...
Press Release21 Dec 2016Food Safety
CEOs from Global Food Industry Giants to Gather at GFSI’s 2017 Global Food Safety Conference PARIS and HOUSTON, 21st December 2016 – Leadership for Growth is the theme of GFSI’s 16th Global Food Safety Conference. In a striking demonstration that “food safety must come from the top” in a vibrant...
Press Release12 Jul 2016
The Food Industry in China Steps Up to Food Safety Challenges With GFSI BEIJING, 12th July 2016 – Never before has the annual GFSI China Focus Day, now in its fifth edition, enjoyed such extensive support from national government in addition to the broad engagement from the private...
Press Release06 Mar 2018Food Safety
Global Food Safety Conference 2018: Public-Private Partnerships in the Spotlight at Kick-off Press Conference TOKYO, 6th March 2018 – The Global Food Safety Conference, the most important event of the year for food safety, has commenced today in Tokyo, Japan. Organised by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), the...
Press Release02 Mar 2021GFSI Conference
Food Industry Professionals Around the World Encouraged to Attend Major GFSI Conference to Advance Food Safety PARIS, 2nd March 2021 — The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), part of The Consumer Goods Forum and the world’s largest network to help achieve safe food for people everywhere, is encouraging food safety professionals...
Press Release26 Feb 2014
Highlights from the Global Food Safety Conference 2014: Day 1 ANAHEIM, Calif., USA – 26th February 2014 – The Consumer Goods Forum’s (CGF) Global Food Safety Conference kicked off today in Anaheim, California with a record breaking attendance of over 1100 attendees from 50 countries...
News Update13 Sep 2017Environmental Sustainability
CGF Environmental Director to Attend Event on Food Waste During Climate Week NYC 2017 Alongside event partner Champions 12.3, CGF Director of Environmental Sustainability, Ignacio Gavilan, will be joining CGF Board members for an event entitled “Reducing Food Loss and Waste: Advancing the Agenda” in New York. The event will...
Press Release11 Sep 2013
First GFSI South Africa Focus Day Opens in Johannesburg JOHANNESBURG, 11th September 2013 – 250 food safety executives from South Africa and surrounding countries gathered today in Johannesburg for the region’s first ever GFSI Focus Day. With the support of The Consumer Goods...
Press Release28 Feb 2019Food Safety
Preparing for the Future of Food Safety: A Forward-Thinking GFSI Conference 2019 NICE, France, 28th February 2019 — The 18th edition of the GFSI Conference drew to a close this afternoon, after four days packed with insights, productive conversations and opportunities to connect. The event attracted over 1,000 delegates, who represented...
News Update21 Sep 2021Food Waste
CGF to Host Virtual Event on Food Waste with Champions 12.3 and WBCSD Every year the global economy loses $1 trillion from food loss and waste. From producers to retailers, the private sector has pulled together to address this massive inefficiency in the worldwide food system. Through whole-supply-chain...
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.