Blog04 Dec 2020Sustainable Retail Summit
Everyone Deserves Access to Healthy Food. So Why Is So Much of It Going to Waste? At our recent Sustainable Retail Summit, the topics of food systems and healthy diets converged quite frequently, with many panellists pointing out where and how these two concepts overlap. Before this year’s SRS, we already...
News Update29 Jul 2021Corporate
CGF Participates in UN Food Systems Pre-Summit and Supports UNFSS Action Tracks PARIS, 29th July 2021 — This year is a critical one for The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) and its Coalitions of Action, as we work together with key partners and stakeholders to tackle the crucial...
Blog23 Sep 2021Corporate
Harnessing the Positive Power of Global Food Systems is More Vital Than Ever Our world is at a critical juncture. Almost half the children around the planet are already at ‘extremely high risk’ from the impacts of the climate crisis. Alongside this, the pandemic has intensified inequality and...
News Update26 Nov 2020Healthier Lives
‘Bold Actions for Food as a Force for Good’ – Building Action to Support the UN Food Systems Summit On 24 November, Sharon Bligh, Healthier Lives Director at The Consumer Goods Forum was invited to join a panel of the virtual Bold Actions for Food as a Force for Good summit, a virtual pre-event...
News Update22 Sep 2020Food Waste
CGF Managing Director Joins “Fixing the Business of Food” Cross-Sector Dialogue On 22nd September 2020, Managing Director of The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), Wai-Chan Chan, joined the virtual panel, entitled “Fixing the Business of Food: A Critical Cross-Sector Dialogue to Re-Strategize Food Businesses,” hosted by the...
Press Release10 Nov 2023Food Waste
Global Consumer Goods Companies Release First Collective Baseline Study, Putting Increased Transparency at the Forefront of Action to Reduce Food Waste and Loss Paris, 16th November 2023 –The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF)’s Food Waste Coalition of Action has today released its first baseline report, presenting operational food surplus and waste aggregated data from sixteen of its retailer and...
Press Release28 Jan 2021Food Waste
Actions from Consumer Goods Companies to Drive Down Food Waste Showcased in New Case Study Booklet from The Consumer Goods Forum PARIS, 28 January — The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) has today published the newest edition of its Food Waste Case Study Booklet, a collection of stories from CGF members, including those of its Food Waste...
Press Release27 Feb 2014
Highlights from the Global Food Safety Conference 2014: Day 2 ANAHEIM, Calif., USA, 27th February 2014 – The Consumer Goods Forum’s (CGF) Global Food Safety Conference continued today with another full programme of speakers from the world of food safety. The day started early...
Blog02 Nov 2017
Food Safety Capacity Building and Africa’s Food System: Building the Foundation for Success Africa is well-known for the tremendous economic and social challenges faced by its people, but also for its great economic and human potential. The challenges, opportunities and dynamism that characterize the continent today are...
Press Release23 Mar 2021Food Safety
Global Food Safety Initiative Starts New Chapter as CEO-led Coalition of Action PARIS, 23RD March 2021 – The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) today announced that the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI; the Coalition) is starting a new chapter as the CGF’s Coalition of Action on Food Safety....
Press Release17 Apr 2025Food Waste
The Consumer Goods Forum, WRAP, and WRI Streamline Food Waste Reporting with Common Reporting Deadline for 2025 Paris, Thursday 17th April – The Consumer Goods Forum’s (CGF) Food Waste Coalition of Action, in partnership with WRAP and the World Resources Institute (WRI), has announced 13th June 2025 as a shared deadline for voluntary annual food waste reporting...
Press Release05 Feb 2010
2010 Food Safety Conference – Press Highlights – Day 2 5th February 2010 – Private vs. Public Food Safety Efforts Safe food is a shared accountability between governments and companies. On the second day of the Global Food Safety Conference in Washington DC,...
News Update07 Dec 2021Health & Wellness
What is Business Committing at the Nutrition for Growth Summit 2021? Statement by the Business Constituency Group Nutrition for Growth (N4G) was launched in 2013 at the headquarters of Unilever, reflecting the ambition from day one that business can help combat malnutrition. But specific business commitments back in 2013 were few and...
Blog22 Feb 2021Corporate
New Year’s Reflection: An Interview with CGF Managing Director, Wai-Chan Chan Madelaine VanDerHeyden sat down with the CGF Managing Director, Wai-Chan Chan, to reflect on his first eight months at the CGF, key highlights from the past year, and what the new year will hold. Madelaine:...
Press Release06 Mar 2018Food Safety
Global Food Safety Conference 2018: Governments and Businesses Meet to Form Partnerships on Advancing International Food Safety TOKYO, 6th March 2018 – The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) held its third government-to-business meeting adjacent to the Global Food Safety Conference in Tokyo, the industry’s annual rendezvous for the advancement of food safety...
Press Release16 Apr 2024Food Waste
WWF Collaborates With The Consumer Goods Forum to Launch New Global Farm Loss Tool to Tackle Emissions From Food Loss Paris, 16th April 2024 – World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has launched the Global Farm Loss Tool for growers of all sizes to more easily measure and report on-farm food loss. Developed by WWF and tested...
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.