PARIS, 16th May 2023 — The Consumer Goods Forum’s (CGF) Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative (SSCI) is pleased to announce it has received an application from Foundation FSSC submitting its FSSC 24000 Social Sustainability Management System Certification Scheme under the SSCI Benchmark’s Processing and Manufacturing scope. The application marks FSSC 24000’s first step in earning SSCI Recognition by demonstrating it meets industry expectations for how sustainability standards should operate and what topics they should cover. As the industry’s benchmark of choice, the SSCI is committed to helping organisations with their supply chain due diligence by building trust in these standards by driving alignment and continuous improvement among them.

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.

Aldin Hilbrands, Chief Executive Officer with Foundation FSSC, said, “With the Foundation’s commitment to help support the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through its UN Global Compact membership, we have a clear focus to ensure a base level of social performance covering labour relationships, human rights, health and safety, and business ethics via  FSSC 24000. To fulfill this need, Foundation FSSC’s mission is to provide trust and deliver impact to the consumer goods industry. Through our CGF membership we have access to various Coalitions of Action where brand owners are working together on a collaborative basis to achieve positive impact. The SSCI Benchmark offers us a unique opportunity to demonstrate that FSSC 24000 is meeting the highest expectations for social sustainability certification programmes, hence providing an acceptable tool the industry can use to mitigate labour risks in global supply chains.”

The SSCI Benchmark is a comprehensive process recognising third-party monitoring, auditing, and certification standards that cover key sustainability criteria and apply relevant verification practices. The benchmark process commences with a self-assessment undertaken by the applicant scheme, followed by a review by an independent expert, office visits, and a public consultation. The methodology also includes opportunities for the applicant to take corrective actions if and when needed. 

The SSCI Benchmark evaluates applicants against the SSCI Social and Scheme Management Criteria, which define the industry’s expectations for the sustainability topics schemes should cover as well as how they should operate. Developed for the industry, by the industry, the SSCI Benchmark Criteria were defined by the SSCI Coalition member companies, industry experts, and other stakeholders.

At the SSCI, we welcome this positive step from FSSC 24000 and look forward to reviewing its alignment towards industry values on transparency, social responsibility, and sustainability. To monitor the process of its benchmarking, and that of other applicant schemes, visit www.recognition.tcgfssci.com.

Learn More and Apply

Third-party auditing and monitoring schemes and programmes are invited to apply for SSCI Recognition and demonstrate their commitment to industry-defined expectations for supply chain sustainability. The SSCI currently benchmarks social sustainability standards under three sectoral scopes (Manufacturing and Processing; At-Sea Operations; and Primary Production, including land-based aquaculture) and is currently working to expand the scope to include environmental standards. Learn more about the SSCI Benchmark, download the application kits, and apply at benchmark.tcgfssci.com

For more information about the SSCI, please visit www.tcgfssci.com or contact the SSCI team.

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About the Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative 

The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative (SSCI) builds trust in sustainability standards worldwide by benchmarking third-party auditing and certification programmes and recognising schemes that meet industry expectations. By providing an open-source list of recognised programmes, the SSCI delivers clear guidance on which schemes cover key sustainability criteria and apply relevant verification practices. The SSCI improves transparency in the market, facilitates decision-making on schemes at both buyer and supplier level and sets the responsible sourcing expectations for the industry. The Initiative initially focuses on social compliance with the potential to expand the scope to environmental compliance. For more information, visit www.tcgfssci.com.

About The Consumer Goods Forum
The Consumer Goods Forum (“CGF”) is a global, parity-based industry network that is driven by its members to encourage the global adoption of practices and standards that serves the consumer goods industry worldwide. It brings together the CEOs and senior management of some 400 retailers, manufacturers, service providers, and other stakeholders across 70 countries, and it reflects the diversity of the industry in geography, size, product category and format. Its member companies have combined sales of EUR 3.5 trillion and directly employ nearly 10 million people, with a further 90 million related jobs estimated along the value chain. It is governed by its Board of Directors, which comprises more than 55 manufacturer and retailer CEOs. For more information, please visit: www.theconsumergoodsforum.com.

Contact

Didier Bergeret
Director, Sustainability
The Consumer Goods Forum
Email

Madelaine VanDerHeyden
Manager, Communications
The Consumer Goods Forum
Email

Learn More about Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative

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