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Search Target 12.3 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aims to halve food waste and reduce food loss globally by 2030
PARIS and WASHINGTON, DC, 21st June 2016 – The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) has agreed to join Champions 12.3, a coalition of leaders from governments, businesses, farmer groups, and civil society organisations dedicated to inspire ambition, mobilise action, and accelerate progress toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 12.3 by 2030. The move follows the CGF’s 2015 resolution to halve food waste and reaffirms its commitment to help tackle food waste globally.
The Consumer Goods Forum is a global industry network that is driven by its members. CGF brings together the CEOs and senior management of some 400 retailers, manufacturers, service providers, and other stakeholders across 70 countries. Member companies have combined sales of 2.5 trillion euros (2.8 trillion dollars), and retailer and manufacturer members directly employ nearly 10 million people with a further 90 million related jobs estimated along the value chain.
The CGF is a demonstrated leader in reducing food loss and waste from business operations and in improving business practices that impact the world. In June 2015, even before the United Nations adopted the SDGs, the CGF’s Board of Directors adopted a resolution to halve food waste from individual operations by 2025.
As Champions, the CGF’s members will lead by example on how companies can quantify food waste and monitor progress over time. The CGF will showcase their successes in reducing food waste, inspiring other companies and their supply chains to take action. The CGF members will also collaborate to make concrete food waste reductions and strengthen market conditions for reducing food waste.
The CGF becomes the 36th member of Champions 12.3. To learn more, visit: https://champions123.org/
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Peter Freedman, Managing Director, The Consumer Goods Forum: “Champions 12.3 is a unique coalition of executives from governments, businesses, international organisations, research institutions and civil society dedicated to inspiring ambition and action. The CGF’s decision to join follows on our own resolution to drive action on the global issue of food waste, which our Board passed 12 months ago in New York. Our participation in Champions 12.3 further strengthens our members’ ability to meet the CGF objective to halve food waste from individual operations by 2025“.
Dave Lewis, Group Chief Executive, Tesco, and Chair of Champions 12.3: “We firmly believe that no food that could be eaten should be wasted, and I would like to welcome The Consumer Goods Forum to Champions 12.3. Only by working together in partnership can we make reducing food waste across the globe a reality”.
Dr Hans Hoogeveen, Vice-Minister for Agriculture, The Netherlands (The Government of the Netherlands is the co-secretariat of Champions 12.3): “Worldwide, food loss and waste impedes food security and fuels climate change. For advancing the agreed 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development this issue must be tackled today. Food that is ultimately lost or wasted consumes about a quarter of all water used by agriculture, requires cropland area the size of China, and is responsible for an estimated 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Through their leadership the Champions 12.3 will be able to connect these challenges, by forming smart alliances, bringing together leaders from private sector, local communities, famers, science and government”.
Dr Andrew Steer, President and CEO, World Resources Institute (WRI is the co-secretariat of Champions 12.3): “The decision by The Consumer Goods Forum to join Champions 12.3 is a highly positive development. The CGF’s 400 members in 70 countries are powerful leaders. Through actions across their supply chains and their unparalleled ability to influence consumer behaviour, they can be at the forefront of a movement to reduce food loss and waste. Their actions will benefit the environment, food security and their bottom lines”.
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About The Consumer Goods Forum
For further information, please contact:
Ignacio Gavilan, Director, Environmental Sustainability, The Consumer Goods Forum, sustainability@theconsumergoodsforum.com
Lee Green, Senior Manager, Communications, The Consumer Goods Forum, l.green@theconsumergoodsforum.com
Jillian Holzer, Communications Manager for WRI’s Food Program, jholzer@wri.org or
+1 202.729.7754
