Harmony certification scheme overview
- Mondelēz’s Harmony programme becomes an independent certification scheme
- Harmony supports sustainable wheat production across 57,000 hectares and counting
- More than 1,200 farmers and 18 millers participate
- ProTerra Foundation will govern Harmony as an independent scheme
- Change aligns with new EU sustainability label requirements
Mondelēz International’s groundbreaking sustainability project, Harmony, is going solo.
Established in 2008, Harmony aims to mitigate climate change and reverse biodiversity loss in food production.
It’s built, says Mondelēz, on a science-based charter and was developed in partnership with farmers, scientific experts, NGOs, and industry stakeholders.
And it’s certainly made progress since it was founded in 2008, having been adopted by more than 1,200 farmers and 18 millers, and now covers over 57,000 hectares of wheat-growing land.
It’s also led to the creation of the Harmony Academy, which works to provide farmers with the knowledge and skills to adopt regenerative agriculture practices.
Now it’s evolving into an independent certification scheme.
Harmony evolves
Marking a major milestone, Harmony is to become an independent certification scheme, broadening its reach across the European wheat value chain.
And to ensure it remains independent, it’s to be governed by nonprofit organisation, ProTerra Foundation, which specialises in sustainability certification systems.
“Harmony’s transition to an independent certification scheme marks an important step for sustainable wheat production in Europe,” says Emese Van Maanen, managing director of the ProTerra Foundation. “We look forward to welcoming new participants across the wheat value chain and to supporting Harmony’s growth as an open, credible, and impactful scheme.”
This shift, says Mondelēz, reflects the scheme’s growing expectations from consumers, customers, and regulators for transparent, independently verified sustainability systems. It also creates an opportunity to make a proven framework available to a wider range of members across the wheat value chain.
The move comes as the EU’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (ECGT) Directive takes effect, setting new standards for independently governed and accessible sustainability labels.
“Harmony has demonstrated its value over nearly 20 years through tangible impact on the ground and strong collaboration across the wheat value chain,” says Guillaume Sauzay, sustainable agriculture lead for Europe at Mondelēz International. “By evolving into an independent certification scheme, Harmony is now ready to scale its impact beyond Mondelēz International and contribute more broadly to the transformation of European wheat production.”
Opportunities for industry
For the wider industry, Harmony’s transition opens the door for more companies, millers and farmers to adopt a recognised sustainability framework without being tied to a single manufacturer.
What’s more, it could provide a practical route to demonstrating progress on issues such as biodiversity, soil health and climate resilience.
If adoption expands beyond Mondelēz’s existing network, Harmony has the potential to become a common standard for sustainable wheat production across Europe, helping to align sustainability efforts throughout the value chain.
