Organic food brands are turning to sustainability in an effort to justify their price premium and combat declining sales, according to Organic Monitor.
Segregated sustainable palm oil will be available on the European market in the coming months, as IOI-Loders Crokaan and New Britain open dedicated refineries. The news marks the latest step towards changing the commodity supply chain.
A new initiative is underway to develop to supply chain for oil from the African Allanblackia tree oil in food and personal care products by devising a verification scheme for sustainable and ethical trade.
Corporate responsibility is now accepted as a major part of doing business, even when the economic climate is less than ideal. FoodNavigator.com rounds up the main messages of some of the world’s biggest food and beverage companies.
France’s Group Casino has pledged to remove palm oil from all its own brand products, starting with 200 by the end of this year, for environmental and health reasons, and use only certified sustainable palm oil in non-food products.
A new ranking of major food and beverage companies by their corporate social responsibility is published today, with Unilever, Nestle and Danone occupying the top three spots.
Corporate responsibility is not just about writing cheques for charity or mitigating impacts, says Nestle boss. It’s about creating value for communities and stakeholders in the long term.
Marks & Spencer’s new sustainability commitments could open up new opportunities for its supplier manufacturers, as it plans to engage its business partners and make sustainability a driver of innovation.
Reduction of meat and dairy intake on climate change grounds would pose nutritional concerns for some nutrients but better public health advice on alternative sources and fortification could bridge the gap, write nutritional and climate experts from the...
More resources and regulatory support are needed to develop fair trade schemes, says a new opinion from the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). Approaches should be harmonised where they agree, and their differences clearly communicated.
If our planet is to feed a projected population of 9 million by 2050, political will and judgement is needed to manage a confluence of factors that are impacting production, the UK’s former chief scientist has said.
50,000 and counting. We'll probably never know exactly how many perished in the 7.0 earthquake that brought Haiti, quite literally, crashing down last Tuesday, 12th January 2010, just before 5pm. But for those who survived and who make it through...
Consumer power packs a punch when it comes to making food production more sustainable and healthier, says Defra chief, as the government publishes its priorities for changing the food system by 2030.
The CIAA has signalled its priorities for Spain’s six month presidency of the EU, with competitiveness, food information, novel foods revisions, research and sustainability topping the bill.
Globalised food safety issues, demand for sustainable production, new technologies and Europe-wide food labelling will shape upcoming food policy debate, according to a new report.
Consumers will demand greater transparency and ethical responsibility from food and beverage makers in the year ahead, according to a trend forecast for 2010 from market research organization Mintel.
The globe’s two biggest food firms, Nestlé and Kraft, have launched internal investigations after a Greenpeace report claimed both purchase palm oil from Indonesian company PT Smart whose parent group Sinar Mas allegedly engages in widespread illegal...
Unilever has halted all purchases of palm oil from Indonesian company PT SMART after a Greenpeace report alleged that its parent group Sinar Mas is engaged in widespread illegal deforestation and peatland clearance in Indonesia.
Reducing meat and dairy consumption, eating fewer fatty and sugary foods, and wasting less food are the three changes to consumption habits that will have the biggest impact on making diets more sustainable, says a new report.
Danisco’s CEO talks of his optimism that a political agreement will be reached during the Copenhagen climate talks, and for subsequent rules and regulations to enable an even playing-field for competition globally.
Most grocery manufacturers have either maintained or increased their investment in sustainability during the recession a survey has found, indicating the importance it will play for businesses in the coming decade.
Two food industry executives discuss the importance of people, planet and profits, the need to keep and eye on energy use and emissions, and how to ensure long term security of food supply.
The EU food and drink industry is keen for a deal in Copenhagen next month as ongoing uncertainty over climate change policy would undermine its ability to invest profitably and innovate, says the CIAA.
Developing a sustainability strategy makes sense for food ingredients companies to ensure security of supply, to leverage brand opportunity in innovations, and to realise returns on investment in agriculture, says an Oxfam expert.
There’s a perfect storm building for food prices. You don’t have to scan the horizon to see the signs; the clouds are developing all around us - at a faster rate than anyone expected.
Food and beverage manufacturers are driving sustainability in the supply chain, says an Oxfam specialist, but they face more risks in catering to demand for ethically-produced products than retailers.
An initiative to improve the agricultural, environmental and social aspects of sourcing cocoa from West Africa achieved has achieved a milestone, as the first beans have arrived in Europe for processing.
A resource map outlining where and how much meat and fish – as well as it associated packaging – is wasted in the supply chain is to be developed in a bid to cut all three and save cash for industry players.
Nestle and Marks & Spencer have this week made new pledges about their use of sustainable palm oil, with both ramping up to using only certified oil in products by 2015.
Meat and dairy substitutes could play a major role in cutting global emissions and present opportunities to food companies – but they need marketing investment to attract consumers, says a World Watch report.
Plans to include food processors in Australia’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) but with special support have been welcomed by the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC).
Overcoming consumer barriers is key to encouraging more sustainable consumption – and stimulating innovation by businesses serving them, says a new report.
‘Hunger down 50 per cent this year’, ‘Malnutrition eradicated in Africa’. Alas, dream headlines not gracing any newspapers this World Food Day. But if we hope to read them one day, governments, industry – and yes, individuals – need to stop thinking of...
Quality and supply problems stand in the way of buying palm oil entirely from certified sustainable sources, according to Nutella manufacturer Ferrero.
Every company should be aiming at zero waste from their factory or production process, said speakers at the Sustainability Round Table – and better resource use can bring cost savings.
Meals based on pea protein make a smaller contribution to global warming and are better for soil than animal protein meals, but they fall down on energy use, says a new Swedish-Spanish study.
Cargill Cocoa and Chocolate is aiming to have 10,000 tonnes of UTZ-certified cocoa available for the market in 2010, as the first two Ivory Coast cooperatives achieve certification and others are expected to get there soon.
The Malaysian Palm Oil Council’s (MPOC) recent attempt to defend the crop’s environmental credentials has been judged misleading by the UK’s advertising authorities.
A Danish cardiologist has added his voice to calls for a reduction in red meat consumption – both for the good of people’s hearts and for the good of the planet.
UK consumers have a great desire to learn about conditions for food producers in poor countries, a new survey indicates, which food manufacturers can satisfy by flagging up their ethical sourcing efforts.
The European Crop Protection Association has expressed concern that restrictive EU regulation on pesticide use could stand in the way of global food security, following the UK’s Food Security Assessment.
Helen Browning, chair of the Food Ethics Council, expects the food and fairness inquiry will inspire food businesses to adopt good supply chain practices and warn them off bad ones - ultimately benefit their businesses in the long term.
A major new inquiry is seeking evidence on fairness in the global food system and will deliver a set of recommendations for food producers, retailers and governments on ethical practices.