There is currently an oversupply of certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) in Malaysia due to a lack of demand from industry players, according to leading politician in that country.
It’s been a big year for science, with innovations, reformulation, and sustainability all under the microscope. In this festive edition, the FoodNavigator team highlights some of our favourite science stories from this year.
Greater ownership and management of the stevia supply chain has helped to build a system that is sustainable, responsible, and scalable, say leading global suppliers PureCircle and Cargill.
International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) notes requests for sustainability data are on the rise throughout the supply chain, as its releases its first report on responsible sourcing and its environmental performance.
Dairy group Friesland Campina has welcomed the call from a Dutch trade group to end the European import levy on sustainably produced palm oil and claims it could encourage greater uptake among brand owners.
A call from the Netherlands to end European import duty on sustainably produced palm oil has been welcomed by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). The proposal is designed to encourage the uptake of sustainable palm oil by offsetting some of...
CERT ID, the company behind ProTerra – a standard for non-GM soy and other foods – claims a recent report from the Dutch consultancy CREM comparing soy sustainability standards misrepresents it and is biased towards the Cargill-backed RTRS soy standard.
Ingredients companies need to keep on their toes as supply chain management decisions are increasingly influenced by environmental, social, and economic sustainability concerns, according to campaign group Fairfood International.
The Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT) is calling for entries to its biodiversity awards which will be presented at Food Ingredients Europe later on this year.
United Biscuits’ (UB) is aiming to increase the number of its suppliers signed up to the Supplier Ethical Data Exchange (Sedex) system to 80 per cent by the end of 2011, the firm said in its recent sustainability report.
Givaudan is working towards sourcing decisions based on qualitative, sustainability-related factors rather than just quantitative, economic factors, and is asking suppliers of 80 per cent of its raw materials to join SEDEX by 2015.
Sustainability is becoming a hotter topic in the flavours and fragrance sector, with customers posing more questions about the supply chain and targets than ever before, says the chair of Givaudan’s sustainability programme.
Issues surrounding the sustainable sourcing of food ingredients will come under discussion at the Sustainable Foods Summit in Amsterdam in June, as the food industry is rising to the challenge of greening the supply chain and reporting on impacts.
The co-author of an influential new report on UK food policy has hit out at the coalition government for its inertia on sustainable food policy since it came to power in May 2010.
Sustainability concerns are having an increasing impact on food companies’ supply chain practices, finds a new report from Leatherhead, with more organic and Fairtrade products being offered and more ethical approaches to ingredient sourcing.
Major food companies are paying more attention to the social impacts of their products, and that means developing new ways of meauring the impacts of sustainability programmes on people, says DSM’s director of sustainability.
Political leadership is crucial to encouraging more sustainable food consumption, attendees at a Kellogg’s Breakfast Club meeting heard this month, with industry and civil society playing important roles too.
FrieslandCampina Kievit will soon be able to guarantee the sustainability of ingredients containing palm oil in accordance with RSPO standards, as it is seeking certification in response to customer request and consumers demands.
Unilever has just launched its very ambitious sustainable living plan, which includes a pledge to source all agricultural raw materials sustainably by 2020. FoodNavigator.com speaks to VP of sustainability Karen Hamilton about how the company will go...
Unilever has announced bold plans to halve the environmental footprint of its products and source 100% of its agricultural raw materials sustainably over the next decade.
The organisers of the new Biodiversity Awards to be given at the HIE trade show in Madrid later this year are now seeking entries from companies with conservation-related initiatives or programmes linked to a product or supply chain.
The Food Ethics Council (FEC) has published a set of recommendations to improve social justice, after its year-long Food and Fairness Inquiry. The next step involves spreading the word stimulating debate with business and government policy-makers.
Organic food producers should focus on the sustainable profile of their products if they are to maintain consumer interest in a flagging market, say analysts.
Spanish vegetable oil processor Lipidos Santiga (Lipsa) is expanding its refining capacity after receiving its first shipment of sustainable segregated palm oil in January.
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.
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.
Leading UK manufacturer of biscuits and snacks United Biscuits said it is reappraising its water efficiency, transport carbon emissions, food waste and packaging reduction targets, as its progress to date on these commitments, it claims, has exceeded...
Food companies must ensure their supply chains are transparent and socially responsible in order to prevent backlashes from consumer activists and non-governmental groups on Facebook or Twitter, which could have costly brand repercussions.
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.
The coming year will be critical in adopting a more holistic approach to measuring and managing the environmental impact of food production, predicts a research organisation, as more information is required on products’ lifecycle impact.
The Sustainable Consumption and Production round table has seen its membership swell in the 6 months since its launch, with nine new-comers announced this week.
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.
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 UK needs a cross-government strategy for food that clearly outlines industry’s role, and defines an environmentally sustainable diet as well as a healthy one, say food policy advisors.
Danisco’s new sustainability chief will look to build more value from company policies and seeing results on the bottom line – as well as for the environment and local communities.
Symrise has introduced a new manufacturing process to improve the quality, solubility and sustainability of its citrus oils for flavouring beverages, dairy and sweets.
Organic Monitor is organising a Sustainable Foods Summit in June, which will give air the key debates on ethical and environment aspects of the food supply chain.
More research is needed on innovative raw material sourcing and alternative uses, according to a new report on how chemistry can contribute to sustainable food supply, which sees novel enzyme technology is a key area of development for ingredients, processing...
A new set of standards will underpin the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly practices in food and drink manufacturing, claims the UK food and drink sector skills council, Improve.
Food and beverage manufacturers are adopting more sustainable practices and seek to communicate these to consumers. But are well-meaning consumers confused by the many different green and ethical logos in use?
The first shipment of sustainable palm oil is set to arrive in Europe next week; but even if manufacturers do not use the oil directly they can still buy into the movement with certificates that allow them to state their support, explained the RSPO president.
BASF Crop Protection is developing a new set of criteria and standards for sustainable fruit and veg production for supermarket chain Rewe, which are intended to give sustainability assurances throughout the food chain, right through to consumers.
Lifting performance in the manufacture of consumer packaged goods is the aim of a new initiative launched by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) based in Washington DC, United States.
The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) has formalised a commitment to bring its decision-making process more in line with the government’s policy on sustainable development, meaning it will have to reconsider some of its advice.
In the final part of our special series on sustainability, FoodNavigator considers the value of a dedicated focus on sustainability science in the food industry.