FDF launches sustainable palm oil sourcing guide for food and beverage industry
The Food and Drink Federation (FDF), the voice of the food and drink manufacturing industry has launched a new sourcing guide to help manufacturers to sustainably source palm oil. The guide should be particularly helpful in light of the EU’s new “Food Information for Consumers” regulation, which requires all food business operators in the UK to identify products containing palm oil. The new guide developed together with Central Point of Expertise on Timber (CPET), provides a step-by-step approach to mapping the use of palm oil; guidance on key risks and opportunities and tips for developing a roadmap to sourcing certified sustainable palm oil. FDF Director General Melanie Leech said:“As global demand for palm oil is rising rapidly and consumers are increasingly seeking reassurance that the products they buy have been sustainably sourced, it makes good business sense to assess your use of this vital ingredient.” (Sustainable Brands)
McDonald’s and local partner’s pilot sustainable beef program in New Zealand
McDonald’s has initiated two sustainable beef integration programs with Beef + Lamb New Zealand, ANZCO Foods and Silver Fern Farms as part of its ambition to source verified sustainable beef around the world. The program works with farmers and processors to identify and develop good management practices that support sustainable beef production. This means sustainable production systems, lower inputs, use of new technologies and a focus on animal welfare. An important component of the initiative is using real farm businesses to model the principles and demonstrate success to the wider farming community through workshops, field days and social media. McDonald’s New Zealand Managing Director, Patrick Wilson said the Chicago-based McDonald’s Corporation invested $50,000 in the New Zealand program, and that learnings from the beef pilot would eventually be scaled out to other parts of the McDonald’s New Zealand supply chain. (Sustainable Brands)
Waste
As ‘Internet of Things’ grows, so does the amount of e-waste
The Internet of Things (IoT) will include some 30 billion connected devices by 2020, according to analyst firm Gartner. Although the IoT holds promise for promoting global sustainability, there is a growing concern of what becomes of these devices when they reach end of life. In 2013, around 53 million tons of e-waste were disposed of worldwide, while around 67 million tons of new electronic equipment were put on the market, according to the United Nations University (UNU). The Stopping the E-waste Problem (StEP) initiative, a joint effort from UN organisations, grassroots groups and industry, predicts that by 2017 the total annual volume of e-waste will have risen by a third, to 65.4 million tons. Gartner says there is already a shift in manufacturing towards products and materials that are sustainably sourced, but there is still a need for industry to produce sensors that can be disposed of in a more environmentally friendly fashion. (Sustainable Brands)
Female Empowerment
The Body Shop recognises the value of traditional female roles in Nicaragua
With gender equality a significant issue in Nicaragua, UK-based retailer The Body Shop, has formally included women’s traditional roles as a cost in the production process, at the request of the Juan Francisco Paz Silvacooperative in Nicaragua. “Women provide integral support to the farming process, whether it’s preparing food at home, say, or helping directly with the harvest. But this work is always overlooked,” says Juan Bravo, managing director of the cooperative. To date, the deal has generated additional income for the cooperative of about £19,000. The cooperative’s female members have decided to use the extra income for vocational training in eight communities. Most include marginalised women from outside the cooperative. A proportion of the funding is used to provide seed capital for business ideas. (The Guardian)
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