Global Food Companies Launch Sustainability Reporting Initiative
Four
major food companies on Nov. 20 became members of the Global Reporting
Initiative (GRI) working group in a new effort involving development of
sustainability indicators related to the food processing industry.
According to a press release from Bunge Limited -- one of the four
companies involved -- the GRI will establish best practices for global
sustainability reporting in collaboration with the United Nations
Environment Program and with input from world business, environmental,
human rights, research and labor organizations. The other three food
companies to join are Nestlé, Tyson and Green Mountain Coffee.
These companies, along with GRI, will develop the sector-specific
sustainability indicators. The resulting Sector Supplement on Food
Processing will be open for a public comment period. The working group
will eventually include 10 food processing companies and 10 sectoral
stakeholders as members.
"Bunge in Brazil has operations in different stages of the food
supply chain, from farm fields to consumers' tables," said Adalgiso
Telles, corporate communications director for Bunge's companies in
Brazil. "We work with many partners on increasing sustainability
performance, because we know that's a good way to improve business as a
whole. We look forward to welcoming the working group participants in
São Paulo at a first meeting early 2008 to develop these guidelines."
GRI, known for its multi-stakeholder approach, aims to form a
complete group by early December 2007 and is currently recruiting food
processing companies from emerging markets to join as working group
partners. Recruitment also is under way for investors and experts from
fair-trade, labor, social and environmental, health and well-being
organizations, and other sectoral stakeholders.
The food processing initiative complements GRI's general G3
Guidelines for sustainability reporting that are intended to help
companies track sustainability progress in multiple areas.
For more information on efforts in this area, visit GRI's Web site at "http://www.globalreporting.org/Home".