The European Commission, alongside industry stakeholders, officially launched the EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices, another deliverable under the Commission's Farm to Fork Strategy.
This Code is an essential part of the EU's efforts to increase the availability and affordability of healthy and sustainable food options that help reduce our overall environmental footprint. It has been developed with EU associations and companies, with active involvement and input from other stakeholders, including international organizations, NGOs, trade unions and trade associations, and together with the European Commission services. Associations and companies in the food sector that sign the code commit to accelerate their contribution to a sustainable transition. With their pledges, they endorse the objectives set out in the Code and encourage similar companies to also participate.
Mella Frewen, Director General at FoodDrinkEurope
Food and drink is the largest manufacturing sector in the EU, accounting for nearly 5 million jobs, and we take our responsibilities very seriously, aiming to show leadership in the transition towards more sustainable food.
We were therefore privileged to take the chairmanship of the Task Force developing the Code, but credit must go to all contributors for this collaborative effort.
It is important to note that the Code cannot be seen as an outcome in itself, but rather as an important collective ‘next step’ towards sustainable food systems. We will now do all we can to make the Code a success.
Marco Settembri, CEO Zone Europe, Middle East & North Africa (EMENA) at Nestlé:
That’s why I’m delighted that the EU Code of Conduct for responsible food business and marketing practices has been launched with a key component focused on how companies can make ambitious commitments towards sustainable food systems.
Dirk Jacobs, Deputy Director General at FoodDrinkEurope:
Over the past months, I had the great honour and privilege to chair an EU Task Force that helped to develop an “EU Code of Conduct for Responsible Food and Business Practices”.
The EU Code of Conduct is one of the first deliverables of the EU Farm to Fork Strategy and an integral part of its action plan. It sets out the common aspirations and actions that food business operators, particularly those in the ‘middle part’ of the chain (e.g. manufacturers, retailers, food service operators), can take to improve their sustainability impacts in contribution to sustainable food systems, tackling areas such as food waste, nutrition, biodiversity, sustainable diets, climate, deforestation, sustainable agriculture and more. It invites companies and other actors related to food systems to voluntarily put forward ambitious sustainability commitments, which are tangible, quantifiable if possible and measurable.
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