Read the full story at Food Business News.
The US Department of Agriculture’s organic seal remains prominent on many product labels, and increasingly, it is gaining company. Other certifications and sustainable promotions are emerging, gaining in sales and becoming familiar to more consumers.
Read the full story from the European Union.
To fight climate change and biodiversity loss globally, Environment MEPs want only deforestation-free products to be allowed on the EU market.
The Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee today adopted its position with 60 votes to 2 and 13 abstentions on the Commission proposal for a regulation on deforestation-free products to halt EU-driven global deforestation.
The new law would make it obligatory for companies to verify (so-called “due diligence”) that goods sold in the EU have not been produced on deforested or degraded land. This would assure consumers that the products they buy do not contribute to the destruction of forests outside the EU, including of irreplaceable tropical forests, and hence reduce the EU’s contribution to climate change and biodiversity loss globally.
MEPs also want companies to verify that goods are produced in accordance with human rights protected under international law and the rights of indigenous people in addition to the relevant laws and standards in the country where the products are produced.
Read the full story at Food Tank.
Denmark will establish a state-controlled climate label in order to help residents purchase more environmentally-friendly foods.
According to a report by the Danish Council on Climate change, the average Dane can reduce the environmental impact of their diet by 31-45 percent if they follow Denmark’s dietary guidelines. These guidelines are based on the EAT-Lancet diet—a diet designed with human and planetary health in mind—and they will inform the creation of the country’s new climate label.
In a press release, Rasmus Prehn, the Danish Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries, notes that consumers can often access information around nutrition contents, animal welfare practices, and organic certification. But it is more difficult to determine whether foods are climate friendly. For this reason, Prehn states, “Denmark must now have a state-controlled climate label.”
Read the full story in Food Navigator.
A company claims it is the first to make eco-labels widely available to all food businesses.
Read the full story at Food Business News.
SuperGrain+ flour developed by ReGrained has become the first ingredient to receive the certification created by the Upcycled Food Association. The flour is derived from the byproduct of beer brewing and is rich in protein, dietary fiber and prebiotics, according to the company.
Read the full story in GreenBiz.
The below list includes nearly 30 certifications that will help you understand the landscape of professional certifications in sustainability. The focus of this list is on professional certifications for practitioners only or, put another way, certifications that demonstrate that you as a person have a specific skill or knowledge set.
Read the full story at Food Navigator.
Carbon labeling for food and beverage may be coming faster than originally predicted, and soon may hold more sway with consumers than other popular certifications as the ongoing pandemic accelerates consumer interest in sustainable diets, predict industry stakeholders gathered by FoodBytes! during a recent roundtable discussion about transparency in the supply chain.
Diez-Busto E, Sanchez-Ruiz L, Fernandez-Laviada A. (2021). “The B Corp Movement: A Systematic Literature Review.” Sustainability. 13(5):2508. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052508 [open access]
Abstract: This work develops a systematic literature review on the B Corp movement. Fifty articles were identified in the Web of Science and Scopus databases until 2020. Results show that it is an incipient field with great potential. There are two topics repeatedly addressed in the analyzed publications: the motivations of companies to be certified and the economic and social effects that occur after certification. Sustainability is currently the reference journal in the field, since it has published a total of five articles. Finally, several lines of future work are proposed, such as the contribution of B Corp companies to the SDGs; the development of case studies on the certification process itself; and the development of methods for measuring social impact.
Jun 18, 2020 noon CDT
Register here.
This webinar, sponsored by the Big Ten and Friends (BTAF) Sustainability Group, explores various office sustainability certification programs across three large universities. The webinar will begin with presentations from Penn State, Ohio State, and the University of Florida, explaining the successes and challenges of helping offices and labs on their campuses operate in a more sustainable manner, followed by a question and answer period. This will provide other higher ed institutions with valuable tips and models for those looking to launch or evolve their own programs that make sustainability the norm in workspaces.
Read the full story from NPR.
While organic or biodynamic certifications are big buzzwords in winemaking today, B Corp calls for full transparency in the way a company conducts business — and not just in the vineyard. B Corp companies strive to be stewards of social change. As conversations around mindful winemaking continue to evolve, more wineries are aspiring to receive this certification.
B Corp was launched in 2006 by three friends who left their careers in private equity and business to help mission-driven businesses thrive. Within its first year, 19 businesses opted to get certified. Today, companies such as Toms shoes, Eileen Fisher, and Stumptown Coffee Roasters carry the seal. Its principles are built on what’s often referred to as the three P’s of sustainability: people, planet and profit. Certified B Corp companies are reevaluated every three years to ensure they maintain the standards of the program, which look at impact on communities, workers, customers and the environment. Every aspect of a business is analyzed, from supply chain to facilities to ingredients.
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