EFFA support to the EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices

[Brussels, 25 October 2021] EFFA has officially signed the EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices.

As one of the deliverables of the EU Farm to Fork Strategy, the EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Business & Marketing Practices aims to tangibly improve the sustainability performance of all actors involved in the food supply chain. The Code was developed by involvement of all relevant agri-food stakeholders with the EU Commission. EFFA also participated to meetings in which the Code was under development and discussion.

Signing on to the Code of Conduct, EFFA pledges to:

• endorse the aspirational objectives set out in this Code;
• promote and disseminate this Code with(in) our constituencies;
• encourage our members to align their sustainability actions and/or business practices to the aspirational objectives and targets of the Code and invite them, on a voluntary basis, to adhere to this Code;
• explore the possibility of developing sector-specific tools and resources in support of this Code;
• provide, on an annual basis, a report of our activities in support of this Code;
• continue to engage in dialogue with other food chain/systems actors and EU and international policy-makers to forge (new) relationships, exchange good practices and discuss challenges encountered, learn from each other (studies, projects) and create better mutual understanding, and identify opportunities for collaboration and potential partnership.

The five focus areas where the flavour industry can meaningfully contribute to are: responsible sourcing, reducing our environmental footprint, employee well-being, product safety, transparency, and partnerships.

The Code is in line with the IFRA-IOFI Sustainability Charter, which was launched by the international flavour (IOFI) and fragrance associations (IFRA) in 2020. The Charter is a common and voluntary sustainability initiative, which outlines the flavour and fragrance industries’ commitment to sustainability.

Alexander Mohr, EFFA Executive Director, on the EU Code of Conduct:

“EFFA warmly welcomes this initiative and as an integral partner of the supply chain, we are committed to playing our part in enabling the transition towards sustainable food systems, both in Europe and on a global scale.”

Marc van der Duijs, EFFA President, said:

“We look forward to contributing to the Code’s successful implementation and positive impact in light of the Farm to Fork’s objective to transform the EU food systems into more sustainable ones.

EFFA will promote the Code within its network and work with its membership to contribute to the joint food industry’s transformation effort.”

You can read here the EFFA Letter of support to the EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices.