Social

While social impacts are many and varied in the food and grocery industry, a survey of sustainability reporting by food and grocery companies worldwide revealed occupational health and safety, ethical and sustainable sourcing, efficient supply chains, advertising and marketing to be the most commonly reported social sustainability themes.

Our members have reported spending in excess of $134 million, an average of more than $5 million per company, on sustainability initiatives over the next five years. How and where these funds are dispensed play an important part in achieving sustainability objectives for members individually and the industry as a whole. These commitments also highlight that members understand the importance of integrating sustainability into their day–to-day operations in the face of increasing challenges ahead.

To view a case study on Nestlé's Community Environment Program (NCEP), click on the link below to access our Towards Sustainability Report.

Philanthropic Opportunities in the Food Industry

Despite being an affluent country, Australia still have a significant problem with hunger. It affects a staggering 10 per cent of the population, including one million children. For the past 15 years the food industry has been in formal partnership with Foodbank.

Foodbank is Australia’s largest national food relief organisation that seeks and distributes food and grocery industry donations to welfare agencies, which feed the hungry. In 2008, the food industry donated 16,000 tonnes of food and grocery items through Foodbank to help address the problem of hunger. This made 20 million meals and helped feed 50,000 people a day. To visit the Foodbank website click here.

Sustainable Palm Oil

AFGC is aware of concerns about destruction of rainforest, and associated habitat, in South East Asia. This destruction is caused by both legal and illegal logging, which, while often driven by the short term cash returns for the timber, can also result in palm oil plantations in the longer term. AFGC and its members support the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) as the most appropriate means of achieving sustainable palm oil production.

The RSPO is a not-for-profit association representing major players along the palm oil supply chain, namely the oil palm growers, palm oil processors and traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks and investors, environmental/nature conservation NGOs and social/development NGOs.

The RSPO’s principal objective is “to promote the growth and use of sustainable palm oil through cooperation within the supply chain and open dialogue between its stakeholders”.

AFGC sees the RSPO as the only viable and credible means currently available to drive long term sustainability of palm oil production. AFGC Members who use palm oil are encouraged to work with supply chain partners to support the RSPO and seek to utilise palm oil sourced from sustainable plantations.

Click here to go to the RSPO website for further information.