Sustainability was originally synonymous with being “green.” Improving and protecting the environment was the initial driver for both consumers and business. Today, consumers view sustainability more holistically, incorporating interconnected sets of issues tied to being a responsible consumer and responsible citizen. While sustainability still maintains a strong association with environmental attributes, today’s definition can also include health and wellness, animal welfare, treatment of workers, food waste, packaging, impact on local and indigenous communities, and a range of additional issues that impact people, animals and the planet.
A variety of interest groups and other organizations are harnessing the increased interest in the evolving definition of sustainability to capture opportunity or promote a specific agenda. In its work in this arena, The Center for Food Integrity has identified more than 250 separate attributes of sustainability and corporate social responsibility. As a result, a new and growing challenge is the focus on a single ingredient, process or practice without accounting for the potential impact on the entire food system. The challenge for many food system stakeholders is recognizing the interrelated nature of food production systems and the lack of a framework for understanding, evaluating and communicating the impacts and tradeoffs of individual decisions on the entire food system.
A guide for companies that don’t yet have a sustainability strategy or program to help establish priorities based on values and stakeholder interests so they have a framework in which to consider specific requests to take action.
A guide for evaluating the potential impact of a recommended or suggested change in practice in a company’s supply chain. This is a simplified process that would be used in conjunction with Setting Sustainability Priorities or the Responding to Sustainability Commitments Requests modules.
A guide for how to navigate the process of engaging and responding to an organization asking for a change in practice in a company’s supply chain. This guide is for companies that have already established their sustainability priorities and are looking for guidance on how to engage and how to evaluate tradeoffs.