Net Zero Deforestation
Vision
As a responsible business, Sofina Food Group views the protection of forest resources as a key priority in responsible sourcing for both the environment and society. We recognise the world’s forests as an important resource for climate change resilience, promoting biodiversity and providing livelihoods and vital resource to local populations.
As a food producer with customers and supply chains across the world, we acknowledge our role in helping to protect and improve the world’s forests by ensuring the products that we sell have not led to:
• Net deforestation in our supply chain
• Loss or conversion of areas with high conservation value (HCV)
• Exploitation of workers, local communities and indigenous people
Scope
This commitment extends to the sourcing of all terrestrial ingredients used in the manufacture and production of all products across all Sofina Europe Food Group businesses.
Sofina Food Group procures a number of commodities that are manufactured from wood, or wood products such as paper or card. These being necessary for the daily functioning of our business, including the manufacture, storage and distribution of food products to our many clients and consumers. These products include, but are not limited to: Paper products, Cardboard food packaging, wooden pallet bases, and wood chips/sawdust.
In addition, and in recognition that some agriculture and aquaculture operations can also be associated with the removal of native forest, this commitment also includes non-wood products associated with deforestation. These products include, but are not limited to: vegetable and seed oils used as food ingredients or as part of the food manufacturing process, farmed prawns where the farms are cited in mangrove regions, and farmed fish and animals that have been fed on ingredients that could contribute to deforestation (such as palm oil and soya).
Each business within the Sofina Food Group will develop appropriate policy and standards to meet this Group commitment relevant to their particular operations, working proactively with our supply chain to drive continual improvement in this area.
Our Commitments
• By 2025 100% of soy and palm oil will come from deforestation and conversion-free areas (January 2020 cut-off date)
• By 2023 we will develop supplier codes of practice to cascade our commitments through the supply chain.
• The business will develop more review our transparency tools to communicate our impact publicly
Commitment Delivery
In delivering the Sofina Food Group Deforestation Commitment, we will:
• Sign and support the UK Soy Manifesto
• Mandate that all carton board used to produce cardboard product packaging is either FSC or PEFC certified.
• Look to work only with those suppliers that can provide either PEFC or FSC certified material into our operations.
• Support, through membership, both the Palm Oil and Soy Transparency Coalitions.
• Maintain a RSPO Certified Sustainable Palm Oil Usage Policy, for retail products.
• Maintain 100 percent responsible palm oil (RSPO) as of 2017.
• Taken steps to work with suppliers who can trace all our RSPO SG certified palm oil back up to the plantation.
• Actively participate as a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.
• Map our soy footprint through our procurement of farmed fish, meat, eggs and dairy which may have been fed on soy in order to deliver a responsible soy strategy.
• Develop a warm water prawn procurement policy to specify no mangrove deforestation, and support replanting programmes.
• Continue to recognise the important work that certification plays in promoting sustainable supply chains.
Review
The Sofina Food Group Deforestation Commitment is reviewed, at least annually, by the Sofina Food Group Sustainability Steering Group, and signed off by the Executive Chairman for the Group.
