Continuous improvement of environmental performance is at the heart of the food chain partners’ common objective of ensuring the environmentally sustainable production and consumption of food and drink products. Environmental sustainability is central to the food supply chain’s continued ability to cultivate, source, trade, manufacture, innovate, package and market products that meet consumers’ needs and expectations. For many years, partners all along the food chain have shown leadership in environmental sustainability by engaging in a range of voluntary initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of food production and consumption. Such initiatives include the reduction of waste generation, energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption, among others.
The Round Table is promoting voluntary environmental sustainability initiatives that address key environmental challenges at all stages of the various food and drink chains. This task involves identifying and prioritising major environmental challenges along the food chain, mapping existing and emerging voluntary industry and multi-stakeholder initiatives and standards, identifying priority areas for eco-innovation and disseminating best environmental practice.
On 21 November 2012 the Food SCP Round Table adopted Working Group 3’s report Continuous Environmental Improvement.