Supermarket giants sign up to EU code of conduct for food businesses

Spanish and English household names are among 65 companies to sign up to the EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices under the bloc’s Farm to Fork Strategy.

The code is an essential part of the EU’s efforts to increase the availability and affordability of healthy and sustainable food options that help reduce the overall environmental footprint and Carrefour, Tesco, Diageo, Coca-Cola, Nestle and others have signed up.

The code was developed with EU associations and companies, with active involvement and input from other stakeholders, including international organizations, NGOs, trade unions and trade associations, and together with the European Commission services. “Associations and companies in the food sector that sign the code commit to accelerate their contribution to a sustainable transition,” the EU said in a statement.

The companies have agreed to “ambitious commitments with measurable outcomes” covering a wide range of areas, from animal welfare, to sugar reduction and cutting greenhouse gas emissions in their full product range. Companies will report progress by submitting a summary of their sustainability report on an annual basis.

“We need to make our food system sustainable and we need to do it soon. We must reduce greenhouse gas emissions and halt biodiversity loss related to food production, and shape a food system that makes it easier to choose a healthy and sustainable diets” said Executive Vice-President Timmermans on July 5.

“Addressing these environmental, health, and social challenges in our food system require cooperation across the entire food chain and I am encouraged by ambitions of the stakeholders who have already signed up to the EU Code of Conduct,” he added.

The EU intends to present the Code in the United Nations’ Food Systems Summit later this year.

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