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Background: Launch of the Declaration of Sustainability and the Food Trade Sustainability Leadership Association
In July 2008, a group of 18 companies formed the Food Trade Sustainability Leadership Association (FTSLA). The association exists to build capacity in “early adopter” businesses in the food supply chain, helping them transition toward innovative, environmentally and socially sustainable business models. We believe the success of these early adopters is critical to advancing the business case for adopting leading-edge sustainability practices in the wider food supply chain. Cultivating and communicating on-the-ground entrepreneurship is key to producing the proven examples that will leverage change, drive innovation and lead the entire food industry in a more sustainable direction.
Introduction to the Declaration
Beginning in 2005 as a program of the Resource Innovations at the University of Oregon, a group of organic produce companies began meeting to network, share best practices and work toward solutions to shared challenges. The group drafted the "Declaration of Sustainability in the Organic Food Trade" for use by the organic food trade as a framework for accomplishing its’ goals. Over a period of three years (2005 through 2008) the 11-point action pledge was vetted with hundreds of organic growers, distributors, processors, retailers, certifiers and industry NGOs at numerous conferences across the country.
The aim of the Declaration’s 11-point action pledge is to promote education and action guiding the organic food trade toward more sustainable business practices. Companies that sign the Declaration, and become members of FTSLA, commit to annual reporting on their practices in each of the relevant key areas. The Declaration’s 11-point action pledge provides signatories with a uniform reporting framework while allowing flexibility for each company to tell its own unique story.
Signatory members receive the educational and networking support and technical assistance needed to get start and drive continuous improvement, as well as a platform for communicating our commitment and results. Our intent is to create a community of learning and collaboration among individuals and teams driving sustainability efforts inside their businesses, to reduce duplicative efforts and drive innovation at the speed and scale needed to meet the challenges and opportunities before us.
Objectives of the Declaration:
- To assist in defining what achieving "sustainability" would look like in the food industry.
- To inspire timely action by creating a process for businesses to make a public commitment to work toward improvement in 11-action areas including organics, climate change, energy, distribution, labor, packaging, water, waste, animal care, education and governance.
- To develop a clear framework for businesses to report progress, using common metrics and explicit benchmarks to lend substance to sustainability marketing claims and communications.
- To recognize different levels of proficiency and provide recognition to businesses making measurable gains.