Pillar 3: Sustainable commodities

The environmental impact of food and drink products is complex to assess and measure. The Sustainable Commodities pillar focuses on efforts to combat and eliminate deforestation in supply chains, and the measurement of product-level environmental footprints including GHG emissions.

Deforestation is a known contributor to biodiversity loss and carbon emissions in the food supply chain, with agricultural expansion driving almost 90% of global deforestation. This also has negative social and economic impacts, including land, labour and human rights abuses.

This pillar sets out how the FDF will collaborate and shape industry and government initiatives to deliver a consistent approach, alongside supporting members on journey to halting commodity-driven deforestation and conversion by 2030.

At COP26 in Glasgow over 100 countries pledged to halt deforestation and conversion by 2030. This is imperative to reach net zero by 2050.

However, globally only 15% of the food sector have zero deforestation targets, and just 6% have time-bound commitments (to eliminate deforestation entirely).

UK food manufacturers rely heavily on commodities to make their products, whether as ingredients themselves or as inputs embedded in their supply chain, eg: soy used in animal feed. Sourcing deforestation and conversion free (DCF) commodities will therefore help reduce a manufacturer’s international scope 3 emissions.