FEFAC co-signs the EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices

The EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices, released on July 5 2021, sets out the actions that the actors 'between the farm and the fork', such as food processors, food service operators and retailers, can voluntarily commit to undertake to tangibly improve and communicate their sustainability performance.

Image credit: FEFAC

By signing-up to this EU Code of Conduct, FEFAC wants to reiterate its vision that animal nutrition is part of the solution to a successful transition towards more sustainable livestock and aquaculture chains, in line with the Farm to Fork Strategy ambitions and the UN SDGs. The ambitions and objectives of the EU Code of Conduct are largely aligned with FEFAC's own views on sustainable feed production laid down in the FEFAC Feed Sustainability Charter 2030, released in September 2020.

The European feed industry is well positioned to make its contribution to the EU Code of Conduct's targets on enhancing circularity and resource efficiency (objective 6) and responsible sourcing, in particular in relation to deforestation (objective 7). FEFAC actively contributed to the development of the EU Code of Conduct, however regret a clear reference to the fact that the EU feed and livestock chain partners are a global leader on sustainable development of food production systems.

FEFAC President Asbjørn Børsting says: 'The European Commission request for voluntary industry action and commitments to stimulate sustainable food production shows that FEFAC took the right decision to develop a Feed Sustainability Charter 2030, well ahead of this EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Food Business & Marketing Practices. The importance of deforestation-free supply chains is again highlighted and I recommend our value chain partners to take note of referring to the FEFAC Soy Sourcing Guidelines 2021 to achieve this objective for the sourcing of responsible soy'.

FEFAC will remain vigilant on the future governance of the EU Code of Conduct and is in particular keen to see how the monitoring aspects to the EU Code of Conduct will be worked out for signatories. The recent public release of the 1st FEFAC Feed Sustainability Charter Progress Report shows that FEFAC and its member associations are well prepared to respond to the challenge.

For more information about FEFAC visit their website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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