Forest Positive Coalition Releases Implementation Guidance for Commodity Roadmaps on Soy and Paper, Pulp, and Fibre-based Packaging

PARIS, February 23, 2023 /3BL Media/ - The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) Forest Positive Coalition of Action has today released guidance for businesses to use in implementing the actions outlined in the Coalition’s Forest Positive Commodity Roadmaps for soy and paper, pulp, and fibre-based packaging. As the Coalition works to remove deforestation, forest degradation, and conversion from its key commodity supply chains – all the while promoting positive outcomes for climate, people, and nature in forest communities – the new guidance documents offer rich technical advice for any business striving to source its commodities responsibly and sustainably.

The new guidance offers practical information around the execution of the Coalition’s Soy and Paper, Pulp, and Fibre-based Packaging (PPP) Roadmaps, both of which outline actions businesses can take in adopting the Coalition’s Forest Positive Approach to sourcing each commodity. This Approach requires businesses to have:

• A public commitment to deforestation and conversion-free (DCF) across their entire commodity business including a public time-bound action plan with clear milestones;
• A process for regular supplier/producer engagement;
• A mechanism to identify and to respond to grievances/non-compliances;
• Support for initiatives delivering forest positive development at landscape/jurisdictional and/or sectoral levels; and
• Regular public reporting against key metrics (KPIs).

Notably, the Soy and PPP Roadmaps also include specific actions around addressing deforestation and conversion risks in high-risk and high-priority sourcing landscapes, respectively.

Businesses throughout the consumer goods industry – including Coalition members and their upstream supply chain partners – are invited to use this guidance as an additional resource in efforts to become forest positive businesses.

Both guidance documents have been developed by Coalition members with key input from industry experts including the Coalition’s strategic and technical partner, Proforest, and other organisations such as the Accountability Framework initiative. The Coalition’s work on soy is co-led by Nestlé and Tesco, and its work on PPP is led by Essity.

Didier Bergeret, Director of Sustainability, The Consumer Goods Forum, said, “These Guidance documents can provide both Coalition members and non-members with important technical advice on how to implement the Forest Positive Approach. As recent research from Global Canopy and Forest 500 shows, our industry still has work to do before becoming fully forest positive, and the Guidance on our Coalition’s Forest Positive Commodity Roadmaps is an important resource to help businesses begin and/or accelerate their forest positive journey.”

Thomas Hollick, Sustainability Manager, Forests, Tesco, and Soy Working Group Co-chair, said, "Tesco is committed to sourcing forest positive soy. As co-chair of the Forest Positive Coalition's Soy Working Group, we are pleased to launch this Guidance to support all businesses in doing the same, as we know that transforming the soy sector to forest positive will only be possible if everyone throughout the value chain plays their part. Retailers, manufacturers, and suppliers alike must work together to ensure their supply chains are forest positive and support initiatives, like the Responsible Commodities Facility in the Cerrado, to drive positive outcomes for people, nature, and climate in forest communities. We encourage all businesses involved in the soy sector to use this Guidance as a key resource in their responsible sourcing practices."

Joost Koomen, Global Public Affairs Director, Environment, Essity, and PPP Working Group Co-chair, said, "The publication of this Guidance is an important milestone bolstering our Coalition's efforts to ensure our paper, pulp and fibre supplies are sourced responsibly. The Forest Positive Coalition has been working purposefully to implement the actions laid out in our PPP Roadmap, and this Guidance offers even more support to us as members, but also to any other company working to source forest positive PPP. I encourage all businesses to use this Guidance to collectively accelerate our industry's move towards a forest positive future for paper, pulp and packaging. As a global hygiene and health company, this is one important tool for Essity to make sustainable forest management the business norm.”

Leah Samberg, Lead Scientist, Accountability Framework initiative, said, “Drawing on the Accountability Framework, this new Guidance clarifies how companies can ensure the soy they source does not contribute to the destruction of natural ecosystems. It provides a firm basis for engagement with suppliers and supports clear communication of progress and performance. This Guidance is the result of close collaboration with the Accountability Framework initiative to ensure alignment with the expectations of civil society and other stakeholders. We appreciate the Coalition’s open and collaborative approach to this work.”

The CGF members joining today’s announcement are eight retailers — Carrefour, Jerónimo Martins, McDonald’s, METRO AG, Sainsbury’s, Sodexo, Tesco, and Walmart — and 14 manufacturers — Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) Sinar Mas, Colgate-Palmolive Company, Danone, Essity, General Mills, Grupo Bimbo, Mars, Incorporated, Mondelēz International, Neste, Nestlé, P&G, PepsiCo, Reckitt, and Unilever.

The Coalition’s four Commodity Roadmaps and the new Guidance on the Soy and PPP Roadmaps are available here on the Coalition’s website.

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About the Forest Positive Coalition of Action

The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) Forest Positive Coalition of Action is a CEO-led initiative representing 22 CGF member companies who are committed to leveraging collective action and accelerating systemic efforts to remove deforestation, forest degradation and conversion from key commodity supply chains. Launched in 2020, the Coalition represents a dynamic shift in the industry’s approach to stopping deforestation: by mobilising the leading position of member companies to build multi-stakeholder partnerships and develop effective implementation and engagement strategies, the Coalition brings together diverse stakeholders for sustainable impact. These efforts support the development of forest-positive businesses that drive transformational change in key landscapes and commodity supply chains, strengthening the resilience of communities and ecosystems worldwide. To learn more about the Forest Positive Coalition, visit www.tcgfforestpositive.com.

About The Consumer Goods Forum

The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) is the only CEO-led organisation that represents both manufacturers and retailers globally. It brings together senior leaders from more than 400 retailers, manufacturers and other stakeholders across 70 countries. The CGF accelerates change through eight Coalitions of Action: forests, human rights, plastics, healthier lives, food waste, food safety, supply chains and product data. Its member companies have combined sales of EUR 4.6 trillion and directly employ nearly 10 million people, with a further 90 million related jobs estimated along the value chain. It is governed by its Board of Directors, which comprises more than 55 manufacturer and retailer CEOs. For more information, please visit: www.theconsumergoodsforum.com.

For further information, please contact:

Didier Bergeret 
Director, Sustainability 
The Consumer Goods Forum 
Email

Madelaine VanDerHeyden 
Manager, Communications 
The Consumer Goods Forum 
Email