The launch of Bord Bia’s Sustainability Report this week provides a timely opportunity to note some of the main achievements and indeed challenges highlighted throughout.
This report reveals that 2016 had the largest uptake of Irish food and drink producers come on board to join the 226 strong entourage of verified members- doubling the performance of any other year. 2016 was also the year of which we saw the charter extended to include the retail and foodservice industry; where we now have a total of three companies on board- Musgrave Group, McDonald’s, and Sodexo.
From the first annual report in 2015, Bord Bia outlined that by 2025 Ireland will become a world leader in sustainably produced food and drink. With targets such as this, it is inevitable that 2017 will bring about increased demand for improvement amongst all of our Origin Green members.
A recent report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that “nutrient enrichment is the most widespread threat to water quality in Ireland.” With this in mind 2017 will see water becoming a mandatory target in which companies must endeavor to make improvements on; increasing the current 139 water centered targets to a minimum of 220 by the end of 2017. This target goes beyond reduction and efficiency of water usage, and in fact, relates closely to water quality- deriving pro-active and scalable solutions.
We are amongst many global players making commitments for the ever looming 2025 deadline. With respect to number 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), of the UN’s Global Sustainable Development Goals; Unilever has committed to 100% sustainable plastic packaging by 2025. Similarly, PepsiCo has also targeted “15% improvement in water efficiency of its direct agricultural supply chain in high water-risk areas by 2025”. All points of which derived from their Sustainability Reports.
To revert to the title, “The Importance of Reporting”, reporting brings about both internal and external benefits for a company. On an internal level, reviews necessary to complete an accurate report form a catalyst for how operating systems can be improved. Externally, there is a new level of trust that is generated by the customer for a company who is transparent about their internal processes, with particular attention given to sustainable practices and corporate social responsibility.
