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Sustainable Development Goals

Contributing to the SDGs

As a member of the United Nations Global Compact Network in the Netherlands, Foundation FSSC is determined to support the UN Global Compact’s universal principles for human rights, labor, the environment, and anti-corruption.

The UN Global Compact is the world’s most significant corporate sustainability initiative, which was mandated by the United Nations to stimulate businesses to support the realization of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Foundation FSSC strives to help the Global Compact advance these principles through the United Nation’s SDG Framework.

With our certification Schemes for food safety and social sustainability in the consumer goods industry and related supply chain, particular effort contributes towards the realization of the following SDGs:

SDGs

SDG 1: No Poverty

SDG 1

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

SDG 2

SDG 1 aims to eradicate all forms of poverty, not only the financial aspects but also the impact of poverty on people’s lives. The SDG agenda addresses social protection, equal economic rights, and the resilience of poor and vulnerable groups. Social Sustainability and the FSSC 24000 Scheme for Social Management Systems are the driving forces behind companies investing in the well-being of their employees through a Living Wage system. A Living Wage ensures workers can afford a decent standard of living for themselves and their families and includes food, water, housing, education, health care, transport, clothing, and other essential needs.

Food security through the availability of safer food is also aligned with social responsibility. The FSSC 22000 Scheme and the FSSC 22000 Development Program support the strengthening of food safety management systems for food business operators of all sizes. Safe food ensures that fewer people fall ill, as consuming unsafe food can lead to illness, which in turn results in an inability to work and a loss of income.

SDG 2

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

The FSSC 22000 Food Safety Management System contributes significantly to ensuring safe and quality food production worldwide. By implementing international food safety standards and practices, FSSC 22000 helps prevent food contamination. It ensures that food products meet high-quality standards, and supports access to safe food for all, including poor and vulnerable populations, as mandated in SDG Target 2.1. Further, FSSC 22000 is crucial for developing sustainable food production systems that help enhance food security. Through efficient resource management and food loss and waste reduction measures in food production processes, FSSC 22000 helps increase productivity and production of safe food while building more sustainable and resilient food systems. These measures directly address SDG Target 2.4.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being

SDG 4: Quality Education

SDG 4

Every day, billions of people trust those involved in growing, processing, packaging, distributing, and preparing food correctly so that we can enjoy it without falling ill. Our trust is justified because the people involved in making food – whether close to our homes or on the other side of the world – follow established food safety practices transparently presented in the form of international standards and food safety management systems (FSMS). FSSC is proud to deliver trust for global food safety with our FSMS FSSC 22000. It helps maintain our well-being by identifying and mitigating health risks associated with the consumption of unsafe food, thereby addressing SDG Target 3.3.

The FSSC 24000 Social Management System has a direct impact on health and well-being by caring for workers in all aspects of the consumer goods industry. This includes eliminating forced and child labor, providing a living wage, ensuring health and safety at work, limiting overwork, fostering good labor relationships, and upholding work and business ethics. Through a management system approach that drives continuous improvement on these critical social issues, FSSC 24000 specifically addresses SDG Target 3.9. This target aims to substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses caused by hazardous chemicals and pollution of air, water, and soil by 2030. These efforts are implemented by providing all workers with free potable water and clean toilet facilities to reduce the mortality rate attributed to unsafe water, unsafe sanitation, and lack of hygiene.

SDG 4

SDG 4: Quality Education

Foundation FSSC entered a strategic partnership with UNIDO in 2022 to bolster food safety across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and develop robust food safety systems in selected LMICs through capacity-building activities. These efforts cultivate a food safety culture at many levels and foster safe food production from farm to fork. For instance, a Training of Trainers program in Ethiopia equipped 22 experts to instruct local support institutes and cooperative members in producing safe moringa products.

In Mongolia, training sessions under the World Bank-funded Export Development Project enhanced export competitiveness for small and medium agribusinesses in the vegetable supply chain. Meanwhile, in Egypt, the establishment of a Tomato Learning and Service Center (TLSC) promotes inclusive and sustainable growth within the tomato value chain by bolstering food safety practices and facilitating access to international markets. As part of these and future UNIDO training activities, FSSC continues to donate funds and provide knowledge resources to support food safety capacity building for local production and consumption in LMICs, thereby addressing SDG Target 4.c.

Our FSSC 24000 Social Management System contributes to SDG Target 4.1, which aims to ensure that all children complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education by 2030, leading to appropriate and effective learning outcomes. The Scheme supports this goal by mandating that organizations comply with the minimum age of work, which must be no less than the age of completion of compulsory education. This requirement helps ensure that children remain in school until they complete their primary and secondary education, thereby promoting educational attainment and improving learning outcomes.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

SDG 5

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

SDG 6

Emphasizing gender equality as a fundamental human right essential for global peace and prosperity, our Social Management System, FSSC 24000, mandates that Certified Organizations uphold equal opportunities and treatment in employment and occupation. The Scheme ensures that all workers, including temporary and part-time workers and contractors, irrespective of gender, are not subjected to discrimination in recruitment or employment practices. The FSSC 24000 Scheme enforces such policies and contributes significantly to promoting gender equality in the workplace. It fosters the full and effective participation of women and provides them with equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of economic decision-making, thereby addressing SDG 5 Gender Equality targets 5c and 5.5.

SDG 6

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

Enhancing availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, our Social Management System, FSSC 24000, mandates that FSSC Certified Organizations provide free potable water and clean toilet facilities for all workers. The implementation of this requirement contributes directly to SDG Target 6.1., thereby promoting the provision of universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water and sanitation facilities for all.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

SDG 8

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

SDG 10

The adoption of FSSC 22000 significantly contributes to Decent Work and Economic Growth by nurturing key economic drivers. By ensuring compliance with international food safety standards, FSSC 22000 enables businesses to access global markets, expand their customer base, and boost exports. Optimizing processes and enhancing efficiency in the production of safe food, FSSC 22000 additionally helps enterprises minimize costs, maximize productivity, and improve competitiveness. Finally, by delivering consumer trust in the safety and quality of food products, FSSC 22000 supports businesses in maintaining and expanding their market presence, thereby driving sustainable economic development within the food industry. These mechanisms directly address SDG Target 8.2.

Foundation FSSC actively addresses rising challenges in human rights worldwide via the FSSC 24000 Scheme by enhancing labor relationships, promoting health and safety at work, upholding ethical standards to foster decent work opportunities for all, and reducing intersectoral inequalities across the consumer goods industry. These measures directly address SDG Targets 8.5, 8.7 and 8.8.

SDG 10

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

Foundation FSSC addresses key targets aimed at reducing inequalities and promoting inclusion via FSSC 24000 by mandating equal opportunities and treatment in employment and occupation and prohibiting discrimination based on personal characteristics or attributes irrelevant to job performance. We empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic status, and ensure equal opportunity. Through social management systems, inequalities are reduced by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices, directly addressing SDG Targets 10.2 and 10.3. Further, FSSC 24000 promotes fair labor practices and supports the adoption of policies for greater equality. These include fiscal, wage, and social protection policies.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

SDG 12

SDG 13: Climate Action

SDG 13

Through the FSSC 22000 Scheme, the Foundation addresses the challenge of maintaining food safety while reducing food loss and waste along production and supply chains. These measures directly address SDG Targets 12.2 and 12.3.

The social management system under our FSSC 24000 Scheme ensures Certified Organizations adhere to social responsibility standards. The Scheme upholds fair labor practices, including safe working conditions, equitable treatment of workers, and respect for human rights, nurturing a culture of socially responsible production and consumption. Through its focus on transparency and accountability, FSSC 24000 helps businesses establish mechanisms for monitoring and improving their social performance, driving positive change towards more sustainable and ethical consumption and production practices. These measures directly address SDG Targets 12.3 and 12.6.

SDG 13

SDG 13: Climate Action

The FSSC 22000 Food Safety Management System mandates efficient resource management and food loss and waste reduction practices of Certified Organizations in the consumer goods industry. Through these measures, FSSC 22000 advances the consumer goods industry’s capacity to reduce GHG emissions and mitigate climate change impacts, directly addressing SDG Target 13.3.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

SDG 16

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

SDG 17

By enforcing Scheme requirements related to the elimination of child labor across the consumer goods industry, FSSC 24000 aims to end abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against and torture of children, as outlined in SDG Target 16.2. The contribution of the Scheme requirements to SDG Target 16.2 underscores our commitment to building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at an organizational level, thereby fostering an industry free from violence and exploitation, where the rights of all individuals, including children, are respected and protected.

SDG 17

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Achieving impact means working closely with our partners and stakeholders. These include the Consumer Goods Forum’s Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative (SSCI), the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), Certification and Accreditation Bodies, corporate players in the consumer goods industry and related supply chain, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and the UN Global Compact network, among others. Collaboration with our partners and stakeholders motivates the continuous improvement of our certification Schemes and a dedicated support system beyond certification.