Foreword
Business is key to the success of the Policies within the EU Green Deal, Farm to Fork Strategy and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Companies that align sustainable business models with the SDGs can unlock significant value in current and emerging markets and create more jobs. At the same time, the development of partnerships can drive industry transformation on the road to 2030 and beyond.
Our integral role in the animal-based food value chain gives us a fantastic opportunity to work alongside our supply value chain partners to help drive the transition to a low-carbon and circular future, fixed in renewable, natural resources.
Our vision is for our members to make a significant contribution to a circular bioeconomy for sustainable, safe and healthy animal-based food by optimal utilisation of animal by-products (ABP) and edible co-products (ECP).
As a proactive organisation, EFPRA works with our members, sector peers and stakeholders to help the supply value chain navigate the huge challenges that lie ahead and we want to promote our industry’s positive sustainability credentials more widely.
By encouraging creativity and sharing knowledge we aim to help our members to continue providing innovative solutions for animal by-products and edible co-products that contribute towards a sustainable, resilient and inclusive future.
To help facilitate this, we have devised a Sustainability Charter based on three core sustainability pillars around our central role in the circular bioeconomy model for utilisation of ABP and ECP from the animal-based food value chain. Our actions, aims and ambitions linked to the “Climate”, “Health” and “Society” pillars are presented in separate sections of this publication.
Our Charter seeks to collaboratively help maximise the supply chain’s contribution towards the EU and UN sustainability Policies through best use of ABP and ECP and help unlock the immense business opportunities along the way.
This Charter offers our members and value chain partners a framework for making the most significant contributions through process, product and partnership innovation while providing attainable pathways to help realise the ambitions of the Green Deal, Farm to Fork and SDGs.
Our members’ diversity enables them to adopt different elements of sustainability while meeting their local drivers and demands of the animal- based food value chain. Our Charter does not therefore aim to drive our members to meet common targets, milestones or performance standards – we leave it for them to define their own commitments, inspired by individual characteristics, business models and local conditions.
We hope our Charter helps guide, inform and influence decision-making and actions along the animal-based food value chain and inspires action-oriented collaboration among industry peers and beyond.