Four major food manufacturers, Unilever United States, Danone North America, Nestle USA, and Mars Incorporated, have joined together to create the Sustainable Food Policy Alliance (SFPA), a new advocacy group that aims to benefit fishing communities and the environment.
The SFPA’s claims it will work on policies to benefit the environment as well as ensuring transparent business imperatives of its supply chains, including fishing communities, farmers, ranchers, and other producers.
“As an Alliance, we commit first and foremost to leading by example. Each member company has independently proven a willingness to advocate for the long-term interests of the people who farm and supply our raw materials, and people who make and consume our products,” stated a release from the four companies’ CEOs.
SFPA will explore the “economics of sustainability, including financial incentives to reduce emissions and transition to low-carbon alternatives, with a particular focus on ways to create value for farmers, ranchers, and others who are implementing leading edge practices to cut greenhouse gas emissions,” the group said in its release.
The alliance will also urge U.S. policymakers to ensure that the Farm Bill and other farm policies reflect the pressing need to increase the scale of actions to address water quality and water conservation issues, focus on improving soil health, and expand the deployment of renewable energy, particularly wind and solar.
“The Farm Bill should leverage all available tools, including research and public-private partnerships such as the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), to make smart investments in conservation and sustainability,” SFPA said.
SFPA member companies will prioritize U.S. public policy advocacy and action in five key areas:
- Consumer Transparency: Improving the quality and accessibility of information available to consumers about the food they purchase for themselves and their families.
- Environment: Advocating for innovative, science-based solutions to take action against the costly impacts of climate change, build more resilient communities, promote renewable energy, and further develop sustainable agriculture systems.
- Food Safety: Ensuring the quality and safety of food products and the global supply chain.
- Nutrition: Developing and advocating for policies that help people make better-informed food choices that contribute to healthy eating while supporting sustainable environmental practices.
- People and Communities: Advancing policies that promote a strong, diverse, and healthy workplace and support the supply chain, including rural economies.
The Alliance also supports a comprehensive update of the definition of terms such as “healthy”, including strong, science-based regulations on how these terms can be used on food packages and in marketing.