The European Potato Processors’ Association (EUPPA) released a special report highlighting progress made in recent years by the sector across key areas of environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility. The European Potato Processors industry welcomes the green ambitions and wants to play its part in the shift to greater sustainability. For this, the sector needs an adequate and coherent policy framework to meet the targets set by EU legislators.
As sustainability is higher than ever on the agenda with the EU Green Deal paving the way for a green transition across all economy sectors, the EUPPA 2021 Sustainability Report demonstrates how Europe’s potato processing sector is committed to upholding the sustainability of its raw ingredients, production processes and final products to ensure the future viability of our planet.
EUPPA President Kees Meijer welcomed the report stressing that: ‘It testifies very well to the sector’s great ambitions on the sustainability front’. He added: ‘The sector works closely with partners at each stage of its value chain – from growers to consumers – to create together a more sustainable future and promote social, environmental and economic wellbeing across our supply chain’.
The report showcases a wide range of initiatives being taken by EUPPA member companies from farm to fork. These initiatives include not only innovative projects at the processing level aiming to optimise resources use, but also successful measures taken together with farmers to protect biodiversity and soil health as well as reduce food waste.
The report also stresses efforts made by EUPPA members when it comes to health and safety. ‘We take our corporate social responsibility very seriously and our members all meet EU and international regulations covering the sector’, commented President Meijer. He continued: ‘We are relentlessly striving to improve working conditions within our production and take responsibility towards the health and safety of our employees’.
EUPPA shares in its 2021 Sustainability Report its vision to enable the sector to continue sourcing and processing potatoes in the most sustainable way possible while maintaining the competitiveness of the industry. A coherent legislative framework especially when it comes to food loss and waste reduction is an important component of this vision. In-depth impact assessments to measure the effects of initiatives aiming to reduce pesticide use on the potato processing sector is another element put forward in the report. EUPPA also advocates for incentives to ensure a sustainable and fair income for farmers. Further, EUPPA members support the set-up of a single, harmonised and voluntary front-of-pack nutrition labelling system in the EU in order to further enhance information to consumers.
As shown in the EUPPA 2021 Sustainability Report, EUPPA members are taking their responsibility and are proactive in making food systems more sustainable. The sector fully supports the ambitions of the EU Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy. They now count on EU legislators to support them in achieving the green targets.
Click here to read the full report.
For more information:
Laurence Castaigne
European Potato Processors’ Association (EUPPA)
Tel: +32 2 761 16 70
Email: [email protected]