October 05, 2015 Industry news
Miguel Lopera, GS1 CEO and President, was a featured panelist at the UN General Assembly SDG Summit in New York on 28 September, where he emphasised that: “There is a mind shift occurring at the multinational level with companies setting goals around responsible sourcing.”
Miguel shared ways that technology and big data can be used by the public and private sectors to collaborate and promote sustainable farming practices within the agriculture industry. “Multinationals are increasingly purchasing from a global food supply chain looking beyond cost, quality and consistent supply. To accomplish responsible sourcing, they are seeking far greater visibility upstream in the global food supply chain – all the way to the farmers growing the raw materials – to select trading partners who operate ethically and responsibly,” he said.
GS1 is part of a collective effort – known as The Blue Number Initiative, A Global Registry for Sustainable Farmers – to map and harmonise hundreds of disparate standards and certifications related to sustainable farming. The effort will leverage GS1’s registry service, which will enable farmers, governments, businesses and communities to communicate with one another up and down the supply chain by establishing a common language and uniquely identifying farms globally.
Consumers are also increasingly demanding more information about what is in their food and beverages. More and more, they want to know what is certified organic and sustainably farmed.
“The registry is an excellent foundation for giving consumers far greater visibility about the products they view on grocery shelves. This will help them make informed purchase decisions about ingredients certified organic, sustainably farmed, and fair trade.”
Miguel Lopera, GS1 CEO and President