Paris, October 21^st 2008

Whereas the blaze of farm product prices paged during the summer 2007, the members of the CIIA had decided to launch a study and to organize a round table on the sustainable development of the food companies during the SIAL fair at Paris. Chaired by S.E.M. Narisoa, ambassador of Madagascar and animated by Agnes Baule, vice-president of the engineers ecologists of France, the round table brough together Mrs. Frewen, General Director of the European Confederation of food industries and drink (CIAA), Mr. Rousseau, vice-president of Coop de France, Mr. Fouad, Director of methods of Vigeo with a conclusion pronounced by Mme Papallardo, Commissaire general of Sustainable Development in the name of Mr. Jean-Louis Borloo.

The CIIA’s study identifies 4 types of food companies:

• the industrial groups which publish a detailed report with a framework directing in load of sustainable development as of SME which take real initiatives and communicate on their realization ;
• the companies which carry out actions which could be taken into account within the framework of the sustainable development but without explicated reference ;
• the companies affirm simply that the sustainable development is an element of their strategy, but without indicating precise action ;
• the companies which still do not seem to have integrated the concept of sustainable development
  

The CIIA’s study also shows that the economic criteria are generally marginalized in the published documents. This is, in fact, the translation of the multiple reference frames. Thus the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) counts only 13 economic indicators out of 97 and of the factors like R-D efforts or the risk spread are not taken into account… However, the current crisis shows the need for a real balance between economic, social and environmental criteria.

Moreover, the multiplicity of the reference frames is likely to throw the disorder in the spirit of the consumers and to discredit any reference to the sustainable development. The political leaders must build a harmonization quickly, or else in fact the large distributors will impose their reference frames and will make of them tools toward negotiate with their suppliers.

In conclusion of the presentation of this study, Michel Foucault, Secretary-general of the CIIA, invited the food companies to mobilize themselves to work with the food safety of the large urban agglomerations which will accommodate 1,5 inhabitants million moreover per week to 2030.

Mme Mella Frewen, General Director of the CIAA, presented the multiple actions of the European Confederation of the IAA, in particular on the competitiveness of SME and the labeling of the products. She indicated that an invitation was made to the European ministers hold a round table on the sustainable production and consumption, topics which will be those of the congress of November 27-28. The CIAA will propose the development of a European code of conduct on the environmental evaluation of the products and the communication near the consumers.

Mr. Christian Rousseau, vice-president of Coop de France and President of the committee "Sustainable Development Notation" , presented the project of grid of notation under the "DEEPCOOP" label currently in the test period in 6 co-operatives. The co-operatives of the group will self-evaluate on the basis of 3 complementary reference frame (GRI+European Environment Agency+Afnor FD X 30-023). The notes will be allotted by the agency of extra-financial notation BMJ Ratings like this one does it for Credit Agricole. In addition, Mr. Rousseau underlined the need of agricultural engineers and microbiologists.

Mr. Fouad Benseddik, Director of Methods and Institutional Relations of Vigeo, arranges rating on the social responsibility. He showed respective interest of the certification and the sustainable development notation.

Mr. Barnier and Mr. Borloo being taken by their ministerial obligations as Presidents of European specialized councils, Mme Papallardo, Commissaire of the sustainable development, concluded the round table by stressing that beyond the economic and financial crisis, it remains very important to continue the efforts of energy and reduction saving of waste from the point of view of a sustainable development.

The information exchanged at the time of the round table will be deepen into training courses which the CIIA organizes on January 29-30 on the sustainable development and the ecological design like source of innovations, like "crisis management" and on new energy and energy saving.