Responsible Finnish food sector – towards the global sustainability goals (VEKKA)

Project goals:

Identify the most critical factors from the various aspects of responsibility (ecological, social, economic) bakery, dairy and meat processing industries

Launch an interactive development work on key responsibility indicators and related limit values in science-based collaboration with selected industries

Integrate indicators into the Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and use them in stakeholder communication

Produce the first version of industry-specific, responsibility criteria and indicators

This is done via five work packages focusing, on the basis of scientific data and material compiled by companies, how responsibility (criteria and indicators) are defined in selected sectors; analyzing responsibility management (critical points), identifying measurement challenges, and implementing them into SDG framework. Finally a commonly agreed view of the indicators and their development is formed together with the selected sectors. With the case sectors a framework is created for the consideration of sustainability criteria in the food sector. Responsibility criteria for impact assessment based on scientific research provide credibility for measuring the sustainability and performance evaluation of the entire food sector. Consistent criteria and linkage to SDG objectives provide an opportunity to set a global example for responsible food production measurement.