A mere handful of leading consumer goods companies and retailers have taken meaningful steps to sustainably source soft commodities such as paper or soy, a report claims.
A study by WWF found only 14% of consumer goods companies had made measurable time-bound commitments to sustainably source palm oil, paper, soy, sugarcane or farmed fish according to standards recommended by WWF.
Out of 256 consumer goods companies analysed, only 22, or 9%, have made measurable and time-bound commitments to source all or the majority of the commodities needed for their business according to other standards WWF considered credible.
In many cases commitments were imprecise, leading to questions of transparency.
Only 42% of the companies publish sustainability information in their annual report or a separate sustainability report.
“Sourcing credibly certified commodities is an essential first step for companies to implement a sustainable sourcing strategy, ensuring that they have been produced sustainably and also that social issues have been addressed,” said Stephen Watson, head of corporate engagement at WWF.