CSR labels and sustainability certifications in the food industry

Certification promoting sustainable farming practices which protect biodiversity, improve farmers’ livelihoods and support climate-resilient agriculture. In practice, it helps foodservice businesses source ingredients like coffee, tea, cocoa or bananas from farms that meet strict environmental and social criteria, making it a trusted signal for responsible procurement.

Certification and labeling brand that sets its mission to make sustainable palm oil the global norm,addressing deforestation, biodiversity loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and human rights issues. For food manufacturers and operators using palm oil in their recipes, RSPO certification ensures that this widely used ingredient does not contribute to tropical forest destruction or labour exploitation.Certification promoting sustainable farming practices which protect biodiversity, improve farmers’ livelihoods and support climate-resilient agriculture. In practice, it helps foodservice businesses source ingredients like coffee, tea, cocoa or bananas from farms that meet strict environmental and social criteria, making it a trusted signal for responsible procurement.

EU label ensuring environmentally friendly agricultural practices, Biodiversity preservation and high animal welfare standards, with clear product traceability. Recognised across all EU member states, this label gives foodservice operators a clear and legally regulated guarantee that products, from flour to eggs, are grown without synthetic pesticides, GMOs or artificial fertilisers.

Certification ensuring fair prices, decent working conditions, and equitable trade terms for farmers and workers. 
By sourcing Fairtrade-certified ingredients such as sugar, coffee or cocoa, food businesses directly support smallholder farmers in developing countries.

Certification ensuring that wood-based materials come from responsibly managed forests, protecting ecosystems and communities. 
In the food industry, FSC certification applies primarily to packaging materials such as cardboard boxes and paper bags, helping operators reduce their environmental footprint and meet retailer sustainability requirements.

Global certification standard focused on workers’ rights, including safe conditions, fair wages and prohibition of child labor. 
It is particularly relevant for food companies auditing their supply chain, as it provides an internationally recognised framework to verify that human rights standards are upheld at every production level.

International standard enabling organizations to structure and continuously improve their environmental performance and reduce impacts. For food production sites and catering operations, ISO 14001 provides a structured methodology to track and reduce energy consumption, water usage and waste generation — turning environmental goals into measurable, auditable results.

International standard for energy management that helps organizations systematically improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through continuous improvement. Especially relevant for food manufacturing plants with high energy demands (ovens, refrigeration, logistics), this standard helps companies lower their operational costs while advancing their decarbonisation agenda.

International methodological framework for measuring and reporting all carbon emissions. It is the most widely used accounting standard for greenhouse gas emissions globally, enabling food businesses to map their full carbon footprint across scopes 1, 2 and 3, a prerequisite for setting credible climate targets such as SBTi.

Global initiative enabling companies to set greenhouse gas emission reduction targets validated against climate science, aligned with the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C pathway. For food businesses, SBTi builds on GHG Protocol mapping to turn carbon data into credible, independently verified commitments — covering the full value chain from farm to fork.

GFSI-recognized certification combining ISO 22000 with additional requirements to ensure comprehensive food safety management. Widely required by major retailers and food brands, FSSC 22000 demonstrates that a production site has robust systems in place to prevent contamination, manage allergens and guarantee consistent product safety throughout the entire manufacturing process.

International standard that defines requirements to identify and control food safety hazards. Applicable to all organisations in the food chain, from ingredient suppliers to caterers, ISO 22000 provides a universal framework for implementing HACCP principles and ensuring that food reaching the consumer is safe at every stage.

Certification that recognizes companies meeting high standards of social , environmental and governance performance. B Corp assessing the entire business, not just a product or a site, and signalling to customers, investors and partners that a company genuinely balances profit with purpose.

Sustainability rating platform that evaluates companies on environmental, social, and governance criteria . It is not a certification but a scoring system. EcoVadis score allows food industry suppliers to demonstrate their ESG performance to clients and retailers in a standardised, comparable format.