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Graham Neale of GlaxoSmithKline Nutritional products and President of UNESDA – the Union of European Beverages Associations – looks at the key issues facing the industry.
As President of UNESDA, I recently had the opportunity to host a meeting of CEOs from across our industry to discuss key challenges facing the sector and explore strategies to address them.
This was the fifth CEO session, but the first under the new governance of UNESDA which now recognises equal membership rights for national associations and corporations.
Meeting in Paris, the group spent time sharing ideas and experiences and discussing future initiatives with regard to consumer and corporate responsibility focused issues facing the non-alcoholic beverages sector. What struck me most was the constructive nature of the meeting, and how competitors within the sector can leave their respective corporate hats at the door and meet around a table to consider key political issues beyond products and brands, that concern us all. This is surely the mark of a responsible industry that recognises the benefits of working together on such matters as a strong and united sector.
We were a group of just ten people, representing the corporate members of UNESDA – a group large enough to prompt discussion but small enough to take decisions. We had requested status summaries on the implementation of the UNESDA commitments and three other issues facing our industry as elaborated below. With strict instructions to keep to their allotted two minutes, experts from across the industry presented on the four different areas and then a debate on the topics ensued.
Health, wellness, the UNESDA commitments and guideline daily amount labelling
The first area we explored was that of health and wellness and the role that UNESDA and its member companies and associations were playing in recognising their requirement to act responsibly. In particular, UNESDA made a further commitment to the European Commission’s ‘Platform for Action on diet, physical activity and health’.
The latest commitment involves the roll out of guideline daily amount (GDA) labelling among UNESDA members, the first entire sector to do so. Introducing GDA labelling across the sector represents a next step following our commitment to trial a scheme giving clear information to consumers about what they are buying. The rollout of GDA labelling is happening now – and will be independently monitored at the end of this year to verify compliance.
Ingredients and proven science
Our next area of focus was on the scientific and regulatory issues surrounding our business and in particular our need to ensure that proven science is used as the basis for any proposals relating to our sector. We are particularly concerned that ingredients used in our products that have been classified as safe by the European authorities, should not be undermined by questionnable science and irresponsible reporting. We discussed how we can provide assistance to regulatory authorities in upholding their decisions in order to give confidence to both consumers and industry and thereby avoid confusing consumers.
A question of competitiveness
The European Commission’s department for business, DG Enterprise, having created a High Level Group on competitiveness in the food and drink sector has requested that a CEO from UNESDA sit on that Group. As a highly innovative sector we discussed this issue of competitiveness within our sector and ensuring an environment where new product development is encouraged. UNESDA has now put forward one of its CEOs to sit on the Commission’s High Level Group.
Environmental sustainability
The fourth subject for discussion among the group was that of environmental sustainability. The issue of reduction of CO2 emissions and overall carbon footprint has moved up the world agenda very quickly in the past 12 months. The discussion is not limited to Europe, although the EU is seen as taking something of a lead, but is being driven globally, with the involvement of organisations such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The challenge for UNESDA of course is to recognise where our industry responsibility lies and to put in place strategies and actions to address this. Clearly the issue of packaging is high on the agenda and we discussed the need for sustainable packaging policies as well as effective systems for recovery and recycling.
All of the opportunities discussed among the CEOs are now being fine tuned within the different UNESDA committees and will result in actions for the organisation over the future 12-18 months.
The annual CEO forum represents a vital discussion forum for the industry. A chance to discuss the consumer and corporate responsibility related issues facing the sector and set a strategic vision for the UNESDA work programme for the years ahead.