ADM has joined almost 100 flavor and fragrance companies in signing an ambitious new Sustainability Charter seeking to improve sustainability across the two industries. The new Charter, launched by The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) and the International Organization of the Flavor Industry (IOFI), is a voluntary framework for companies in this space. It represents a collective commitment to making a difference for the planet, for people and for businesses.

The Charter covers sustainability in every sense, taking a life-cycle approach based on five focus areas – responsible sourcing, reducing environmental footprint, employee well-being, product safety, and transparency and partnerships.

“The IFRA-IOFI Sustainability Charter is an important initiative for businesses to collaborate and promote sustainable development across the fragrance and flavor industries and we are delighted to be a part of it,” says Alison Taylor, ADM’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “We believe that it is vitally important to plan for generations to come, and this collective commitment will help ensure our industry is making the right steps forward to a brighter and more sustainable future.”

The IFRA-IOFI Sustainability Charter complements other longstanding sustainable development commitments and initiatives, such as ADM’s recent pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions an additional 25 percent by 2035. It aims to help the sectors as a whole make further advances by sharing best practice, providing tools, and benchmarking progress.

The IFRA-IOFI Sustainability Charter has been in development since 2016, shaped through wide consultation of member companies and external experts, and acknowledging the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

It has been designed to be aspirational and inclusive, with clear and achievable goals that allow companies of all sizes to make a contribution to improving the overall sustainability of the fragrance and flavor industries.

The Charter continues to be open to signatories from fragrance and flavor companies around the world. Signatories will provide data on progress against 18 commitments in the five focus areas, feeding into a benchmarking report that will be published early in 2021.