Forest Positive Coalition Holds Public Stakeholder Engagement Event
On April 22, 2024, the Consumer Goods Forum's (CGF) Forest Positive Coalition (FPC) successfully held an online engagement event, connecting over 40 key stakeholder companies.
Recognising that the fight against deforestation requires collective action, the Coalition emphasises the necessity of collaboration with stakeholders such as governments, civil society organisations, suppliers and traders, and financial institutes. This proactive approach, combined with accountability through public reporting, aims to achieve sustainable, forest positive outcomes.
Moderated Jack Hurd, Executive Director of Tropical Forest Alliance, and opened by Debora Dias, Senior Manager Sustainability of The Consumer Goods Forum, the webinar showcased updates, planned actions and opportunities for collaboration across the core pillars of their theory of change which brings together a three pronged approach to halt deforestation and conversion, and transform key commodity sectors to forest positive.
Presenters included Mikel Hancock, Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives and Simon Hall, Senior Manager - Forests & Nature of Walmart, Emily Kunen, Senior Director, Positive Agriculture Capabilities & Forest Risk of PepsiCo, Hillary Fenrich, Global Manager: Nature & Water Strategy of McDonald’s and Andi Sitti, Director Sustainability Southeast Asia of Mondelēz International.
During the webinar the Coalition offered updates on the progress made over the past year, focusing on its comprehensive theory of change structured around three main components: Deforestation and Conversion Free (DCF) Supply, DCF Suppliers, and Forest Positive Landscapes.
Key accomplishments include the development of comprehensive roadmaps, DCF methodologies, and implementation guidance for implementation, assessing and engaging with suppliers to encourage alignment with deforestation and conversion free commitments.
Additionally, through its Landscape Strategy, the Coalition has supported numerous initiatives on the ground, refining its approach through the learning phase, and working towards increasing scale and impact. The Coalition has also enhanced transparency with annual reporting and stakeholder feedback. More detail on this can be found in the latest annual report linked here.
The Coalition reiterated its commitment to transparency and ongoing dialogue with stakeholders. Attendees were encouraged to provide feedback on roadmaps and methodologies, adopt DCF policies, and engage in system-level change initiatives. The Coalition also emphasised the need for alignment across supply chains and NGOs to ensure consistent and effective demands.
As the Coalition looks ahead with plans for ongoing stakeholder engagement, we remain focused on embedding DCF principles into everyday business operations, expand engagement with suppliers and prioritise investment in specific landscapes over the next 12 months.
The minutes and slides from the session are now available to download via the links below:
We value the ongoing support and input from stakeholders and the shared commitment to collaboration towards a forest positive future.
In shaping future engagement, we welcome enquiries and feedback from stakeholders via forestpositive@theconsumergoodsforum.com on how we can better work together. We also encourage you to subscribe to our news and updates to stay tuned for ongoing opportunities for engagement.
For more information about the Coalition, go to tcgfforestpositive.com
