Second Scheme Achieves SSCI Recognition: Responsible Fishing Vessel Standard

PARIS, November 16, 2022 /3BL Media/ - The Consumer Goods Forum’s (CGF) Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative (SSCI) is pleased to announce that the Responsible Fishing Vessel Standard (RFVS) has completed the SSCI benchmarking process and achieved SSCI Recognition. The Responsible Fishing Vessel Standard 2.1 was successfully benchmarked against the SSCI Benchmarking Requirements for At-Sea Operations Version 1.0. In achieving SSCI Recognition, RFVS demonstrates leadership in the effort to build credibility among sustainability standards worldwide.

RFVS is operated by Best Seafood Practices (BSP), a third-party certification program administered by the Global Seafood Alliance, an international, nonprofit association dedicated to advancing responsible seafood practices through education, advocacy and third-party assurances. BSP is the world’s only third-party certification program capable of linking responsible wild fisheries to certified vessels and processing plants. BSP provides assurances to the marketplace that wild seafood has been harvested and processed in an ethical manner with respect for the wellbeing and security of all workers across the supply chain. For more information, visit bspcertification.org.

As it ‘verifies the verifiers,’ the SSCI awards an additional, yet essential, layer of trust to sustainability standards that demonstrate alignment with the SSCI Benchmark Criteria and achieve SSCI Recognition. As SSCI-recognised standards, third-party auditing, monitoring, and certification schemes and programmes signal a strong commitment to raising the bar in their certification processes and driving harmonisation in a diverse field of sustainability standards, while at the same time remain free to innovate their approaches to ensure sustainability in a dynamic way. Today’s announcement demonstrates the Responsible Fishing Vessel Standard 2.1 meets the industry’s expectations and RFVS is now fully recognised by the SSCI.

Didier Bergeret, CGF Director of Sustainability, said, "We congratulate the Responsible Fishing Vessel Standard for not only achieving SSCI Recognition but also for being the first scheme to do so under our At-Sea Operations scope. The seafood sector faces many sustainability challenges and it is critical that we can trust certification schemes to cover key issues and deliver credible assessments. With SSCI Recognition, RFVS signals to the industry its leadership in raising the bar for schemes, driving continuous improvement across the industry and providing CGF members with trustworthy assessments on supply chain sustainability."

Brian Perkins, CEO of Global Seafood Alliance, said, “RFVS becoming the first standard to be benchmarked against the SSCI’s Requirements for At-Sea Operations demonstrates our commitment to building trust in seafood. Benchmarking is a critical part of seafood certification, and this achievement underscores the assurances RFVS provides relative to best-in-class operational and social practices at sea. We look forward to working with vessel operators around the world to help them demonstrate industry-leading assurances to the marketplace.”

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About The Consumer Goods Forum
The Consumer Goods Forum (“CGF”) is a global, parity-based industry network that is driven by its members to encourage the global adoption of practices and standards that serves the consumer goods industry worldwide. It brings together the CEOs and senior management of some 400 retailers, manufacturers, service providers, and other stakeholders across 70 countries, and it reflects the diversity of the industry in geography, size, product category and format. Its member companies have combined sales of EUR 3.5 trillion and directly employ nearly 10 million people, with a further 90 million related jobs estimated along the value chain. It is governed by its Board of Directors, which comprises more than 50 manufacturer and retailer CEOs. For more information, please visit: www.theconsumergoodsforum.com.

About the Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative
The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative (SSCI) builds trust in sustainability standards worldwide by benchmarking third-party auditing and certification programs and recognizing schemes that meet industry expectations. By providing an open-source list of recognized programs, the SSCI delivers clear guidance on which schemes cover key sustainability criteria and apply relevant verification practices. The SSCI improves transparency in the market, facilitates decision-making on schemes at both buyer and supplier level and sets the responsible sourcing expectations for the industry. The Initiative initially focuses on social compliance with the potential to expand the scope to environmental compliance. For more information, visit www.tcgfssci.com.

For further information, please contact:

Didier Bergeret
Sustainability Director
The Consumer Goods Forum
ssci@theconsumergoodsforum.com

Madelaine VanDerHeyden
Communications Manager
The Consumer Goods Forum
m.vanderheyden@theconsumergoodsforum.com