Annual Review 2008: Leading from the front
Fiona Dawson, Managing Director, Mars Chocolate UK
FDF's Sustainability and Competitiveness Steering Group Chair:
It is now over year since the launch of FDF's Five-fold
Environmental Ambition. 
Companies are continuing to sign
up and those who have already done so have been busy
working towards their early milestones. We have some very
impressive case studies demonstrating real change and
significant bottom line savings as a result.
This was all brought together in the Progress Report (pdf, 1Mb) which
formed the focus for our One Year On event at the QEII
centre in November 2008. Defra Secretary of State Hilary
Benn spoke with warm enthusiasm about the leadership
our sector was showing and what we had achieved. Not
only are members well on track in cutting CO2 emissions
and preventing waste even entering the supply chain,
we are also developing new policy delivery mechanisms,
particularly on water and transport.
As other more immediate economic pressures begin to
bite, it is important we continue to press Government for a
more coherent and strategic approach to food policy in line
with the Cabinet Office Food Matters report published in
July 2008. That is where sustainability and competitiveness
come together, expressed in the common currency of
efficient resource use.
There is clearly much still to do. But FDF members are
actively demonstrating that they have both the ability and
the determination to build on the foundations now in place.
More information