IFFO, the Marine Ingredients Organisation, has agreed to open up its Global Standard for Responsible Supply (IFFO RS) to non-IFFO members.
Now any fishmeal and fish oil factory wishing to demonstrate its responsible practices will be able to apply for certification to the IFFO RS standard.
The RS Board has also agreed to appoint at least one additional Certification Body which can conduct certification of the factories. Currently SAI Global is the only CB with the authority to grant certification to the RS standard, but appointing another will provide applicants with a choice of certifiers, which should make the process of becoming certified more efficient and cost effective.
Social responsibility is becoming the expected in international business, and to help applicants demonstrate good standards in these areas the RS Board has agreed to add a number of clauses to the IFFO RS factory standard which cover some of the fundamental management issues surrounding good environmental and social practices in fishmeal and fish oil factories.
Commenting on the changes Andrew Jackson, Chairman of the IFFO RS Board said, “The IFFO RS standard has got off to an excellent start, but the Board felt that the time had come to widen the ambition of the standard to address the whole global marine ingredients industry. The decision to allow non-IFFO members to apply for the standard, gives the factories processing the over 40% of global production not coming from IFFO members, the opportunity to demonstrate their responsible practices.”
