Survey Shows Retailers and Manufacturers United in Commitment to a Healthier Society

PARIS, March 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

The Consumer Goods Forum Shows How Its Members are Helping Empower Consumers Worldwide to Adopt Healthier Lifestyles 

The Consumer Goods Forum (the "CGF") today announced results from its 2014 survey designed to measure where its members are with regards to the implementation of its Health & Wellness Resolutions ("the Resolutions"). The Resolutions, approved by the CGF's Board of Directors in 2011, look at three specific areas where retailers and manufacturers can work together to drive positive change and help improve the health and wellness for people across the globe.

The Resolutions are explicit in the need for retailer and manufacturer members to:

• Offer consumers and shoppers a range of products and services that supports the goals of healthier diets and lifestyles;
• Provide transparent, fact-based information that will help consumers and shoppers make informed product choices and usages;
• Use communication and educational programmes to help raise consumer awareness on health and wellness and energy balance to inspire healthier diets and lifestyles.

Results from the survey - the only such global survey within the consumer goods industry - show that members of the CGF are coming together to help empower consumers to adopt healthier lifestyles, and is currently moving through a five-year plan built around commitments, engagement and implementation. They include:

• 95% of respondents have established policies on at least one of the CGF's three Health & Wellness Resolutions 
• 97% of respondents have activated programmes on at least one of the CGF's Health & Wellness Resolutions 
• 78% of respondents are communicating publicly on at least one of the CGF's Health & Wellness Resolutions 

Gareth Ackerman, Chairman, Pick n Pay Stores and Denise Morrison, President & CEO, Campbell Soup Company, said, "The results are promising. It's clear that members of the CGF are actively engaging with multiple stakeholders across their initiatives to support healthy diets and lifestyles.  We are also pleased to see an extremely high percentage of respondents have established policies and activated programmes on one or more of the CGF's Health & Wellness Resolutions. Industry can and should play a leading role in addressing this major global challenge and opportunity".

Dick Boer, CEO of Royal Ahold and Paul Bulcke, CEO of Nestlé S.A. and Co-Chairs of The Consumer Goods Forum, said, "As retailers and manufacturers we believe that we have an obligation to help consumers and shoppers make informed decisions. With this in mind, we aim to give practical support and provide tools to inspire our diverse membership to drive health and wellness benefits to consumers around the world. We understand the complexity of the health and wellness challenges facing communities across the globe and how no single solution or organisation can stimulate the adoption of healthier lifestyles, but we hope this report will help galvanise the industry into taking collective action for a positive change".

The challenge of consumer health and wellbeing presents every company with an opportunity to show that it is forward thinking, to build the trust of consumers through positive business actions, and to demonstrate it is engaged in helping consumers, shoppers and employees to live better lives. But, collaboration is key. Progress has been made, as seen in the results of the survey, but there is still much that needs to be done. The Consumer Goods Forum invites all members to join the collective movement within health and wellness and it looks forward to seeing even greater progress in next year's edition of the annual survey.

About The Consumer Goods Forum 

The Consumer Goods Forum (the "CGF") is a global, parity-based industry network that is driven by its members.  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 2.5 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 50 manufacturer and retailer CEOs.

The CGF's mission is, "Bringing together consumer goods manufacturers and retailers in pursuit of business practices for efficiency and positive change across our industry benefiting shoppers, consumers and the world without impeding competition". It provides a unique global platform for the development of global industry processes and standards as well as sharing best practices. Its activities are organised around the following strategic priorities: Sustainability, Product Safety, Health & Wellness, and End-to-End Value Chain & Standards, each of which is central to better serving consumers.

The CGF's success is driven by the active participation of its members who together develop and lead the implementation of best practices along the value chain. With its headquarters in Paris and its regional offices in Washington, D.C. and Tokyo, the CGF serves its members throughout the world.

For more information, please visit: http://www.theconsumergoodsforum.com.