The UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has entered into a partnership with AEON, Japan's biggest retailer, to launch a programme to increase safe and sustainable sourcing, and promote food safety throughout the supply chain.
15 January 2013: The UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has entered into a partnership with AEON, Japan’s biggest retailer, to launch a programme to increase safe and sustainable sourcing, and promote food safety throughout the supply chain.
The programme, launched on 15 January 2013, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is a public-private partnership jointly supported by UNIDO and AEON. It will be implemented in Malaysia with the support of the country’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry, SME Corp. Malaysia and other local institutions. It is expected to benefit Malaysian small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and farms, local communities where suppliers operate, and consumers. It aims to support suppliers in implementing international best practices of corporate social responsibility and sustainability, and facilitate their access to new markets.
The programme will involve 25 suppliers at the initial stages, which may rise to 100 suppliers by 2015. Participants will receive training and mentoring to help them implement effective food safety systems in line with a programme developed by the Global Food Safety Initiative’s Global Market Protocol.
The programme is part of UNIDO’s Sustainable Supplier Development Programme. [UNIDO Press Release]