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Food Standards Agency

Sunday 5 July 2009

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Sustainable development

The Agency's remit is to protect the interests of consumers in relation to food, now and in the future. In doing so the Agency will take sustainable development into account in all of its activities and policy decisions.

What is sustainable development?

Sustainable development is about enabling people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life, without compromising the quality of life of future generations and the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

The concept of sustainable development encompasses three key elements, often referred to as 'pillars':

Sustainable practices should offer benefits in all three of these areas.

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Sustainable development and the Food Standards Agency

At its September 2008 meeting, the Board agreed an approach to sustainable development in policymaking which commits the Agency to sustainable policies.

In adopting this approach, the Agency is undertaking to choose the most sustainable policy option. Only in exceptional circumstances will it not do so. In these cases the reasons will be clearly communicated and every effort made to minimise the resulting negative impacts.

The key aspects of the agreed approach are listed below:

Agency Chair Deirdre Hutton said: 'We had a very good discussion at the Board meeting today and we welcome the approach, which, while complex in nature, will contribute to ensuring that Agency policymaking continues to be of the highest quality.'

Further targets on sustainable development have been set in the Agency's Sustainable Development Action Plan.

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Contact us

To find out more about sustainable development in Agency policymaking, contact Karen Dell on 020 7276 8481.
Email: karen.dell@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk

To find out more about sustainable development in Agency estates management, contact Aadil Bashir on 020 7276 8001.
Email: aadil.bashir@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk

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Related links

Draft Sustainable Development Action Plan 2007

Download pdf  (pdf 90KB) FSA 08/09/04 - Approach to Sustainable Development in Policy Making

Download pdf  (pdf 41KB) FSA 08/09/04 - Approach to Sustainable Development in Policy Making (Annexe)

Download pdf  (pdf 89KB) Sustainable Development Action Plan 2008/09

Download pdf  (pdf 173KB) Sustainable Development Action Plan: progress report August 2008 Read the report

Download pdf  (pdf 104KB) Sustainable Development Action Plan: progress report June 2007 Read the report

Download pdf  (pdf 72KB) Sustainable development in policy making: statement of approach Read the statement

Download pdf  (pdf 32KB)

Find out more

Sustainable development in Agency policymaking

The most important and challenging aspect of the Agency's work taking forward its policy on sustainable development has been the development of guidance on sustainability assessment for its staff.

Sustainable development and the Agency's business

In running its business the Food Standards Agency is committed to pursuing sound environmental practices and is working towards the implementation of an Environmental Management System based on the ISO14001 standard.

Sustainable development and the UK Government

The UK Government is committed to integrating sustainable development principles into all of its activities and policies.

Consumer priorities for sustainable development

This research was commissioned to explore consumer interest in relation to sustainability issues around food and to help inform the debate on the Agency’s approach to sustainable development in policymaking.

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