What’s new in organic farming, nutrition and, of course, cosmetics? As a standard setter, we are not only eager to learn, we also want to provide impetus and set the course for the development of a sustainable economy. Every year, GfaW not only represents the strictest sustainability certification CSE(Certified Sustainable Economics) with its own stand, but also the well-known product standards NCS(Natural Cosmetics Standard) and NCP(Nature Care Product Standard) at the world’s leading trade fair.
CSE is currently the most stringent approach to certified sustainability
In addition to informative discussions with business customers and associations, we were asked to present the CSE standard to a specialist audience. As part of the event “Operational sustainability management, how do I find my way through the jungle of methods?”, CSE was presented alongside other methods of company assessments and their external impact in terms of customer communication. The organic sector is increasingly concerned with the idea of not only testing its products for organic quality, but also systematically recording and evaluating sustainability. We welcome both the great interest in this topic and the various approaches that have recently become established. With an annual audit by an independent certification body and high minimum criteria (such as requirements for the business model, the product range, wages or the use of resources), CSE is currently the strictest approach. Only those companies that meet the high requirements, e.g. Sonett, Aries or RMPSL, are allowed to carry the seal. As in the previous year, important topics were the GMO issue and the possibilities and limitations of packaging solutions. It was a pleasure to see that both old and young companies are looking at packaging and that it is increasingly normal in the organic sector to take an approach of avoiding, reusing or using degradable alternatives.