The SRA launches new global certification

The Sustainable Restaurant Association has launched the Food Made Good Sustainability Standard, a new globally accessible platform to allow hospitality businesses everywhere to take 360-degree accountability for sustainability to a standard that is recognised by industry and consumers alike.

According to The SRA, the new standard “will level the playing field by supplying businesses with trustworthy, expert-led and up-to- date accreditation, as well as providing guidance on the next steps of their commitment to sustainability”.

Developed with input from international experts, including the Ellen McArthur Foundation, WRAP and the Ethical Trade Initiative, as well as leading food businesses, the newly global standard is the “only” certification specifically designed to measure a restaurant’s social and environmental impact, wherever they are in the world and is built on a 10-point framework, organised across three pillars: sourcing, society and environment.

The SRA also stated that completing the Food Made Good Standard also helps “to highlight areas for future improvement and provides credibility in communicating sustainable business practices to customers”.

In order to be both effective and globally applicable, the Food Made Good Standard is closely aligned with international norms, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The newly redeveloped standard builds on The SRA’s signature Food Made Good assessment, which has been the sustainability accreditation of choice for UK foodservice businesses since its launch in 2010.

Juliane Caillouette Noble, managing director of The SRA, said: “In an environment in which chefs and restaurant operators understand the need to act urgently and decisively, we recognise the need for a holistic framework defining what ‘good’ looks like across both environmental and social issues.

“Issues like food waste, treating staff fairly and animal welfare are universal. Now’s the moment for a global conversation about what it means to be a good restaurant in every sense, with a certification that is digestible for every business, supplier, owner and guest. We are setting the Standard by which a restaurant in Buenos Aires, Beijing or Birmingham can accurately compare its sustainability achievements and join the Food Made Good movement to build a better industry for our planet.”

Henry Dimbleby, MBE, added: “The hospitality sector has a unique ability to influence the decisions people make when it comes to feeding themselves, both in and outside our establishments. This means that every restaurant and café can play a powerful role in making the right food choices – for the health of both people and planet – become the go to choices. And there is no better way to do that than to sign up to The SRA’s Food Made Good standard. It’s time to lead the charge.”