Welcome to the IFRA-IOFI Sustainability Charter

User guide

Why have we developed this user guide?

This user guide gives a practical overview of why the questionnaire has been developed, how it is structured, and how we will use the information provided.

You can also download the Glossary of Terms used in the questionnaire.

NB: for this questionnaire, we define 'strategy' as your company having a plan of action – even in its early stages - designed to achieve a long-term or overall aim in this area. This includes the use of evaluation/auditing tools (such as Ecovadis or SMETA).

IFRA and IOFI thank you very much for your support in this collective endeavor.

Please note that the completion of the questionnaire is purely optional, as is the number or type of questions you may wish to respond to or not.

Background

Why are IFRA and IOFI conducting the questionnaire?

The IFRA-IOFI Sustainability Initiative is voluntary and non-binding, and both Associations want to emphasize the non-compulsory nature of the project.

Each company is involved because it is convinced that anchoring sustainability within business strategies is crucial for a prosperous and viable future.

This questionnaire is about striking a balance: we want to collect accurate information from each participant but do not want to impose external verification or control mechanisms, nor to assess or benchmark the performance of individual companies.

Structure

How is the questionnaire structured?

The questionnaire has five sections that relate to the five focus areas of the Sustainability Initiative - click the titles below to read fuller explanations and a summary of commitments:

Within each of the five sections, there is a similar structure and questions.

First, an overview of the agreed commitments and additional background information.

Second, a question on your company's overall strategy for this focus area. If you have an overall strategy in place, you will be asked for details such as whether your company uses or follows internationally agreed evaluation tools or programs (we do not need evaluations or results).

Third, questions on progress against specific commitments relating to the focus area.

See Overview of focus areas and commitments

Example

Introductory text

An overview of the topic is contained at the start of each section of the questionnaire.

Commitments

The flavor and fragrance industries aspire to ensure responsible sourcing throughout the value chain.

1.1 We foster the economic health of farmers and local communities with fair and long-term partnerships;

1.2 We promote respectful labor practices in line with human rights and international labor standards;

1.3 We aspire to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of ecosystems.

Questions - strategy

First, you will be asked to report on the existence of an overall strategy within your company regarding responsible sourcing of raw materials:

If your company has a strategy in place, you will be asked whether your company has recourse to evaluation tools such as SMETA, EcoVadis, etc.
If your company has a strategy in place but does not have recourse to such evaluation tools, you will be asked to provide a brief outline of your responsible sourcing strategy.
If your company has no strategy in place, we recommend you access and use the toolbox developed by IFRA and IOFI (currently under development).

Questions - actions

Second, we seek more details on how your company performs against the three specific sustainability commitments in this Chapter – namely:

engagement with farmers and local communities in locations where you source raw materials;
the promotion of respectful labour practices within your supply chains; and
the protection, restoration and promotion of biodiversity.

Questions - commitments

For each commitment, you will be asked a multiple-choice question that allows you to evaluate your company’s progress.

Pratical next steps

About the questionnaire

Through this 20-minute survey we seek to understand the state of play in the fragrance and flavor industries on the five objectives of this joint initiative.

By clicking the button below, you will be directed to the questionnaire on the Typeform platform. To proceed, you will need to obtain a password by contacting Maxime Marchal (mmarchal@iofi.org).

Please continue to the end of the process, including giving your personal details, and click the 'Submit my answers to the questionnaire' button.

One representative per company

The questionnaire should be completed by a single representative per company member of IFRA and/or IOFI (whether a direct member or a member of a national association):

For companies represented within the IFRA-IOFI Sustainability Task Force, the questionnaire should be completed by the Task Force company representative or someone (s)he appoints.
For companies not represented in the IFRA-IOFI Sustainability Task Force, we invite them to agree on a single company representative who will request the password and complete the questionnaire.

Go to the questionnaire

Questionnaire