Nov. 21, 2007 Nestlé, Tyson Foods, Bunge, Danisco, and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters will work with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) to develop sector-specific indicators for sustainability reporting in the food industry.

The new GRI indicators will aim to help food producers and their stakeholders measure and communicate sustainability progress more effectively.

As consumers show increasing interest in how their food is produced, many companies are turning to sustainability reporting as a way to strengthen their brand and expand their competitive advantage against other market players.

"As a consumer-focused company we strive to provide meaningful information about our products and how they are made," says Claus Conzelmann, executive vice president of safety, health, and environment at Nestlé. "This...requires a sound understanding of all significant sustainability aspects, including water, nutrition, health and wellness as a basis to create shared value for society."

GRI is currently recruiting additional food processing companies as well as representatives of consumers, trade unions, and investment firms to join the working group. The deadline to join is November 30.

The resulting GRI Sector Supplement on Food Processing will be open to a public comment period.