Specialized focus. Timely action
Project Groups provide operational advice on specific topics from an implementation perspective. They enable us to respond in a timely manner as particular issues arise, and to ensure that members’ views and needs are taken into account in the implementation and development of our services and tools.
Select a Project Group and find out more:
amfori BEPI System amfori BSCI System Chemicals in textile and footwear
Circular economy policies Customs Sustainability in the food sector
Sustainability policy Sustainable Wine Programme 2.0 Supply chain grievance mechanism
Transparency Quality Management Initiative (QMI)
Concluded Project Groups:
amfori BSCI Audit Integrity Programme • amfori BSCI semi-announced audits • Environmental issues in the food and beverage sector • Sustainability engagement communication • Timber pilot
Ongoing Project Groups:
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This PG brings together experienced amfori BEPI members and relevant guest speakers to define the needs and shape the continuous evolution of the amfori BEPI System. Frequency: 4 meetings/year (3 conference calls and 1 face-to-face meeting) + work online in between. amfori main office lead: Eric Gravier, Environmental Programmes Lead. Project Group Members:
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Experienced amfori members who participate in amfori BSCI contribute to the development of the amfori BSCI System and help us align social programmes and systems to the needs of our members. Frequency: 2 meetings/year + work online in between. amfori main office leads: Yakut Oktay, Social Programmes Lead, and Elif Kalan, Social Programmes Expert. Project Group Members:
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Chemicals in Textiles and Footwear This PG focuses on aligning the roll-out and use of best practices and standards. It provides guidance on chemical management and related topics, and helps us support amfori BEPI participants in successfully implementing the Supply Chain Chemical Management Module. Frequency: 4 meetings/year (3 conference calls and 1 face-to-face meeting) + work online in between. amfori Secretariat lead: Eric Gravier, Environmental Programmes Lead. Project Group Members:
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A Circular Economy Action Plan is part of the Green Deal proposed by the European Commission in its 2019-2024 term. This PG intends to provide a forum for amfori members to exchange and develop a position on the topic, in order to be able to contribute to the policy- and law-making discussions going forward. Frequency: 4 meetings/year (conference calls) + work online in between. amfori main office lead: Florence Sarrazin, Environmental Policy Advisor Project Group Members:
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This Project Group helps us focus the amfori Advocacy efforts to ensure that amfori members’ concerns on trade-related issues are properly heard in the appropriate fora and considered by policy-makers, in particular at EU level. Frequency: 2 meetings/year + work online in between. amfori main office lead: Stuart Newman, Legal Trade Senior Advisor. Project Group Members:
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Supply Chain Grievance Mechanism Chapter III of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, “Access to Remedy”, calls on businesses to establish grievance mechanisms ensuring that “when abuses occur, those affected have access to effective remedy”. To support our members in this endeavour and to maximise the collaborative nature our membership, amfori has started a project to support companies in providing access to remedy to workers in their global supply chains. This PG aims to address grievances raised by workers/employees of producers and/or communities in members’ global supply chains, which cannot or have not been addressed through the producer’s operational grievance mechanism. Frequency: 3-4 meetings and approximately 5 conference calls amfori main office leads: Anouschka Jansen, Senior Manager Strategy & Innovation, and Lorenz Berzau, amfori German Network Representative Project Group Members:
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Sustainability in the Food Sector amfori members lend their expertise to the development and alignment of food programmes and systems on social and environmental aspects of sustainability. They help us identify trends in the food sector, develop responses to key sustainability issues, support the piloting of new services/projects. Frequency: 4 meetings/year (2 face-to-face meetings and 2 conference calls) + work online in between. amfori main office leads: Anna Stancher, Strategy and Innovation Manager, and Raquel P.S. Motta, Food Sustainability Expert Project Group Members:
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Receive the latest information on supply chain-related sustainability policy and help amfori position itself on a national, EU, and international level. Frequency: 2-4 meetings/year (face-to-face and conference calls) + work online in between. amfori main office leads: Valentina Bolognesi, Social & Environmental Policy Advisor, and Mitsuru Suzuki, Social & Environmental Policy Advisor Project Group Members:
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Sustainable Wine Programme 2.0 Together, we will identify what sustainable wine truly means for our members, and what are the trends and hotspots that need to be addressed to enable a sustainable product from grape to glass. Frequency: 4 meetings/year (2 face-to-face meetings and 2 conference calls) + online work in between. amfori main office leads: Anna Stancher, Strategy and Innovation Manager, and Raquel P.S. Motta, Food Sustainability Expert. Project Group Members:
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This PG supports amfori’s strategic roadmap on transparency to provide input and feedback on the following elements: Member needs and stakeholder expectations with regards to transparency; amfori’s own transparency at organisational level; development of an internal member evaluation programme; data and reporting needs; guidance and tools to help members in their transparency journey. Frequency of meetings: 4 meetings/year (face-to-face meetings and conference calls) + online work in between. amfori main office leads: Paul Frisch, Social Sustainability Expert, and Jean-Marie Coant, Senior Environmental Expert. Project Group Members:
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The amfori Quality Management Initiative (QMI) Project Group aims to contribute to the development of amfori’s services in quality management in the supply chain. Coordinating a pilot in China, the PG is expected to endorse a set of standard questionnaires and qualification/assessment tools that can then be made available to all amfori members and producers. The PG provides advice on the design of the amfori QMI service model and participates in pilot test activities.
Frequency: monthly meetings (conference calls) and work online in-between.
amfori QMI Project Lead: Joyce Chau, APAC Network Director
Project Group Members:
• A.S. Watson Group
• German Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong – QMI partner
• Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency – QMI Industry Standard Partner
• Lidl Hong Kong Limited
• Metro Sourcing International Limited
• OBI Group Sourcing Hong Kong Limited
• REWE Far East Ltd
• Simba-Toys (Hong Kong) Ltd
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For questions about amfori's governance, please contact Governance Advisor chiara.venturini@amfori.org.
Concluded Project Groups
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amfori BSCI Capacity Building Impact Assessment In coordination with the main office, amfori members with knowledge and experience on impact measurements worked to develop a framework to measure the impact of the amfori BSCI Capacity Building activities. The results of this PG will feed into the follow-up work that amfori is conducting on impact assessment. |
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amfori BSCI Semi-Announced Audits amfori members participating in amfori BSCI worked to find and implement solutions for driving an increase in the use of semi-announced audits. The PG work resulted in a recommendation to the amfori Board to set amfori BSCI audits to “Semi-announced” by default, with the exception of a producer’s very first audit. |
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amfori BSCI Audit Integrity Programme Support amfori members worked with the main office on key elements regarding the amfori Audit Integrity Programme to help improve audit quality and draft an external reporting strategy. The results of this work will be used in continuous improvement work with the auditing companies working with amfori. |
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Environmental issues in the food and beverage sector See also the ongoing PG on Sustainability in the food sector Coordinated by the main office, amfori members worked to determine the specific environmental improvement needs of the food and beverage sector, and to identify key partners and stakeholders for potential collaboration. Work on these topics continues in the Sustainability in the food sector PG (see above). |
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Sustainability platform user feedback This PG brought together subject matter and technical experts from amfori member companies, to discuss areas for improvement and to provide input during the development work of the amfori Integrated Sustainability Platform, replacing all different user interfaces as of 2020. |
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Sustainability Engagement Communication Sustainability communication is increasingly expected from consumers, and if properly done can open up several opportunities for businesses. This PG discussed best practice and developed a member-only guidance document (released in June 2019), on how companies can successfully communicate about their sustainability efforts. |
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This PG oversaw a pilot on the implementation of a timber due diligence tool, which resulted in the development of a dedicated amfori BEPI tool: the Timber Due Diligence Programme, supporting companies in their due diligence and compliance with the EU Timber Regulation, was launched in February 2020 and is now available to all amfori BEPI members. |