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INC Presents Sustainability Certification to US Industry Professionals

Following the formalization of its partnership with DFA of California as an official auditing body, the INC Sustainability Certification continues to gain strong momentum with first audits now underway! Most recently, the program was presented by INC Sustainability Manager, Ramon Botet, at Safe Food California—DFA’s flagship annual conference held in Monterey from April 7–9. The […]

Submit Your Entry for the INC Sustainability Award 2026!

Applications are now open! ➡ Download the Official Application Form – please read the guidelines below before filling it out. Showcase your company’s commitment to sustainability and gain global recognition at the 43rd World Nut & Dried Fruit Congress in Macao. The INC Sustainability Award honors outstanding initiatives in the nut and dried fruit industry across two categories: Back to the Planet: Honoring initiatives focused […]

EU: Parliament Approves Simplified Sustainability Reporting and Due Diligence Requirements

On December 9, 2025, the European Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement to simplify the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). On December 16, the European Parliament formally adopted the deal in a plenary vote. Under the text approved by Parliament, social and environmental reporting is only required for EU companies […]

EU: Revised Trade Rules to Incentivize Sustainability in Developing Countries

The EU’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP) removes import duties from products coming into the EU market from vulnerable developing countries. On December 1, 2025, the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament reached an agreement on a revision of the GSP. The revised GSP will: The provisional agreement will now be endorsed […]

COP30 Delivers Climate Action Agenda in Brazil

The 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) took place on November 6-21, 2025 in Belém, Brazil, bringing together the governments of signatory states to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), as well as experts and civil society, to accelerate global climate action. Notably, for the first time since the COP conference series began, […]

EU: Parliament Adopts Negotiating Position on Simplified Sustainability and Due Diligence Rules

During the plenary session of November 13, the European Parliament adopted its negotiating position on simplified sustainability reporting and due diligence duties for businesses. Under the Parliament’s position, sustainability reporting would be lighter and only necessary for larger companies (businesses employing on average over 1,750 employees and with a net annual turnover of over €450 […]

INC Sustainability Certification: What It Is and Why It Matters for Your Business

For the nut and dried fruit industry, sustainability isn’t a trend, it’s a strategic priority. That’s why the INC launched the INC Sustainability Institute: a global platform helping to raise sustainability standards within the industry, share expertise, and accelerate meaningful progress across the supply chain.  At the heart of this initiative is the INC Sustainability Certification, […]

INC Sustainability Certification Officially Launches: First Standards Now Available!

On October 9, 2025, the INC officially launched its Sustainability Certification at its headquarters in Reus, during the NUTS 2025 research event. This landmark initiative is the first certification designed exclusively for the global nut and dried fruit sector, tailored to the unique challenges and characteristics of the industry. A Milestone for the Industry “For […]

EU: 50% Pesticide Reduction Target Reached Ahead of Schedule

In 2020, the European Commission announced two non-legally binding pesticide reduction targets: a 50% reduction in the use and risk of chemical pesticides, and a 50% reduction in the use of more hazardous pesticides (the so-called “candidates for substitution”). According to the most recent annual progress report published by the Commission, the first of these targets has already […]

EU: Updated Proposal to Restrict PFAS  

PFASs are a group of thousands of almost exclusively man-made substances that are used in numerous applications, including food packaging. Concerns about PFAS mainly come from their environmental persistence and potential health effects.  The publication of the updated proposal comes after an assessment of more than 5,600 scientific and technical comments received from third parties […]

EU: Recommendation on Voluntary Sustainability Reporting for SMEs 

In July, the European Commission adopted a recommendation on voluntary sustainability reporting for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The recommendation presents a voluntary standard that will make it easier for SMEs that are not covered by the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) to respond to specific requests for sustainability information from large financial institutions and companies.  To […]

USA: Expedited Disaster Assistance for Farmers  

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced in July that agricultural producers who suffered eligible crop losses due to natural disasters in 2023 and 2024 could apply for US$16 billion in assistance through the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP).  To expedite the implementation of SDRP, the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is delivering assistance in two stages. This […]

EU: “Quick Fix” Adopted for Companies Already Conducting Corporate Sustainability Reporting

On July 11, 2025, the European Commission adopted targeted “quick fix” amendments to the first set of European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). These amendments are intended to reduce burden and increase certainty for companies that had to start reporting for financial year 2024 (commonly referred to as “wave one” companies). According to the current ESRS, companies reporting on […]

UK: Green Taxonomy Plans Scrapped After Public Consultation

On July 15, 2025, the UK government announced that it would not move forward with creating a UK Green Taxonomy. In light of the results of a public consultation, the government concluded that a UK Green Taxonomy would not be the most effective tool to deliver the green transition and should not be part of the country’s sustainable […]

GRI: Launch of New Climate Change and Energy Standards

In June 2025, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) announced the launch of new climate change and energy standards to empower organizations to take accountability for their impacts and accelerate climate action. Both standards are based on scientific and authoritative global instruments on climate change and fully aligned with the GHG Protocol. This article originally appeared on inc.nutfruit.org.

EU: Taxonomy Simplification Measures

On July 4, 2025, the European Commission adopted a set of measures to simplify the application of the EU Taxonomy, the EU’s classification system of sustainable economic activities and investments. The changes are intended to reduce the administrative burden for EU companies, thus enhancing EU competitiveness while preserving core climate and environmental goals. The main […]

EU: Commission Guidance on Deforestation Regulation  

In June 2025, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) announced the launch of new climate change and energy The European Commission has published a notice providing clarifications and guidance on certain aspects of Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR).  In particular, the notice clarifies the circumstances under which packing does not fall under the scope of the EUDR:   In addition, the […]

EU: Council Approves Negotiating Mandate on Simplifying Sustainability Reporting and Due Diligence Requirements

On June 25, 2025, EU member states’ representatives agreed on the Council’s negotiating mandate on simplifying sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements to boost EU competitiveness. The proposal, which forms part of the “Omnibus I” package adopted by the Commission in February, aims to simplify the directives on corporate sustainability reporting and due diligence by reducing the […]

EU: Commission Withdraws Green Claims Proposal

On June 20, 2025, the European Commission announced its intention to withdraw its Green Claims proposal, as reported by Euronews. This surprise decision marks the latest withdrawal of a major Green Deal initiative following the publication of the Commission’s “Omnibus” package aimed at simplifying EU legislation. Initially proposed in March 2023, the Green Claims Directive was […]

Türkiye-Georgia: Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Update

The hazelnuts round table at the INC Congress in Mallorca featured interesting updates on efforts in Türkiye and Georgia to mitigate the threat of the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB). Native to Asia, the BMSB was first detected in Türkiye around 2017–2018 and was initially confined to the Rize and Artvin regions. Since then, it […]

EU: Parliament Votes to Delay Application of Due Diligence and Sustainability Reporting Rules.

On April 3, 2025, the European Parliament voted to postpone the application dates for new EU laws on due diligence and sustainability reporting requirements. The Parliament’s vote comes after the Council approved its negotiating mandate in late March. Member states will have an extra year —until July 26, 2027— to transpose the new due diligence rules into national legislation. The one-year […]

Spain: New Food Waste Prevention Law

Spain has passed a new law on food waste prevention. Effective as of April 1, 2025, the law aims to reduce food waste through mandatory measures across the food supply chain. Key provisions: Specific sector requirements: Exemptions include businesses with fewer than 10 employees, small farms, and establishments under 1,300m². Companies have until April 2026 to […]

UK: Government Launches National Action Plan on Pesticides

On March 21, 2025, the United Kingdom announced a new National Action Plan on Pesticides. The plan envisages a future of more sustainable pesticide use, while boosting food production in the long term. The plan sets out how all four UK governments will support farmers, growers, and other land managers to voluntarily increase their use […]