CPF wins Water Footprint certification

Its fresh chicken and tender chicken breast received the certification from Thailand’s Water Institute for Sustainability. At the same time, two of the company’s plants also received a certification of participation for being a part of the Water Footprint Assessment pilot project from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

The project is a cooperation between Government and the private sector, enabling companies to meet the demand for sustainable business.

Water shortages and water pollution

The Water Footprint Assessment concept began in 2002 and was introduced by Dutch professor Arjen Hoekstra. Its calculator depicts the amount of water that is inherent in a product which can be used to assess the impact on production and trade with the use of water resources. It helps provide better understanding on issues such as water shortages and water pollution as well as dealing with problems associated with overall production and supply chain.

Thailand is among the world’s top ten countries with high usage of water for agro-industrial and food production purposes. According to Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) statistics – dating to 2014 – only India, China, the United States, Pakistan and Japan used for more water per person, with Thai consumption standing at 2,131 cubic metres per person.

Kularb Kimsri, vice president of CPF Global Standards System Centre, said the company’s decision to participate in the pilot project was in response to the global demand for sustainable water consumption.

Integrated supply chains

“This label reflects the company’s capability as a safe and responsible food producer. CPF has ultimate goals to create food security and continuously develop sustainable foods,” she said.

She said the firm’s integrated supply chains meant it was easier to assess the product’s water footprint precisely: “Moreover, the cross-checking of data has been done by the third party to ensure that the information reflects realistic results.”