Partnerships in action
Central to IDH’s approach is the belief that lasting change depends on shared responsibility and strong collaboration across entire sectors and value chains. In these videos, partners from IDH’s Sector Initiatives reflect on why working collectively is so effective, and how coordinated action across multiple actors can turn shared ambitions into concrete actions that can be measured and sustained over time.
Sector Initiatives
Running since 2010, the Sector Initiatives have been one of IDH’s most established programs. These international, membership-based platforms - across sectors including fruit and vegetables, juice, vanilla and spices - were launched, hosted and supported by IDH with the aim of helping companies align around standards, shared sustainability ambitions and address environmental, social and sourcing risks that no single actor could solve alone.
In 2025, several sector initiatives reached independence from IDH, becoming increasingly member-governed and funded. Partners are now taking a stronger role in shaping solutions that are commercially viable, responding to real market needs, and helping influence global sustainability agendas in these sectors. IDH continues to play a role as a knowledge partner and advisor for some of them, ensuring that impact remains central to collective action.
Between 2021 and 2025, many initiatives committed to climate action through net-zero targets and regulations requiring companies to measure and demonstrate their environmental footprint, yet no common framework existed to apply this consistently across supply chains. In response, IDH developed a shared methodology that evolved from a measurement tool into a cross-sector approach for identifying environmental hotspots and aligning priorities across industries including fruit and vegetables, aquaculture, juice and spices.
Partner reflections
We interviewed partners from the Sustainability Initiative Fruit and Vegetables (SIFAV), Sustainable Spices Initiative (SSI), Sustainable Vanilla Initiative (SVI and Sustainable Juice Covenant (SJC). Hear their individual reflections on what makes these collaborations work, what they are most proud of, and how collective action has helped accelerate progress that no single organisation could achieve alone.
We moved from talking about sustainability to actually putting it into practice.
Piet Haasen from Riedel reflects on the journey from early conversations to real action—showing how the Sustainable Juice Covenant is driving measurable progress towards a fully sustainable supply and what that shift has meant in practice. Hear from Piet on how ambition is being turned into real, measurable results.
You can’t solve these challenges alone—you need the whole sector at the table.
Michel Havermans from Verstegen talks about how working through the Sustainable Spices Initiative allows companies to act on shared data, align their efforts, and take on complex sustainability challenges in a more coordinated and effective way. Hear from Michel to understand how shared data is changing the way companies tackle issues together.
Sustainability in vanilla used to be niche - today, the entire industry is aligned.
Pauline Kosten from The Magnum Ice Cream Company talks about why a whole‑sector approach is essential to making vanilla more sustainable—and how the Sustainable Vanilla Initiative is aligning the industry, improving livelihoods, and driving long-term change including milestones like the 2030 Vanilla Charter. Hear from Pauline on what industry alignment looks like in practice and why it matters.
Working together across governments, NGOs and the private sector is the only way to drive sustainable change.
Alfons van Gulick from NedSpice shares how the Sustainable Spices Initiative has grown into a global platform – bringing together key actors to strengthen supply chains, improve farmer outcomes and build long-term credibility for the sector. Hear from Alfons on how collaboration at scale is shaping the future of the spices sector.
It really helps if we have one vision, one shared goal, and one story to our suppliers.
Jildou Smit, from Bakker (a Greenyard company), shares how the Sustainable Initative for Fruit and Vegetables helps align the sector around common standards and tools, making it easier to drive progress with suppliers and turn shared goals into practical action. Hear from Jildou on how a shared approach is simplifying sustainability across the sector.
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The Sustainable Spices Initiative (SSI) brings together companies and organisations to improve how spices are grown sustainably and traded fairly. Collectively, members share practical solutions to create a positive impact for farmers and workers (focusing on preventing child labour and supporting a living income), while measuring and reducing environmental impact, including carbon emissions, agrochemical use, water, and biodiversity.
Recognising the need for local capacity, SSI has established platforms in key sourcing regions - SSI Vietnam, the National Sustainable Spices Program (NSSP) in India, and SSI Indonesia - bringing stakeholders together to address country-specific challenges. Together, they promote responsible sourcing and support a more secure future for the global spice industry. For example, IDH-funded pilots have tested environmental innovations that were later scaled by companies like NedSpice and adopted more widely across India—demonstrating how innovation can lead to systemic change.
The Sustainable Juice Covenant (SJC) is a platform for bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders – processors, brands and associations - to improve how juice is sourced and produced. Members share practical solutions to address environmental impact, social conditions, and transparency across supply chains, with a joint goal of 100% sustainable sourcing by 2030. Founded in 2017, SJC has grown into a global platform representing much of the European market. Through working groups and in-country engagement, it tackles key challenges and supports measurable progress. Coordinated by IDH, the initiative helps partners collaborate, test solutions, and scale efforts to build a more sustainable and resilient juice sector.
The Sustainable Vanilla Initiative (SVI), established in 2015, is a voluntary, industry-led effort to support a stable, long-term supply of high-quality natural vanilla produced in a socially, environmentally, and economically responsible way. Its members work to ensure the value chain benefits all participants, starting with better incomes and conditions for farmers. Coordinated by IDH in partnership with the Sustainable Food Lab, SVI brings together producers, exporters, industry groups, and public bodies to address key issues such as governance, traceability, labour standards, and technical support for farming communities.
The Sustainability Initiative Fruit and Vegetables (SIFAV) has evolved into a leading platform for driving social and environmental impact across global supply chains. Its strength lies in collaborative working groups and country-level programmes that address critical issues such as decent working conditions, living wages, and smallholder resilience. These groups have matured from knowledge-sharing forums into engines of practical change, delivering measurable improvements on the ground. For example, SIFAV members have implemented projects to improve labour conditions and strengthen social compliance systems, supported by IDH’s convening and technical expertise. This approach has enabled companies to move beyond compliance toward systemic change, embedding social sustainability into business practices.