Independent analyst firm Verdantix says the world’s largest food producers need to invest in more robust codes of conduct for the management of environmental issues in the supply chain and set a broader range of targets for improved future performance . A new Verdantix report finds significant variation in the ambition and robustness of the sustainable supply chain initiatives of 12 of the world’s largest food producers – Associated British Foods, ConAgra Foods, Danone, General Mills, Heinz, Kellogg, Kraft, Mars, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Sara Lee and Unilever – with collective revenues of $390 billion. The food producers have impressively detailed supplier codes of conduct for social issues such as child labour, collective bargaining, discrimination, health and safety and working hours, but just four of the firms in the study have invested in wide-ranging codes of conduct to guide the environmental performance of their suppliers.