IFEAT SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS 2026
2nd edition
Your sustainability story deserves recognition.
The F&F industry's only dedicated sustainability award, now in its second year.
IFEAT SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS 2026
2nd edition
Your sustainability story deserves recognition.
The F&F industry's only dedicated sustainability award, now in its second year.
ABOUT THE AWARD
Proof That Business and Planet Can Align.
That's exactly what the IFEAT Sustainability Awards exist to show. Now in our second edition, the Awards recognise IFEAT members whose projects deliver measurable environmental and socio-economic impact — demonstrating that sustainable business is not just possible, but scalable.
Shortlisted participants will present their projects at the IFEAT Conference in Bangkok — a powerful platform to share your proof with the global F&F community.
"These Awards recognise achievement, and also remind us that the future of our industry depends on the choices we make today."
Eduardo Mattoso · IFEAT Socio-Economic Committee Chair
Celebrating Sustainable Leadership
Recognising outstanding environmental and socio-economic initiatives driving meaningful change in the F&F industry.
Showcasing Innovation & Solutions
Spotlighting inspiring projects and proven best practices that motivate others to adopt impactful, scalable solutions.
Fostering Industry Collaboration
Creating a platform for dialogue and shared learning, encouraging partnerships for collective progress toward a sustainable future.
Award Categories
Who can apply?
Two categories. Four levels of recognition in each. Awards presented in Bangkok at the annual conference.
Category 1
1–250 Employees
Small & Medium Enterprises
Some of the most groundbreaking sustainability projects come from smaller, more agile companies. This category is for the pioneers proving that size is no barrier to impact.
Category 2
>250 Employees
Large Companies
Large companies have the reach to drive systemic change across global supply chains. This category recognises those using that scale responsibly — and ambitiously.
Eligibility
- ●Active IFEAT membership required
- ●All company sizes and countries eligible
- ●Implemented projects beyond pilot phase
- ●One application per company
- ●Submissions must be in English
- ●Previous year's project may be re-submitted
The Prizes
What do winners receive?
Winners will receive recognition across the global F&F community — and a stage to inspire the wider industry. Rewards vary by prize level.
New in 2026
People's Choice Award
The People's Choice Award puts the power of recognition in the hands of the F&F community. Throughout the conference, delegates vote via the app for their favourite project in both the SME and Large Company categories. Winners are announced at the closing banquet.
Evaluation Framework
How Applications Are Judged?
Applications go through a two-stage process. First, each submission is assessed using a structured scoring methodology developed by our external expert partner, Quantis — a leading global sustainability consultancy. The top shortlisted applications are then reviewed by the independent expert panel to select the final winners.
Environmental Impact
Does your project address a real environmental hotspot — reducing carbon emissions, improving water quality, or protecting and restoring biodiversity and ecosystems? Are the results tangible, measurable, and independently verified?
Socio-Economic Benefits
Does it improve the well-being of individuals and communities — through improved livelihoods, capacity building, economic resilience, or community health and safety? Can you show documented, verifiable outcomes that go beyond intention?
Scalability & Replicability
Could your approach work elsewhere — in other geographies, other parts of the business, or at greater scale? Are there major barriers, and how do you plan to overcome them?
Engagement
Does it bring meaningful partners together — across the supply chain, NGOs, academic institutions, or startups? How is the initiative communicated, and are key learnings shared to inspire wider adoption?
Each application is scored based on the maturity of the initiative, the strength of evidence provided, the scale of demonstrated impact, and the potential for wider adoption across the sector. The panel looks for implemented projects — beyond the pilot stage — with measurable outcomes.
Jury Panel
Meet the Expert Panel
Each application is reviewed by an independent panel of sustainability experts.
Rachna Sharma
Founder & CEO
Climate Ready Leaders
Hamish Taylor
Global Expert — Strategic Development, Value Chain Collaboration, Vanilla, HREDD & Biodiversity
Independent Expert
Gefei Yin
Founder & Chief Expert
GoldenBee
Charlotte Bande
Managing Director, Global Food & Bev Sector Lead
Quantis
Floriana Breyer
Researcher and Socio bioeconomy Articulator
Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas
Applicant Information Webinar
Date & Time
1 PM CET, 9 June 2026
topic
IFEAT Sustainability Awards 2026 — Understanding the Criteria, Process & Live Q&A
contact
FREE TO ENTER
Open to IFEAT Members
Enter the IFEAT Sustainability Awards 2026
Your sustainability story deserves recognition.
APPLICATIONS CLOSE 15 JULY 2026.
Meet the 2025 Winners
The inaugural IFEAT Sustainability Awards brought together outstanding projects from across the globe — recognised on stage at the IFEAT Conference in Göteborg. These are the projects that proved sustainable business is not just possible — but scalable, replicable, and inspiring.
SME Category | 1–250 Employees
Norex Flavours Private Limited
Project Sankalp for mint
Norex's Project Sankalp supports mint farmers in India through improved cultivation and distillation practices, including Early Mint Technology, farmer training and strong value-chain collaboration. The initiative helps farmers adopt more efficient production methods while improving resource use, soil health and income resilience. Its broad reach across communities makes it a strong example of a scalable and collaborative approach to sustainable mint sourcing.
Zalabí
Scalable circular model for regenerative oils in water-scarce Spain
Zalabi has developed a regenerative essential oil model in Spain, combining organic production, renewable energy, water recirculation and circular distillation practices. The project reduces reliance on scarce resources and creates local employment in the Guadix region. By integrating environmental stewardship with regional economic development, Zalabi demonstrates how regenerative agriculture can strengthen both resilience and long-term value creation.
Origin Oils Private Limited
Lemongrass on fallow land project
Origin Oils has transformed degraded land in Madhya Pradesh into lemongrass cultivation in partnership with tribal farmers, local authorities and research partners. The project promotes organic practices, soil restoration and farmer training, while offering communities a new income source through a guaranteed buyback model — a compelling example of how land can be regenerated into a sustainable, inclusive sourcing model.
Large Company Category | >250 Employees
Privi Speciality Chemicals
Bio-based Innovation
Privi has developed a bio-based innovation that transforms by-products such as turpentine derivatives into high-value aroma ingredients. The approach supports more responsible sourcing, reduces dependence on fossil-based alternatives and encourages better use of existing natural resources. Through certifications, supplier standards and collaboration across the value chain, the project shows how circular thinking can be embedded into ingredient innovation.
Mane Kancor
Sustainable and Traceable Mint Cultivation
Mane Kancor's project advances sustainable and traceable mint cultivation through improved agricultural practices, upgraded distillation methods, farmer training and certification. By helping farmers use resources more efficiently and strengthen the quality and traceability of production, the initiative contributes to more resilient mint supply chains — demonstrating how technical support and close farmer engagement can drive practical improvements at scale.
DSM-Firmenich
EcoScent Compass® Next Generation
DSM-Firmenich's EcoScent Compass® is a digital eco-design tool that integrates sustainability considerations directly into fragrance creation. By assessing environmental and social criteria during formulation, the tool enables teams to make more informed design choices and embed sustainability earlier in innovation — a long-term commitment to making sustainability more measurable, practical and actionable across the fragrance value chain.
What Makes a Strong Entry
Focus on one specific, implemented project — not your company's broader sustainability programme. The strongest applications tell a clear, measurable story: what you did, what changed, and what it proved.
Reflections from Edition 1
What Did We Learn?
Beyond celebrating the winners, the first edition offered a snapshot of where the industry stands on its sustainability journey — and where it is heading.
Sustainability in our industry is advancing along multiple paths — farming, chemistry, and technology. These solutions also raised important questions about accessibility and scalability, particularly for smaller enterprises.
"Ranking the many innovative applications was like solving a 54-facet Rubik's Cube: complex and multifaceted."
Peter Greenhalgh, IFEAT Sustainability Awards 2025
Mint Cultivation
Featured prominently as a testing ground for resilient, inclusive, and community-embedded farming models.
Regenerative Practices
Demonstrated how degraded land can be restored for long-term environmental and economic benefit.
Bio-Based Chemistry
Emerged as a key theme, reducing reliance on petrochemicals alongside eco-design and digital tools.
Eco-Design & Digital Tools
Digital traceability, real-time monitoring, and design-for-sustainability gaining significant traction across the sector.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know before applying. Can't find your answer here?
Contact the awards team directly at sustainability@ifeat.org — we're happy to help with any questions about eligibility, the application process, or the evaluation criteria.