The Food Security Standard Hosts Panel at the 2025 Global Forum for Food and Agriculture

Leaders, policymakers and experts from more than 80 countries convened in Berlin for the 2025 Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA), where the Food Security Standard (FSS) held a panel on aligning sustainable biomass production with human rights and food security.

Meo Carbon Solutions‘ project manager, Lisa Marie Pyka, moderated the panel discussion on „Aligning Biomass Production With HRDD and Local Food Security: Practical Approaches.“

The panel brought together a diverse range of perspectives—legal, academic, standard owners, companies and social auditors—to create a dynamic dialogue. The key takeaway from the panel is that collaboration across supply chains is essential for effective human rights due diligence (HRDD) fulfilment. No single actor can bear the responsibility alone—shared responsibility and aligned compliance mechanisms are the way forward.

Three core insights emerged from the discussion:

  1. Farmer organisations need more support; they cannot shoulder all compliance costs alone.
  2. Companies also require guidance to efficiently navigate regulatory requirements.
  3. Certification is a powerful tool for supporting companies on their sustainability journey.

Max Jürgens, a lawyer for trade compliance at Cattwyk and one of our panellists, best summarised these ideas:

  1. Sustainability Certifications are a Tool, Not a Magic Fix: Certifications are vital in ensuring accountability but are not without challenges. Conflicts of interest and weak governance in on-site inspections can undermine their credibility. We need robust systems to strengthen trust and reliability.
  2. HRDD is a Shared Responsibility: Suppliers in the Global South work tirelessly to meet compliance standards, but they cannot bear the weight of these expectations alone. Collaboration and cost-sharing are essential to foster equitable partnerships and sustainable outcomes.
  3. HRDD is a Marathon, Not a Sprint: Change takes time. Quick fixes like „cut-and-run“ approaches do more harm than good. Long-term engagement and support are key to driving meaningful and lasting improvements in supply chains.

To highlight the closing words from Swantje Nilsson from the Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft (BMEL): „To scale up social sustainability, we need long-term commitment from companies and local producers. Addressing human rights risks, particularly the right to food, is not just ethical—it’s smart business.“

You can watch the full panel on YouTube.

We would like to extend a special thanks to our panelists and speakers: Lisa Marie Pyka (Meo Carbon Solutions), Dr. Rafaël Schneider (Welthungerhilfe (WHH)), Dr. Jan Henke (Meo Carbon Solutions), Theresa Heering (WHH), Professor Dr. Lena Partzsch (Freie Universität Berlin), Max Jürgens (Cattwyk), Pia Lorenz (4C Services), Benedetta Camilli (Eni), Michael K. (independent auditor) and Swantje Nilsson (BMEL).