Producer Day 2026

We’ll kick off the day with a clear view of the key sustainability, regulatory and supply chain developments shaping the industry. Get the context you need for the sessions ahead — and a head start on what to focus on next.

International retailers in food and non-food have a responsibility to assure legal compliance when it comes to their private label assortment. They largely depend on their suppliers to provide them with the right information. What are their expectations when it comes to the role of AI in supplier relations? And more specifically on PPWR: what do the individual retailers expect from their private label suppliers and their packaging producers?

Auditing is a common tool used by retailers and producers when it comes to topics like food safety and human rights. Can auditing also play a role when it comes to PPWR? More and more buyers want to understand how, and if, their suppliers have implemented an effective PPWR management system. Can the data that they deliver be trusted in a structural way? To solve this challenge the IFS has successfully developed the IFS PPWR check. How does this check work and how can results be used?

AI will radically reduce the cost of collecting, interpreting and validating PPWR data. But as asking becomes easier, trusted supplier data and human attention become more valuable. What happens when every company can automate thousands of data requests? Where will AI truly transform compliance, where will human judgement and relationships remain essential, and how do we move towards a model where verified data is asked once and used many times?

From 27 September 2026, the EU’s anti-greenwashing rules will change the way companies communicate about sustainability. Generic claims such as “eco-friendly”, “green” and “climate neutral through offsetting” will face new restrictions — across packaging, webshops, advertising and social media. Which claims can you still make, what evidence do you need, and how can you assess and manage claim risks across your supplier base? Join this session for a practical approach to staying compliant while keeping your sustainability communication credible.

With the Forced Labor regulation coming into force, the challenges of setting priorities become relevant again. Where to start? What data to trust? ImpactBuying has selected the WUR risk methodology as the basis for their risk ranking method. What is that methodology? How does it work and what is the benefit for retailers and producers with the new Forced Labor regulation coming up?

Collecting packaging data for PPWR compliance is only the starting point. The same data can help companies calculate — and potentially reduce — their Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees. But calculating recyclability and score isn’t that easy at scale. On top of that, EPR schemes, reporting requirements and fee structures differ from country to country, making this a complex and time-consuming task. Packaging Cockpit will show how they turn packaging data collected through ImpactBuying into country-specific EPR calculations and actionable insights. What does this look like in practice, and how can you make PPWR compliance financially valuable?

Retailers and producers are measuring product-level emissions at scale — but everyone does it slightly differently. Different methods, assumptions and data sources produce numbers that cannot be compared, and suppliers who answer the same question five times over. It costs time and delivers no actual reduction. The Global Sustainable Transition Alliance (GSTA), led by WRAP and Wageningen University & Research, is building a globally aligned, technology-agnostic standard for product footprints, consistent with SBTi, the GHG Protocol, PACT and ISO. Where does PCF harmonisation stand today? What does this mean for your Scope 3 reporting? How to start collecting data now without having to start over later?

Bring together the key takeaways from the day and get your last questions answered. What should you act on now, what can wait, and how do you turn today’s insights into practical next steps? Join the discussion, share your questions and leave with a clear view of what comes next.