The Consumer Goods Forum
The Consumer Goods Forum is a CEO-led, Paris-headquartered global membership organization convening approximately 380 retailers and manufacturers across 70 countries to drive pre-competitive collaboration on sustainability, human rights, food safety, and digital transformation through coalitions, voluntary standards, and flagship events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Consumer Goods Forum does
The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) is a CEO-led, global, parity-based membership organization headquartered in Paris that convenes retailers and manufacturers across the consumer goods value chain for pre-competitive collaboration. It serves approximately 380 member companies operating in 70 countries and representing €5.2 trillion in combined sales, governed by a Board of Directors composed of 57 CEOs and currently co-chaired by Max Koeune (McCain Foods) and Ken Murphy (Tesco). The organization's product portfolio is organized into six Coalitions of Action (Healthier Lives, Human Rights, Climate Transition, Food Waste, Forest Positive, and Plastic Waste), three Industry Solutions (Data-Driven Value Chain, Global Food Safety Initiative, and Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative), and a calendar of flagship events including the Global Summit, GFSI Conference, Sustainable Retail Summit, and Future Leaders Programme.
CGF's underlying technology consists primarily of voluntary industry standards, benchmarking frameworks, and open-source collaboration tooling rather than a unified software platform. Notable technical assets include the GFSI food safety benchmarking framework (covering 75% of global social audits through SSCI), the nine Golden Design Rules for plastic packaging, the Food Loss and Waste Standard, the Fractals open-source platform for pre-competitive ESG data exchange (pilot launched August 2024), and the QR Code Implementation Guideline built on GS1 standards to support the Sunrise 2027 global barcode migration. The organization operates regional offices in Paris, Shanghai, Bogotá, and Singapore to localize execution. CGF is a nonprofit funded primarily through membership dues; specific pricing tiers are not publicly disclosed. The primary customer segments are enterprise retailers and manufacturers, with secondary segments including supply chain, sustainability, and procurement leaders within those member companies.
The Consumer Goods Forum firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Consumer Goods Forum
- Legal name
- The Consumer Goods Forum
- Website
- https://theconsumergoodsforum.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Consumer Goods Forum is a CEO-led, Paris-headquartered global membership organization convening approximately 380 retailers and manufacturers across 70 countries to drive pre-competitive collaboration on sustainability, human rights, food safety, and digital transformation through coalitions, voluntary standards, and flagship events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Consumer Goods Forum industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industry Trade Association
- NAICS
- Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Product & Innovation Summits (Roadmap, Launch Readiness, Innovation Days) (THAHAMAG)
Keywords
Where The Consumer Goods Forum is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
The Consumer Goods Forum business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels10 records
The Consumer Goods Forum product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) is a CEO-led, global membership organization that brings together consumer goods retailers, manufacturers, and service providers in pre-competitive collaboration. It operates a portfolio of Coalitions of Action (Healthier Lives, Human Rights, Climate Transition, Food Waste, Forest Positive, Plastic Waste), Industry Solutions (Data-Driven Value Chain, Global Food Safety Initiative, Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative), and signature events (Global Summit, Sustainable Retail Summit, GFSI Conference, Future Leaders Programme). Its commercial product is paid membership, supported by benchmarking standards, frameworks, open-source platforms, and events.
Product overview
The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) is a CEO-led, global membership organisation that serves as a collective platform for retailers and manufacturers to drive positive change across the consumer goods industry. Rather than offering a single unified software product, CGF provides a portfolio of Coalitions of Action (Healthier Lives, Human Rights, Climate Transition, Food Waste, Forest Positive, and Plastic Waste), Industry Solutions (Data-Driven Value Chain, Global Food Safety Initiative, and Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative), and signature events (Global Summit, GFSI Conference, Sustainable Retail Summit, and Future Leaders Programme). These initiatives are supported by practical toolkits, frameworks (including Golden Design Rules, Common Data Framework, and Supplier Decarbonisation Playbook), open-source platforms (Fractals), and pilot programmes (Reuse City Canada Project). The organisation facilitates pre-competitive collaboration to address shared challenges in sustainability, human rights, food safety, and digital transformation across the global value chain.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI): Industry solution focused on benchmarking and harmonizing voluntary food safety certification programmes to drive continuous improvement in food safety from farm to fork
- Data-Driven Value Chain (DDVC)
- Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative (SSCI)
- Climate Transition Coalition
- Food Waste Coalition of Action
- Forest Positive Coalition
- Healthier Lives Coalition
- Human Rights Coalition
- Plastic Waste Coalition of Action
- Global Summit
- Sustainable Retail Summit
- Future Leaders Programme
- GFSI Conference
- IOO·HORIZON
- DDVC SpringBoard
Products and services
- Healthier Lives Coalition
Quantifiable outcome
- 91% of Human Rights Coalition member companies reached HRDD maturity in own operations (December 2025)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use The Consumer Goods Forum
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Consumer Goods Forum technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature5 records
The Consumer Goods Forum partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- NIQminorNIQ presented new analysis at the CGF Global Summit in Vienna revealing that nearly one in three Western consumers now purchase products first discovered on social platforms, as AI and emerging commerce models accelerate a shift toward discovery-led commerce. The research highlights that retail media has grown into a $184 billion global market.
- RepositcoreCGF's Plastic Waste Coalition of Action partnered with Reposit to launch the Reuse City Canada Project — a city-scale reusable packaging pilot in Ottawa, Q3 2026. The initiative allows shoppers to buy everyday products in durable containers, pay a refundable deposit, and return empties at participating stores for professional cleaning and reuse. Major retailers and brands including Loblaw, L'Oréal, Procter & Gamble, Shoppers Drug Mart, Real Canadian Superstore, Unilever, and Walmart Canada are taking part alongside packaging and technology partners Amcor, Avery Dennison, and IBM.
- Bain & CompanycoreCGF's Plastic Waste Coalition of Action partnered with Bain & Company on the report 'Exploring AI for Packaging Circularity,' identifying AI as a key tool for packaging circularity. The report found that 30% of companies are already using AI across the packaging lifecycle and 70% see the biggest impact at the design stage. Four standout AI use cases were profiled including packaging design optimisation, generative design, advanced sorting, and material traceability.
- CapgeminicoreCGF's Food Waste Coalition partnered with Capgemini to release the report 'Turning waste into value,' reframing food waste as a strategic business opportunity. The report documents that approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of food are lost or wasted annually, resulting in $940 billion in economic damage and 3.3 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, and proposes a two-pronged approach combining waste prevention with valorization strategies.
- Boston Consulting Group (BCG)coreBCG and The Consumer Goods Forum released a joint report finding that 75% of CPG companies and 40% of retailers remain in early AI adoption stages, with more than half not formally measuring AI ROI despite identifying AI as a strategic priority. The report surveyed 39 senior executives and found that scaling AI across demand-generating processes could deliver 220-350 basis points of cumulative EBIT for CPGs and 180-360 basis points for retailers.
- Race to Zero CampaigncoreCGF became an official 'Accelerator' of the Race to Zero Campaign in November 2021, committing to drive emissions reduction across the consumer goods sector through its Climate Transition Coalition.
- GS1coreCGF's Data-Driven Value Chain initiative works with GS1 on advancing the voluntary industry-wide migration to 2D QR codes based on GS1 standards, preparing for Sunrise 2027. The DDVC has also launched a QR Code Implementation Guideline and GS1 Standards Curriculum to support global implementation.
- Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)coreThrough the Healthier Lives Coalition, CGF partners with GAIN to support employee health and wellbeing. The Workforce Nutrition Alliance (WNA), launched in October 2019, reached 6 million people through improved workforce nutrition programmes by March 2025, doubling the number of countries from 14 to 100.
- WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme)minorCGF, WRAP, and WRI streamline food waste reporting with a Common Reporting Deadline for 2025, helping companies align their sustainability reporting on food waste reduction.
- World Resources Institute (WRI)minorCGF partners with WRI alongside WRAP to harmonise food waste reporting standards and establish a common reporting deadline for 2025.
- U.S. Plastics PactminorCGF is listed alongside U.S. Plastics Pact and Green Blue Institute as part of the environmental groups subpoenaed by Florida's Attorney General in April 2026 as part of an antitrust investigation. The CGF is a founding or member organisation of the U.S. Plastics Pact collaborative initiative aimed at sustainable packaging.
- Fair Labour Association (FLA)coreCGF's Human Rights Coalition partnered with the Fair Labour Association in June 2021 to advance human rights due diligence across consumer goods supply chains, with a focus on forced labour eradication.
- International Organization for Migration (IOM)coreCGF's Human Rights Coalition partnered with IOM in June 2021 to support the implementation of human rights due diligence frameworks in consumer goods supply chains.
- AIM-ProgressminorCGF's Human Rights Coalition partnered with AIM-Progress in November 2024 on the Converged HREDD Assessment Tool & Guidance, promoting harmonisation of human rights due diligence efforts across the industry.
- SourceUpminorForest Positive Coalition launched a partnership with SourceUp in Q3 2024 to support production landscape collaboration and transparent reporting on deforestation- and conversion-free supply chains.
- International Cocoa Initiative (ICI)minorCGF members including Mondelēz International continue sector-wide collaborations including partnerships with the International Cocoa Initiative as part of human rights due diligence in cocoa supply chains.
- International Labour Organization (ILO)minorCGF members engage with the ILO as part of sector-wide collaborations to advance human rights due diligence and address forced labour in supply chains.
- BonsucrominorMondelēz International joined Bonsucro as a member for sugarcane sustainability as part of its supply chain due diligence efforts, contributing to industry-wide collaboration facilitated through CGF forums.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves14 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Consumer Goods Forum competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Consumer Brands Association: US-based trade association representing leading consumer packaged goods manufacturers. Closest direct peer to CGF, but scoped to the US and manufacturers-only, whereas CGF is global and retailer-manufacturer.
- World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD): CEO-led business organisation focused on sustainable development, with member companies from multiple sectors. Closely comparable membership-based, CEO-led model and overlap on climate and ESG standards work that competes for member mindshare.
- BSR (Business for Social Responsibility): Sustainable business network and consultancy working with member companies on ESG strategy, supply chain and human rights. Operates a similar member-collaboration model with deep overlap on human rights due diligence and supply chain sustainability.
- Sustainable Packaging Coalition: Industry working group advancing sustainable packaging, jointly targeted by the same Florida AG investigation. Highly comparable in mission to CGF's Plastic Waste Coalition, with US focus and overlapping member companies.
Broad incumbents
- World Economic Forum (WEF): Global CEO-led multi-stakeholder forum convening business, government and civil society. Comparable pre-competitive convening model but much broader (cross-industry) and larger; CGF operates the same playbook at industry-specific depth.
- International Chamber of Commerce (ICC): World business organisation representing more than 45 million companies across sectors and geographies. Comparable global convening role for business on standards, policy and trade, with partial overlap on ESG and supply chain standards development.
Regional players
- FoodDrinkEurope: European federation of food and drink industry associations representing manufacturers. Comparable trade-association role for the CPG sector but Europe-only, competing with CGF for policy influence and member engagement on food-related initiatives.
- AIM (European Brands Association): European trade association representing branded goods manufacturers on policy, sustainability and supply chain. Regional peer overlapping with CGF on EU-level advocacy for branded consumer goods manufacturers.
Others
- GS1: Global standards organisation for barcodes and supply-chain data. CGF's primary partner on QR/Sunrise 2027 and the Fractals platform; adjacent rather than competitive, and the most relevant peer for CGF's Data-Driven Value Chain programme.
- Ellen MacArthur Foundation: Charity working on circular economy with which CGF's Plastic Waste Coalition launched. Adjacent ecosystem player driving similar packaging circularity and reuse agenda, and overlapping partner on industry commitments.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Consumer Goods Forum social profiles
Digital presenceThe Consumer Goods Forum financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Consumer Goods Forum leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
The Consumer Goods Forum funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Consumer Goods Forum M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Consumer Goods Forum
What does The Consumer Goods Forum do?
The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) is a CEO-led, global membership organization that brings together consumer goods retailers, manufacturers, and service providers in pre-competitive collaboration. It operates a portfolio of Coalitions of Action (Healthier Lives, Human Rights, Climate Transition, Food Waste, Forest Positive, Plastic Waste), Industry Solutions (Data-Driven Value Chain, Global Food Safety Initiative, Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative), and signature events (Global Summit, Sustainable Retail Summit, GFSI Conference, Future Leaders Programme). Its commercial product is paid membership, supported by benchmarking standards, frameworks, open-source platforms, and events.
Is The Consumer Goods Forum a public or private company?
The Consumer Goods Forum is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Consumer Goods Forum founded?
The Consumer Goods Forum was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Consumer Goods Forum based?
The Consumer Goods Forum is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
Who are The Consumer Goods Forum's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Consumer Brands Association, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), BSR (Business for Social Responsibility) and Sustainable Packaging Coalition. Broad incumbents are World Economic Forum (WEF) and International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Regional players are FoodDrinkEurope and AIM (European Brands Association). Others are GS1 and Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
Does The Consumer Goods Forum have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Consumer Goods Forum.
What industry is The Consumer Goods Forum in?
The Consumer Goods Forum's product category is Industry Trade Association. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAC, Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking, with a secondary code of THAHAMAG, Product & Innovation Summits (Roadmap, Launch Readiness, Innovation Days). Its NAICS code is 56192.