The Consumer Goods Forum

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.

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

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

• Industry membership association
• Consumer goods collaboration
• Food safety benchmarking
• Sustainability coalition network
• Supply chain standards

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core 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

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• NIQminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2026NIQ 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.
• RepositcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2026CGF'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 & CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 January 2026CGF'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.
• CapgeminicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 January 2026CGF'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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025BCG 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 CampaigncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2021CGF 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.
• GS1coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2019CGF'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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough 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)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCGF, 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)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCGF partners with WRI alongside WRAP to harmonise food waste reporting standards and establish a common reporting deadline for 2025.
• U.S. Plastics PactminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCGF 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCGF'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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCGF'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-ProgressminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCGF'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.
• SourceUpminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerForest 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)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCGF 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)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCGF members engage with the ILO as part of sector-wide collaborations to advance human rights due diligence and address forced labour in supply chains.
• BonsucrominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMondelēz 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

Direct 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

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-consumer-goods-forum
• Xx.com/cgf_the_forum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Consumer Goods Forum