Sustainability in the pressure of time

This article is available for reading in Trade magazin 2025/8-9.

FAO, GREEN BRANDS and the Hungarian Association of Environmental Enterprises (KSZGYSZ) all support systemic solutions that help economic actors and society build a more liveable, fair and competitive future.

FAO: responses at local and global levels

Oksana Sapiga
communications and
partnerships specialist
FAO

All over the world agricultural and food systems are facing numerous serious and interrelated challenges that require coordinated system-level responses.

According to FAO’s communications and partnerships specialist Oksana Sapiga, one such challenge is the growing impact of climate change, which manifests itself in intensifying heat waves, heavy rainfall, droughts and other extreme weather events. These drastically affect food security, nutrition and livelihoods.

“To support the adaptation of agri-food systems and reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions, the international community must increase agricultural financing for climate change – and FAO is helping countries to do so”,

she says.

The expert warns that addressing the impacts of climate change on agriculture has never been more urgent. FAO is working to make agri-food systems more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable. They are collecting and promoting good practices tailored to local conditions.

GREEN BRANDS: credibility, reliability and transparency

From 2025 all GREEN BRANDS labels are supplemented with a unique identifier (GB-ID), taking the independent European sustainability label to a new level in terms of green certification requirements.

Hajnalka Kovács-Czövek
country manager
GREEN BRANDS Hungary

 “As an international, independent brand assessment organisation, GREEN BRANDS has been awarding its green label to ecologically sustainable brands since 2011. The label can be used by companies that meet the strict environmental certification criteria of GREEN BRANDS. The label is a sustainability certificate registered and recognised in the EU”,

says Hajnalka Kovács-Czövek, country manager of GREEN BRANDS Hungary.

Only those “green” brands can obtain the certification that respond to consumers’ growing awareness of sustainability, environmental protection and healthy lifestyles. Regardless of industry or company size, anyone who achieves a GB index of 51% can get it –the key is sustainable operation.

GREEN BRANDS already offers four types of sustainability audits, but new ones are planned to satisfy market needs.

KSZGYSZ: a green future with a competitive edge

Gergely Hankó
managing director
KSZGYSZ

Gergely Hankó, managing director of the Hungarian Association of Environmental Enterprises (KSZGYSZ) points out that sustainability is no longer just a matter of principle – it also determines business survival.

“Adapting to environmental challenges can’t be delayed and it is becoming increasingly clear: what is still an option today will be an expectation tomorrow. KSZGYSZ has been working for 33 years to make change happen”,

says Gergely Hankó.

In their experience there is still a great deal of ignorance in the field of sustainability. The association’s domestic and international projects – with the involvement of member companies – present serious professional challenges and valuable opportunities on a daily basis, in the areas of river protection cooperation, air quality, the circular economy or school science communication programmes.

KSZGYSZ has begun preparations for the 2026 edition of the very successful Green Economy 2023-2024 study series. This report summarises the experiences and recommendations of the domestic environmental sector.