Responsible Sourcing

Responsible sourcing is the primary objective for us to ensure the ingredients are organic.

Improving health, nutrition, and well-being by selecting the healthiest ingredients

Four essential criteria determine our approach to food procurement: safety, quality, proximity, and sustainability. Our ingredients are selected according to strict nutritional requirements and are subject to a rigorous and objective testing process. Our partners are required to follow our supplier specifications, and they receive support and assistance through a quality monitoring plan that includes regular audits. Just as our customers do at home, we buy and serve fresh food directly from local producers as well as food from large companies in the food industry.

Fostering economic, social, and environmental progress through an inclusive supply chain

Through a more inclusive supply chain, we are able to further our mission to develop the local communities in which we operate and deepen our commitment to diversity and inclusion. Smaller, more agile suppliers also give us access to new ideas and are closer to market trends.

Our Supply Chain Inclusion Program was launched in North America in 2001. Its goal is to include and promote more small businesses in our ecosystem of suppliers.

This program is now active worldwide and promotes the inclusion of suppliers that fall into the following three categories:

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
Companies owned and/or directed by women, minorities, or other underrepresented groups
Suppliers that actively support diversity and inclusion

Building a low carbon emissions supply chain to protect natural ecosystems

Emissions are generated at every step across our supply chain, from production to delivery, representing 50% of the company’s global carbon footprint. In addition to promoting low carbon emissions products, We choose suppliers that share our commitment to reduce emissions and involve them in our efforts as much as possible. We have strict rules about monitoring where our products come from and we regularly evaluate our suppliers’ efforts.

Deforestation, a major cause of global warming and loss of biodiversity

In partnership with the WWF, we have committed to eliminating deforestation from our supply chain by 2030. Four agricultural products, in particular, are at the heart of our plan: beef, soy, palm oil, and paper.

Zoom on Palm Oil

Globally, Sodexo has been a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) since 2011. We are transforming our procurement methods for the palm oil used in margarine and frying and cooking oil, raising awareness among our suppliers, teams, and clients, and training them on the importance of responsible palm oil production.

Taking action to improve animal welfare standards

In 2013,

we added 'protecting animal welfare' to supplier specifications and created an animal welfare charter in collaboration with experts in the field as well as our suppliers.

In Australia, we are now using only cage-free eggs (9 million eggs annually) on all our client sites and are progressively doing the same in all other markets.

Responsible Sourcing contributes to the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:

Local Initiatives

Australian Indigenous Coffee (AIC)

Over the span of six years, we have helped Australian Indigenous Coffee (AIC), an aboriginal family business and our partner since 2015, to become the top aboriginal coffee supplier in Western Australia. Partnerships and investment in aboriginal companies in the Torres Strait are part of our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) to support economic inclusion and supplier diversity in Australia.

Fairly-traded rice in Thailand

Rice farmers in Northeast Thailand produce rice of superior quality without using chemicals but the rice generally sells for a very low price. We are working with a local non-profit project to ensure that farmers receive fair payment for their products. We support the local economy by purchasing high-quality rice directly at a rate of 23 baht per kg instead of 5–10 baht.

Fair Trade Coffee in Singapore

Sodexo Singapore has been named one of UCC Coffee Singapore and The Kaffe 7's Business Partner of the Year for our support of sustainable, fair-trade coffee. Our purchase of ethical coffee beans for use by our in-house coffee brand, Aspretto, is in line with our commitment to support the development of healthy communities and ecosystems.