Weekly Digest: Symrise reaffirmed as a sustainable company, Givaudan launches digital campaign which “engages the senses”

In brief: Sustainability
The Ethibel Sustainability Index (ESI) Europe has reaffirmed Symrise as a sustainable company. The fragrance and flavoring manufacturer from Holzminden impressed the international sustainability experts of the Belgian non-profit organization “Forum Ethibel” once again with its commitment. The index includes 200 companies from throughout Europe. Symrise racked up points in all four reviewed categories. These include internal social policy, environmental policy, external social policy and ethical-economical policy. The index uses data from Vigeo Eiris, a leading European sustainability rating agency, which evaluates companies, countries and public institutes according to a catalog of criteria. The index is reviewed twice a year based on this data and adjusted as needed.

 

In the same week, on April 11, 2018, Symrise inaugurated its new creative center in Pudong, Shanghai. The production facility in Nantong will also be celebrating the completion of the first construction phase. China is one of the key sales markets for the fragrance and flavoring manufacturer. Symrise has been active in the Chinese market for 36 years. The company intends to continue on its course of growth with these investments.

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (IFF) this week announced in its newly published 2017 sustainability report that it has already surpassed its 2020 goals for water, greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), and hazardous waste, among other achievements.  The report details how the company is meeting or exceeding its strategic sustainability goals, as well as how it is living up to its vision “To lead positive transformational changes toward a regenerative, healthy and abundant world.”

Meanwhile, Olam International launched the Olam Living Landscapes Policy (OLLP) which supports a Net-Positive approach to agricultural supply chains and landscape management. The OLLP adopts principles to support the co-existence of prosperous farmers and thriving communities with healthy ecosystems. Its aims apply across products and cover Olam’s plantations and farms, as well as its extensive third-party sourcing network of more than 4 million small and large-scale farmers. The Policy represents a step-change in ambition for Olam: to re-imagine agriculture by putting back more into food and farming systems than is taken out.

Mondelēz International also published its third annual progress report for its signature sustainable sourcing program, Cocoa Life. The report shows that Cocoa Life is delivering on its mission of creating a strong cocoa supply chain while transforming lives and livelihoods, addressing deforestation and building resilience to climate change across six cocoa origin countries: Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Indonesia, Dominican Republic, India and Brazil.

 

Danone has announced that Danone North America – operating in the US – and Danone Canada have achieved B Corp Certification, two years ahead of target. Thanks to these new achievements, approximately 30% of Danone’s global business is now covered by B Corp certification. This is a major milestone towards Danone achieving its global B Corp certification ambition; a key component of the company’s longstanding commitment to delivering financial success along with social and environmental progress. Danone North America becomes the largest Certified B Corporation in the world, while Danone Canada becomes the largest consumer-facing Certified B Corporation in Canada.

 

Consumers rank Valio as the most sustainable brand in Finland. The dairy and food company received the recognition for the fifth consecutive year in the Nordic’s largest brand study on sustainability. Issues of particular importance to consumers included securing the vitality of rural Finland and the dairy farm livelihood, locally produced food, and animal well-being. The Sustainable Brand Index 2018 surveyed consumers for their views on the sustainability of prominent companies and brands in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and the Netherlands. Valio was ranked first among the 164 brands evaluated in Finland and received a higher score than in the previous year.

In brief: Appointments & retirements
Diageo has announced the appointment of Susan Kilsby as a Non-Executive Director, effective immediately. Kilsby will join the Audit, Nomination and Remuneration Committees on appointment. Kilsby joined the Board of Shire, the leading global biotech company, in 2011 and has been Chairman since 2014. She is also a Non-Executive Director on the Boards of Goldman Sachs International, Fortune Brands Home & Security and BBA Aviation. Before this, she had an extensive global career in investment banking, holding senior roles at Credit Suisse, Barclays, Bankers Trust and First Boston Corporation. Kilsby served most of her career at Credit Suisse, where she was Chairman, EMEA Mergers and Acquisitions until 2009 and a Senior Advisor until 2014.

In brief: Other highlights
Givaudan has launched a digital campaign “250 Odyssey” campaign to mark its past, present and future to “engage your senses,” that will showcase key facets of its 250-year odyssey throughout 2018. Gilles Andrier, CEO of Givaudan: “The year 2018 marks a major milestone for Givaudan: although our company was founded in Switzerland in 1895, our roots go back to 1768 in Grasse, France, and the distinguished perfume houses of Chiris and Roure. With our 250 Odyssey campaign, we will share stories of the pioneering people and industry-changing innovations that have marked Givaudan’s rich heritage and continue to inspire our journey to ‘engage your senses.’”

 

Finally, Mane has inaugurated a new manufacturing site in Colombia, South America. The new facilities include production, creative center, sales & marketing offices for both fragrances & flavors divisions, for Colombia and the Andean region. Mane Colombia is located 40km away from Medellín – Colombia’s second biggest city after Bogota DC and just 10 minutes away from JMC International Airport. The new site is a 10,000 square meter building with a production capacity doubled from the previous site. It is an intelligent construction under LEED standards, built with convergent, efficient and sustainable systems focused on respect and care for natural resources through self-supply of water and energy. Also, it has a bioclimatic design that provides adequate lighting, ventilation and indoor air quality.

By Elizabeth Green