Tereos Reports Sustainability Success

07 Sep 2016 --- After assessing the sustainability of its cooperative growers’ agricultural practices with the SAI (Sustainable Agriculture Initiative) platform, Tereos is posting very positive results. 100% of Tereos cooperative growers were ranked gold and silver. This kind of success reflects the commitment of the Group and its cooperative growers to sustainable agriculture, reconciling agronomic performance with respect for the environment.

“We are proud of these very positive results which reflect the strong commitment of Tereos and its cooperative growers to sustainable agriculture. This is motivation for us to continue our efforts to provide our customers with the best sustainability offer,” says Alexis Duval, Chief Executive Officer.

In order to establish the commitment of Tereos and its cooperative growers in their agriculture initiatives and to guide its customers in their sustainable supply strategies, Tereos ensures its various activities adhere to rigorous, acknowledged standards.

The SAI platform, which promotes a common groundwork for more sustainable agricultural practices, today brings together over 80 international companies. Having actively participated in the sugar beet sustainability working group since 2013, Tereos became the first French sugar producer member of the SAI Platform in May 2015. After working with a pilot group of cooperative growers, Tereos rolled out the Farm Sustainability Assessment, a SAI tool for evaluating sustainability, for its cooperative growers. Tereos is the first French sugar producer to fully leverage this SAI tool.

“Tereos, with its cooperative status, local relationships with growers across the globe and leading position in the sugar and starch industries, is a key partner in expanding the reach of sustainable agriculture,” says Ulrike Sapiro, President of the SAI Platform – Sustainability Director, The Coca Cola Company.

The cooperative growers first completed a self-assessment, and then a series of field audits were carried out by an independent third party and validated gold and silver levels; reflecting their high level of compliance with the agricultural practices defined by SAI Platform.

This step, which allows for the recognition of actions undertaken over several years on farms, has been received favorably by all cooperative growers.