Earth Day-CSR activities of food brands

At a time when customers are increasingly paying attention to the quality of food, ethics and social responsibility of companies also play a huge role. The food industry faces the challenge of integrating sustainable business practices into corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. 

O You can read about the ESG and sustainability activities carried out by companies in the previous year in the report " Responsible Business in Poland 2023. Good practices"” The publication is the largest such review of good market practices in the field of sustainable development in Poland. We also turned to her for the most up-to-date knowledge in this area.

CSR in the food industry

CSR is an approach in which companies voluntarily take steps to integrate social, environmental and economic aspects into their operations and relationships with their stakeholders. One of the main goals of CSR activities in the food industry is caring for the environment. Brands are taking many initiatives to reduce their impact on the environment. They reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as water and energy consumption (for example, smart devices of the popular brand Rational in the field of public catering). They also use eco-friendly food packaging(such as the biodegradable fillers and paper adhesive tapes used by Sweet). Many food companies are investing in green technologies, such as renewable energy sources or packaging recycling, to reduce the negative impact on the planet (for example, on the environment). the second life of packaging in McDonald's restaurants).

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CSRD's Responsibility

In addition, the abbreviation CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive), i.e. the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, should not be used. It is effective from January 5, 2023 and was introduced to ensure transparency of data provided by brands. The Directive aims to improve the assessment and comparison of companies ' performance in the field of sustainable development by creating repeated reports. In the case of food brands, this can be an analysis improving the living conditions of local communities, investing in educational programs, supporting local charities, or helping to combat malnutrition. For more information about the directive itself, please visit gov.pl. 

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The essence of sustainable actions

According to the report published on April 16, 2024: "Responsible business in Poland 2023. Good practices”: , Organizations should disclose information about the impact that their businesses have or may have on sustainable development issues (e.g., carbon emissions, employee diversity, respect for human rights). At the same time, speakers are required to disclose financial significance, i.e. the actual or potential impact of sustainability issues on the organization's finances (for example, cash flow, risk, access to finance).” Thus, companies are charged with the responsibility of internal reorganization and finding people who will constantly report on their actions. Brands that specialize in such an important topic as food have additional responsibilities, for example, for food products. welfare of farm animals, promotion of a healthy lifestyle and balanced nutrition among its consumers.

These good practices are worth talking about 

According to the report,responsible business in Poland 2023. Good Practices”. numerous examples of sustainability activities can be found in food brands such as:

Lidl Poland - The brand with 15 stores and 2 distribution centers planted April meadows with a total area of 129 thousand m2. The problem of placing large grocery stores on green spaces, Lidl rewarded the climate with the protection of biodiversity in April meadows. Thus, the strategic development of companies should be connected not only with using the potential of this space, but also with providing it with something from yourself.”

Cute - sweet zn brandAna from her ecological approach to business. The report highlighted m.in. for providing shelter to hedgehogs by setting up cottages for them on the land plot surrounding the company's headquarters. The cottages are resistant to weather conditions and are a year-round shelter, have weather vanes and shields, for example, a partition to protect against predators. In addition to its animal welfare efforts, the company has also been noted for m.in for the green energy it uses every day. 

Lotte Wedel - all employees of the company should be involved in sustainable activities. So, in the Lotte Wedel brand, the sales team initiated an environmental education campaign of Wedla volunteers for schools and kindergartens. The topic fit into one of the pillars of the Vedlov strategy of ESG (environment) and was based on the role that training of employees and the environment plays in the company's environmental activities. Wedla volunteers combined these two areas and, with the support of experts from the Packaging Restoration Organization Rekopol, inspired the youngest children to adopt environmental habits in their daily lives.

Carlsberg Poland - Carlsberg upgraded the Okocim brewery's bottle production line, which reduced the amount of water used on this production line by almost half. The company has installed new filling machines, optimized pasteurization programs, and changed the way bottles are washed. These measures saved about 28,500 m3 of water!

Hochland "Mark Hochland says firmly,' no ' to waste. The organization's activities are based on the principles of a hierarchy of behavior: prevention of the appearance of an incompatible product, recycling – reuse of raw materials, feeding – a product that is not suitable for production is sent to feed animals, energy production – waste that is not subject to recycling is sent to biogas plants. The brand also collaborated with food banks-donations were made in the amount of up to 120 tons!

For more detailed information about the selected brands and the actions they take, see the report available on the site odpowiedzialnybiznes.pl

Despite the challenges of adapting to the environmental and social standards of sustainability, investing in similar methods can bring long-term benefits to brands, such as improving their reputation or increasing customer loyalty. Earth Day is the perfect time to lean in to the actions you do every day in your workplaces.