The Barry Callebaut Group has for the third year running been named by sustainability organisation Sustainalytics as among industry leaders in managing environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks with its supply chains, reports Neill Barston.
As the Swiss-headquartered business noted, it has retained its rating within the top three companies for the strength of its policies, according to the latest sector analysis, which placed the wider food production sector under the microscope.
The global chocolate and cocoa processing company said it has sought to understand key issues of concern which have continued to impact on the industry, and is targeting making sustainable chocolate the norm by 2025. Central to this goal are ending deforestation and child labour with its supply chains, against a backdrop of 1.5 million children remaining in child labour within core markets of Ghana and Ivory Coast.
Furthermore, the company acknowledged that continued regular dialogue with stakeholders is critical to identify the key ESG issues within its business, which is reflected by an internal assessment every three years with customers, farmer cooperatives, investors, media, governments, industry associations, multi-stakeholder initiatives, NGO’s and employees.
The company also hosted its first dedicated EST Investor roadshow with CFO Ben De Schryver, and Chief Innovation, Sustainability & Quality Officer, Global Head of Gourmet, Pablo Perversi, exploring core topics with investors.
As the group noted, undertaking the annual external Sustainalytics assessment enables further refinement of its operations, amid a growing interest from investors and societal stakeholders to understand whether sustainability strategies are managing supply chain risks and delivering impact.
Next month, Barry Callebaut is due to welcome Peter Boone as its new CEO, who had served as regional president in the US since 2017, taking over in his latest role from outgoing postholder Antoine de Saint-Affrique who is due to step down at the end of August to take up a position leading food and drinks group Danone. Related content
