Corporate Social Responsibility

In the face of major environmental crises and the social and economic inequalities they exacerbate, private companies were initially encouraged and are now obliged to ‘do their part’: we support them in the implementation of their commitments in terms of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

The issues

Among private companies, those that source agricultural products – particularly in developing countries – must now take into account several pieces of European legislation that directly impact their practices. Two European Directives (Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence – CSDD and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive – CSRD) that came into force in 2024 require large companies, respectively, to conduct due diligence to identify, prevent and mitigate the negative human rights and environmental impacts in their value chain; and to report their environmental and social impacts accurately and transparently. Furthermore, in the coffee, cocoa, rubber, palm oil, soya, beef and timber sectors, the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which will come into force at the end of 2025, provides for ad hoc provisions for companies of various sizes (large but also small and medium-sized) to prohibit the import of products contributing to deforestation. These new obligations mean that the companies concerned must strengthen the sustainability and traceability of their supply chains.

Our services

We analyse the agricultural product supply chains of private companies, from upstream (small family farms and/or their own plantations) to downstream (chains of suppliers involved up to the point of export), by collecting first-hand data on plots of land and collection/processing sites in order to assess the social, environmental and economic impacts according to customised grids (combining criteria from generic certifications – e.g. Fair for Life, European Union Bio Trade, etc. – and criteria specific to the client company – e.g. achieving a decent income, promoting women, stability of supplies, etc.). Analysis of this data makes it possible to identify any negative impacts and to propose operational action plans to prevent and/or mitigate them. Supply traceability – at the heart of the CSDD and CSRD Directives, and the EUDR – is carefully evaluated and ad hoc recommendations and tools are proposed to strengthen it.