CSR TRENDS

Csr & Business

No longer are international organisations the only ones pushing for sustainability: customers are crying out for companies that follow ethical principles in everything they do – from the way they treat the land they occupy, to how they care for the animals they rear, to how they look after the people they employ.

Autogrill® has taken on this responsibility – and for the long term. Its roadmap to the future stands on three fundamental (and interlinked) pillars: investing in people, products and the planet. Employees who feel respected and engaged are more likely to make sure the products they help create are of the maximum quality possible. A healthier planet yields healthier produce: farming land organically, respecting its natural cycles and not filling it with excessive waste makes for better food that has the clean aftertaste only fairness and honesty can give to a meal.

Food - Waste reduction

In a world where resources are becoming increasingly precious, wasting nature’s bounty must be avoided for the long‐term health of our planet. That is true not only regarding fossil fuel but also food that is painstakingly planted, grown and harvested for our growing population. It is calculated by fao.org that almost one‐third of the entirety of food produced in the world for human consumption gets lost or wasted – that’s 1.3 billion tonnes.

Wasting food is not only harmful for the environment but also comes at a steep cost for companies, too – all the more reason to get involved in the fight. Whereas in developing countries most food gets lost after the harvest at processing level, in developed countries 40 per cent of food waste is generated by retailers and final consumers. Although there is plenty that can be done by endusers to curb food waste in each and every household, both supermarkets and grocery stores are in a prime position to act.

Some countries are more advanced than others at leading the way in making a difference. A study by Dansk Handelsblad and Danish Argriculture & Food Council indicates that intensive lobbying by activists (for example, Selina Juul) has allowed Denmark to lead the pack in reducing food waste by 25 percent over a five‐year period. Achieving such a result required a concerted effort on the part of retailers and consumers; and the emergence of initiatives from both big players and innovative start‐ups has been fundamental. On the one hand, big retailers such as Rema 100 (the biggest budget groceries chain in Denmark) have agreed to stop bulk‐buy discounts and offer singleitem promotions instead. Smaller start‐ups such as Wefood reportedly have taken a different approach. Founded last year, Wefood is a supermarket chain that receives discarded food from bigger chains and suppliers to resell it at a much lower price – between 30 and 50 per cent less than retail prices. As the first location in the southern district of Amager proved hugely successful, a second branch opened last November in the central and very trendy Nørrebrogade, proving that this kind of outlet can attract interest from a broad spectrum of buyers.

More nations are trying to tread the same positive path. France famously passed a law last year providing for fines against companies that intentionally destroy discarded food, in order to discourage ‘bin divers’ from retrieving it. Instead, they must enter into contracts with food banks to donate their edible (but past its sell‐by date) food to charities. Regardless of legal limitations and prescriptions, big retailers around the world should follow the same example – and many are doing so.

In the UK, two of the main supermarket chains are competing not only for market share but also recognition for how committed they are to curbing food waste. In 2016, food retailer Sainsbury’s launched a £10million, five‐year plan to halve food waste across the UK: the “Waste Less, Save More” initiative provides customers in selected areas with food‐sharing apps and smart fridges that monitor consumption. On the other hand, food‐retail behemoth Tesco has pledged that no food fit for human consumption will be wasted by its outlets by the end of 2017; one of the tools it is using to achieve its aim is a so‐called “food‐waste hotline”, a digital portal that connects suppliers with Tesco’s product teams and helps resolve issues of product surplus or waste as soon as they arise in the supIn Italy, app Ratatouille shows up leftovers inside a user’s virtual fridge for other members to choose; and through geolocalisation, members of the community can see the closest pick‐up point. In London, OLIO works to a similar principle – with the added benefit of letting customers swap products beyond food, so neighbours can exchange bottles of lotion, too. Germany’s Foodsharing was created in 2013 and works thanks to roughly 25,000 volunteers who pick up food that would otherwise be thrown away from more than 3,000 companies across the country and then redistribute it to the portal’s users (or keep it for themselves). In Denmark, Too Good to Go cuts out the middleman and connects users directly with restaurants, cafés and bakeries about to draw down their shutters for the day and lets customers enjoy top‐quality takeaway for the equivalent of a few euros; all food is boxed up in a sugarcane box so even the packaging is environmentally conscious.ply chain. Digital tools are useful for tackling this issue on a micro level too. Apps can be used by individuals to self‐regulate consumption and redistribute waste. As the sharing economy takes hold of the way we travel in a taxi or invest in property, its effect is also being felt in how we buy and sell our food. Across Europe, food‐sharing apps are changing the relationship we have with our compost bin – and bringing communities together at the same time.

In Italy, app Ratatouille shows up leftovers inside a user’s virtual fridge for other members to choose; and through geolocalisation, members of the community can see the closest pick‐up point. In London, OLIO works to a similar principle – with the added benefit of letting customers swap products beyond food, so neighbours can exchange bottles of lotion, too. Germany’s Foodsharing was created in 2013 and works thanks to roughly 25,000 volunteers who pick up food that would otherwise be thrown away from more than 3,000 companies across the country and then redistribute it to the portal’s users (or keep it for themselves). In Denmark, Too Good to Go cuts out the middleman and connects users directly with restaurants, cafés and bakeries about to draw down their shutters for the day and lets customers enjoy top‐quality takeaway for the equivalent of a few euros; all food is boxed up in a sugarcane box so even the packaging is environmentally conscious.