Working with Communities in our Value Chain
As a values-driven company, human rights remains one of our key concerns. From ensuring health & safety to standing up for social justice, Firmenich strives to protect individuals and reduce inequalities.
At Firmenich, we are inspired to care and contribute within the communities we operate in through our community engagement and the Firmenich Charitable Foundation.
Firmenich Charitable Foundation
Established in 2010, the Foundation was created to support our philanthropic work. When it was founded, a key focus of the Foundation was to provide educational support to children in Haiti following the devastating earthquake in 2010.
Since then, the Foundation’s scope has expanded to include support for people with cancer, for hunger relief, to improve nutrition, enable sustainable agriculture and environmental projects, as well as support local communities worldwide.
Since then, the Foundation’s scope has expanded to include support for people with cancer, for hunger relief, to improve nutrition, enable sustainable agriculture and environmental projects, as well as support local communities worldwide.
Focus on
Community Day
In 2021, Firmenich celebrated its 20th annual Community Day, which empowers our colleagues to create a positive impact in their local communities. A long-standing tradition at Firmenich, Community Day enables each employee to take a full workday to engage and support local organizations through social and environmental projects.
During October 2021, each of our affiliates identified initiatives that best serve their local communities.
Case Studies
Madagascar
In partnership with the NGO Fert and Authentic Products, a joint project to support the development of a youth professional farming school called “Mahadera” was launched in 2019. In FY22, more than 85 local students were already taking part in this three-year curriculum (27 in the third year, 34 in the second year and 26 in the first year).
Furthermore, Authentic also engaged with Firmenich on strengthening transparency on farmers’ practices and respect for human rights, using the Path2Farm TM traceability tool.
India
In 2014, we entered a joint venture with Jasmine Concrete, the largest manufacturer of floral extract in India, to tackle certification challenges on their jasmine grandiflorum supply chain.
Our partnership has enabled this supply chain to reach the Ethical Sourcing level of UEBT verification. Implementing UEBT’s standard allowed us to contribute to a keynote improvement in human rights.
Path2Farm™
Monk fruit is a natural, plant-based sweetener, and thus key ingredient for our sugar reduction ambition. Major progress has been achieved in FY22 in advancing transparency and compliance in this fruit’s complex supply chain thanks to our end-to-end digital traceability tool, Path2Farm™. It is designed to improve transparency, as well as human rights and environment protection in the supply chain. In FY22, 1,587 farmers have been interviewed in five cooperatives.
Caring about People
We care for every person touched in any way by our business, from farmers to consumers. Caring about people starts by ensuring their fundamental human rights.