Sodexo received the Social Impact & Diversity award for its work to tackle modern slavery and was named runner up in the Stakeholder Engagement category for its Appetite for Action campaign at the 2022 Footprint Awards for sustainability excellence.
Over the past couple of years Sodexo has worked to better understand modern slavery in its global and domestic markets in order to equip its teams to identify risks within its supply chains and to question suppliers more rigorously on this subject. The company has created a set of actions based around three pillars (compliance, education and leverage) to strengthen its approach.
On awarding the title to Sodexo the judges said: “Brilliant work being done by Sodexo to address Modern Slavery. So impressive!”
Sodexo’s commitment to ending modern slavery is included in its Social Impact pledge and includes comprehensive policies, better working practices and improved contracts.
With such a diverse mix of suppliers, Sodexo believes it is imperative that it works with its procurement partners to take positive action to manage, mitigate and eliminate the risk of modern slavery and labour exploitation across the whole supply chain.
- In early 2021 Sodexo formed a Strategic Supplier Forum with its four largest suppliers to draw together common experiences and identify ways of working together to tackle some of the underlying issues of modern slavery within both local and global supply chains. Since its launch the forum has expanded to incorporate an SME to ensure it captures the voice of a key part of Sodexo’s supplier landscape.
- Earlier this year Sodexo also joined forces with OCS to form a Service & Infrastructure Project Providers Modern Slavery Council. The Council held its first meeting in February 2022 and includes 15 major organisations including Slave Free Alliance and BSA.
Sodexo was also named runner-up in the Stakeholder Engagement category for its Appetite for Action campaign to raise awareness and tackle food waste and carbon emissions in food services. Food waste is a huge problem, 3.6 million tonnes is wasted by the foodservice sector every year and for Sodexo it is clear more action is needed to tackle it.
Food waste is a key element of Sodexo’s net zero road map and in late 2021 it launched Appetite for Action, a campaign which has provided a powerful platform for it to engage with government and wider stakeholder bodies, while educating audiences on the link between food waste and carbon emissions.
Sean Haley, Regional Chair, Sodexo UK & Ireland said: “We are delighted that our efforts have been recognised at the Footprint Awards. We are a large scale procurer of goods and services which connects us to some 4,800 business in the UK and Ireland. Despite a challenging couple of years due to the Covid-19 pandemic our supply chain team has pushed forward its tackling modern slavery programme, working with partners and helping drive cross-industry collaboration through a number of initiatives which have a positive social impact.
“It is also good to see our Appetite for Action campaign recognised as a runner up in the stakeholder engagement category. Food waste is an area that we can’t tackle alone and through our campaign we are providing a powerful platform to engage with government and wider stakeholder bodies, while educating audiences on the link between food waste and carbon emissions.
“Well done to all involved, I am proud of our efforts to improve the communities in which we live and work and thrilled to see them externally recognised.”
The Footprint Awards for sustainability excellence have become the barometer for sustainability and responsible business practice in the foodservice, hospitality and out of home arena.