CSR principles in foodservice: 3 inspiring examples

Corporate Social Responsibility, also known by the acronym CSR, has become a major issue in many business sectors, and foodservice is no exception. 

This approach embodies a genuine desire to have a positive impact on people, the planet and our ecosystem as a whole. It translates into real commitments, which we will describe in detail throughout this article. And, for even more concrete examples of CSR in the foodservice sector, we'll be revealing 3 examples of companies that have distinguished themselves in this field. 

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What is CSR?

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) aims to integrate ethical, social, environmental and economic principles into a company's overall operations and interactions with its stakeholders. This approach is playing an increasingly crucial role in the foodservice sector. 

Beyond the tangible benefits for society, restaurants can also reap internal benefits. Integrating social, environmental and economic concerns into their operations has an impact on their financial health, customer loyalty and ability to attract new customers. 

We're witnessing a real change in eating habits . According to the barometer of consumption and perception of organic products in France (Agence Bio), 50% of French people claim to have changed their eating habits over the past three years, mainly to avoid waste, and to give preference to fresh, seasonal, local and short-distance produce. Consumers are increasingly aware of the social and environmental impact of their food choices, and place growing importance on the efforts of the establishments they frequent.

👉 To find out more: Customer loyalty: 6 ideas for your restaurant

What does a CSR approach mean for the foodservice industry?

After this reminder of Corporate Social Responsibility, let's take a look at how it applies to the foodservice sector.

Responsible sourcing and nutrition

In the world of contract catering, procurement is a central element of a serious CSR approach. Responsible sourcing refers to the use of local, organic, seasonal and short-distance products. In this way, restaurants commit to supporting local farmers and local know-how, reducing the carbon footprint associated with transporting goods, and serving their customers fresh, nutritionally-rich food. Beyond this, the inclusion of fair-trade supply chains in this approach reinforces the commitment to ethical business practices, guaranteeing fair conditions for producers. 

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations(FAO), livestock farming contributes 14.5% of all emissions linked to climate change, almost 7 times more than global air transport. To move towards a more sustainable diet, it is important to promote meals based on plant proteins.

By sourcing responsibly and offering sustainable food, foodservice professionals hold a great deal of power in their hands: the power to positively impact not only local communities, but also the environment and consumer health .

Waste management

Waste management is also a major challenge. As part of their CSR policy, many collective restaurants are making employees and customers alike aware of the importance of reducing and sorting organic and non-food waste. This is part of a sustainable food consumption approach. In the kitchen as well as in the dining room, selective sorting is gradually becoming part of everyone's routine, contributing to an optimized and efficient recycling process. 

If you haven't already done so in your restaurant, you need to think carefully about the use of plastic packaging. Your objective? Minimize your establishment's environmental footprint by favoring more sustainable alternatives, from supply to post-consumption. Examples include biodegradable, recyclable and even edible packaging. 

For greener, more socially responsible waste management, consider getting in touch with local associations with food distribution programs. By forging partnerships with this type of organization, you can play an active part in the fight against food insecurity. 

👉 To find out more: What are the alternatives to plastic packaging in the catering industry?

Energy savings

In CSR, particular emphasis is placed on energy savings with a view to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and conserving resources. To achieve this, two main techniques stand out: the adoption of eco-responsible behavior and the integration of energy-efficient technologies. And if you can combine the two, even better!

The first step is to equip your kitchen with energy-efficient appliances. These are designed to optimize energy use. They minimize losses while ensuring maximum efficiency. There are also intelligent energy management systems that help to regulate and optimize electricity consumption. Technologies such as presence-sensing LED lighting, programmable thermostats and energy sensors facilitate monitoring and control, thereby significantly reducing energy wastage. 

These initiatives go hand in hand with awareness-raising programs, without which they may not have the desired effect. It's important that your teams are informed about the impact of their daily actions, and that responsible habits are encouraged, as is vigilance regarding the use of energy resources. In this way, you can establish an eco-responsible culture within your canteen. 

In short, by integrating these practices, CSR in foodservice becomes a powerful lever forreconciling economic prosperity with social and environmental responsibility.

3 examples of CSR commitments in Foodservices

What could be more telling than 3 concrete examples to illustrate the adoption of a CSR approach in foodservice? 

1. Sodexo: reducing food waste

Sodexo has made a name for itself in the Foodservices sector with its proactive approach to reducing food waste through its WasteWatch program. Since its launch, this program has generated a significant 55% reduction in food waste in participating establishments, preventing the equivalent of 9 million meals from ending up in the garbage can. 

Thanks to intelligent waste measurement technology, Sodexo teams collect daily data on waste, enabling in-depth analysis of the causes and the implementation of operational and behavioral changes. And it's paying off, to say the least. Present at over 1,000 sites in 26 countries, the WasteWatch program has prevented 36 tonnes of carbon emissions and saved around 5,000 tonnes of food in total. 

Sodexo goes even further, enabling the promotional sale of surplus produce and food donations through partnerships such as the one it has forged with the Phenix France application. This application enables 220,000 shopkeepers, affiliated with the Sodexo Restaurant Pass card, to compose and sell take-away baskets with their unsold food.

2. Elior: recycling waste 

Elior UK is another example of a successful CSR initiative. In partnership with bio-bean, a biofuel producer, the company has diverted 36 tonnes of coffee waste from landfill.

The waste was in fact recycled and transformed into coffee logs, which burn 20% longer and hotter than dried wood. Over 11,500 logs were produced, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% compared with landfill. 

3. René Billère school canteen: the Ecocert "In the kitchen" label

Another successful example of CSR in catering is the René Billère school complex. The En Cuisine" Ecocert label label is one of the schemes set up by the French government to achieve the target set by the EGAlim law of 20% organic produce by purchase value in collective catering. This certification is aimed at all collective restaurants, from school canteens to reception facilities, administrations and companies .

The label is divided into 4 main categories: 

• more organic products,
• give preference to local products,
• promote healthier eating habits,
• adopt sustainable practices. 

For each of them, there are 3 levels of certification. 

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After obtaining the Ecocert Label level 1 in September 2021, the René Billère school complex has taken its quality approach even further. After an audit last November, the team has now been awarded Level 2 certification. 

CSR commitments in the contract catering sector are of paramount importance in meeting consumers' increasingly high expectations in terms of sustainability and social responsibility. The examples given in this article prove that this approach is perfectly compatible with success. 

👉 Further information: Collective catering: understanding the impact of the Egalim 3 law

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