Le Duc Fine Food, a producer of vegetarian snacks, has released its first CSR report, marking a significant step towards formalizing its sustainability efforts.
The company, which has been in operation for over 26 years, is now aligning its business strategy with sustainability goals in response to increasing customer inquiries about their environmental and social practices.
The report outlines six focus areas: energy, packaging, raw materials, waste and water consumption, safety and quality, and good governance and employment practices. Le Duc has set ambitious targets, including a 42% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030 compared to 2023 levels, and aims to achieve zero emissions in scopes 1 and 2 by 2050.
In terms of packaging, Le Duc is committed to reducing packaging material by 5% per kilogram of product sold by 2025. The company has already transitioned to 100% FSC-certified cardboard boxes and is exploring ways to minimize waste from unused packaging materials.
Le Duc is also addressing its raw material sourcing, with a notable commitment to eliminate palm oil from its cooking oil by 2026. The company is working on mapping sustainability risks in its supply chain and incorporating sustainability criteria into its purchasing conditions.
Waste reduction is another key focus, with Le Duc aiming to reduce residual waste per kilogram of product sold by 10% by 2025 compared to 2022 levels. The company is also exploring better valorization of its residual flows and improving wastewater quality.
Safety and quality remain paramount for Le Duc, with objectives including zero workplace accidents, successful quality audits, and no product recalls. The company is developing an improved standard for health and quality based on its in-house quality management system.
Lastly, Le Duc is focusing on good governance and being a good employer. The company aims to increase employee satisfaction scores and improve internal communication. Le Duc plans to draft a code of conduct in 2024 and conduct a materiality analysis by 2025, demonstrating a commitment to ethical business practices and stakeholder engagement.
“Le Duc is proud to present its very first CSR report. For more than 26 years, Le Duc Veggie has been creating delicious vegetarian snacks that are appreciated by people all over the world,” wrote Dick den Hertog, CEO of Le Duc Fine Food in an opening comment. “We produce our much-loved onion rings, cheese and vegetable snacks with the utmost attention to taste and quality, but it takes more than that. Our customers are increasingly asking about our
sustainability policy or concrete measures when it comes to, for example, energy consumption, packaging, working conditions and purchasing policies. This report represents our first challenging step toward getting serious about sustainability. Mapping the impact of our activities on people, animals and the climate allows us not only to respond even better to our customers’ questions, but also to formulate our in-house sustainability policy that is a logical part of our business strategy. We are aiming for measurable goals and concrete actions as our most important tools.”
Find out more at: http://www.leduc-food.nl/