2011 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT and ACTIVITY REPORT "My Personal Convictions..."
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2011 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ACTIVITY REPORT "My personal convictions..." eing proactive on sustainable development and going beyond the mere respect of regulations is today a necessity. I firmly believe that enterprises that anticipate the major social and Benvironmental challenges of the future will be more successful than those that do not. My personal conviction is that the long-term success of our Group will depend on the reinforcement of our policies based on the protection of the environment, the respect of people and innovation in two areas: Nutrition-Health and Plant-Based Chemistry. Concerning Nutrition-Health, our Group’s ambition is to create nutritional and sustainable solutions from glucides, fibers, proteins, lipids and extracts that are derived from plant-based raw materials and processed in our biorefineries. Roquette offers its customers a broad range of ingredients that seek to improve the nutritional, functional and technical properties of the products they offer to consumers. The challenges are clear, and consumer needs from all countries remain diverse: from nutritional requirements or food shortages to diseases related to obesity or the aging of populations. With the growing scarcity and volatile prices of fossil resources, the development of plant-based chemistry has become a strategic necessity. Tomorrow, plants will be increasingly used to produce the molecules that society needs. Roquette is at the forefront of this major transition. We must not blindly advance forward, as we are well aware of the consequences that can arise from this approach, notably in terms of the availability of arable land. It is a true debate. In many cases, a complementary approach can achieve the right balance, with the same parcel of land devoted to different uses, since each part of the harvested plant can be used. Similarly, biorefineries can serve highly varied markets. We have invested a lot and continue to invest in research internally, but we are convinced that to succeed, the path lies through collaborative development and innovation through networks. Thus, our microalgae research program for Nutrition-Health works with some fifteen partners, universities and private entities, as does our research program in Plant-Based Chemistry. Our investments in research and development may seem quite bold, but they are in line with the trends and developments in our world today. At Roquette, whether as shareholders or employees, we are all convinced that rising to these challenges will be the key to the long-term success of our enterprise. Marc ROQUETTE Chairman of the Roquette Group Our Vision: Become a leading global player on identified markets, for biorefinery-based solutions and products 2 Roquette I Sustainable Development and Activity Report 2011 1 The Roquette Group Our values Interview with G. TALBOURDET and Ph. OLIVIER P. 6 Key figures 2011 P. 8 Our history P. 9 Governance P. 10 International expansion P. 13 Our business P. 14 Local raw materials P. 16 Our CSR commitment P. 17 Listening to our stakeholders P. 18 Respect Major events P. 20 2 A culture of innovation Constant innovation P. 24 Nutrition-Health P. 26 Trust Plant-Based Chemistry P. 30 A culture that respects the Solidarity 3 environment Environmental conservation P. 36 Continuous improvement P. 38 Eco-citizen initiatives P. 45 Our principles of action 4 A social and societal culture Building a career at Roquette P. 48 Developing our managerial culture P. 49 Anticipating needs in skills P. 49 Innovation Reinforcing the diversity of profiles P. 50 Sharing a meaningful project P. 53 Developing our safety culture P. 55 Supporting local communities P. 56 5 Evaluation and Performance Passion for the job Our approach to progress P. 60 A responsible enterprise P. 62 Our performance indicators P. 64 Acknowledgements P. 67 Commitment to achieve Roquette I Sustainable Development and Activity Report 2011 Sustainable Development and Activity Report 2011 I Roquette 3 1 THE ROQUETTE GROUP The adventure starts in 1933: "Roquette Frères - The great potato starch producer of the North" (Lestrem - France) 4 Roquette I Sustainable Development and Activity Report 2011 reated in 1933 by Dominique and Germain ROQUETTE, the Roquette Group transforms renewable resources such as corn, wheat, potatoes, Cpeas and microalgae. It produces more than 700 products from these plant-based raw materials, aimed at five sectors: Human Nutrition, Paper- Cardboard, Pharmaceuticals-Cosmetics, Chemistry-Bioindustry and Animal Nutrition. Roquette I Sustainable Development and Activity Report 2011 THE ROQUETTE GROUP I Interview with G. TALBOURDET and Ph. OLIVIER INTERVIEW WITH GUY TALBOURDET AND PHILIPPE OLIVIER The Roquette Group is a family-owned business whose of agricultural raw materials that are located closest to our shareholders are all members of the Roquette family. Is factories. For the entire Roquette Group, the vast majority this an advantage in terms of the Group’s approach to of our raw materials are produced locally. sustainable development? We reinforce our collaboration with the agricultural sector because we are well aware that our responsibility extends Guy Talbourdet, Chief Executive Officer: throughout the entire life cycle of our products, from the The Group’s approach to sustainable development derives agricultural raw materials to the product’s final use. from its core values. In this way, the shareholders are real We also work with a network of service providers located stakeholders in its implementation. The Roquette family near our factories, notably for transport, maintenance and is attached to the enterprise: many shareholders in the investment works. In this way, the Group indirectly creates third and fourth generation witnessed their parents’ strong a lot of jobs. involvement in the family business and live in Lestrem or in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais, where the company was founded. Our local presence is also an asset when it comes to They therefore know all the social, environmental and understanding and responding to the demands of economic challenges involved in developing a territory. consumers whose habits regarding food can vary a great They see how growth and the balance of the three pillars deal from region to region. of sustainable development, "People, Planet, Profit," are needed to maintain a successful and independent enterprise. Does your local commitment extend to involvement in In concrete terms, the Group’s family shareholders accept the communities around you? the technological challenges involved in relatively long lead times to bring products to market. The levels of profitability PhO: Each factory, and each subsidiary of our Group, defined by the shareholders correspond to what is required contributes to local projects or finances them, either to maintain the family independence while deploying a directly or indirectly, because our employees and those of strong policy of reinvestment in the enterprise. our suppliers are all members of local communities. We work in collaboration with the elected officials to Why do sustainable development projects sometimes achieve the right balance between the development of require more time? the community, the creation of jobs and the industrial footprint. Philippe Olivier, Reliability and Sustainable Development Corporate Director: You spoke about your suppliers but what are the new Establishing a culture of sustainable development demands from your customers? in an enterprise is not done in a day. It makes more sense and is more effective to work over a GT: Up until the end of the last decade, the Roquette longer period in order to mobilize the maximum Group was a relatively secret enterprise. We were used number of employees at all the levels and in all the to “doing” without necessarily “talking”. Now, our functions. Sustainable development lies at customers’ expectations go beyond the quality the heart of the corporate strategy. of our products and their price. They concern For example, we have decided to elements that must guarantee the institutional equip our Beinheim factory with a Roquette brand. geothermal installation to develop the use of renewable energy sources. It is Our customers question us more and more a world first that represents a very big regularly on our engagements to Corporate investment. Social Responsibility (CSR). For example, their criteria to establish sustainable relations include the various aspects related to our The Roquette Group is becoming more business practices, our environmental international. How is it anchored in footprint, our relations with employees and the territories in which it produces and the communities in which we operate. sells its products? We must move forward with them, anticipate their questions, respond to their many GT: To start with, we work with suppliers requirements, and be flexible. Guy TALBOURDET 6 Roquette I Sustainable Development and Activity Report 2011 THE ROQUETTE GROUP I Interview with G. TALBOURDET and Ph. OLIVIER Have your customers urged customer demand as well as to you to communicate about the Our Mission: the evolution of our society, which Group’s approach to sustainable To serve men and women is demanding more and more development? products that respect society and and transform agricultural the environment. raw materials into PhO: In terms of CSR, our products that are directly customers were initially focused In your opinion, what are the on social responsibility, notably or indirectly used in food, responsible and sustainable