Annual Report 2 2018-2019 3
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1 ANNUAL REPORT 2 2018-2019 3 4 5 6 7 8 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY CONTENTS and non-financial performance 1 THIS DOCUMENT IS ACCESSIBLE 4.1. A Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program anchored in Vilmorin & Cie’s DNA 116 AND CAN BE DOWNLOADED AT 44.2. Contributing to the lasting progress www.vilmorincie.com of agriculture through seeds 120 4.3. Acting responsibly 128 4.4. Encouraging cooperation 153 4.5. Methodology note 159 4.6. Non-Financial Performance Statement (NFPS) 2 concordance tables 161 Profile 3 Message from the Board of Directors 4 PRESENTATION FINANCIAL of Vilmorin & Cie Information 1.1. Key figures 8 3 5.1. Consolidated financial statements 164 1.2. History 16 5.2. Statutory Auditors’ report on the 11.3. Challenges facing the seed segment 19 consolidated financial statements 235 1.4. The seed market 24 5 5.3. Corporate Financial Statements 238 1.5. Activities 30 5.4. Statutory Auditors’ Report on the annual 1.6. Development model 43 financial statements 240 1.7. Strategy and objectives 47 1.8. Business model 62 1.9. Risk factors 64 4 Vilmorin & Cie and its SHAREHOLDERS Report on 6.1. Information on the Company 244 CORPORATE 6.2. Capital stock and Shareholders 247 GOVERNANCE 66.3. Vilmorin & Cie’s shares 251 6.4. Relations with Shareholders 256 2.1. Corporate Governance Code of Reference 78 2.2. The Board of Directors 79 22.3. Specialized Committees 92 5 Management bodies 2.4. 93 JOINT ANNUAL 2.5. Agreements with corporate officers GENERAL MEETING and interests of management bodies 95 of December 6, 2019 2.6. Participation of the Shareholders in General Meetings 99 7.1. Agenda 260 2.7. Information liable to have an impact 7.2. Draft resolutions of an ordinary nature 262 in the case of a takeover bid 99 77.3. Draft resolutions of an extraordinary nature 265 7.4. Draft resolution of an ordinary nature 270 6 Management REPORT FURTHER Information Report of the Board of Directors to the Joint Annual General Meeting (Ordinary and 8.1. Statutory Auditors 272 Extraordinary) of December 6, 2019 102 3 8.2. Historical financial information incorporated by reference 273 7 88.3. Technical glossary 274 8.4. Financial glossary 276 The words followed by a “*” are defined in the glossary. 8 1 2 3 ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019 4 5 6 7 ANNUAL REPORT Vilmorin & Cie 8 1 2018-2019 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 PROFILE 1 Vilmorin & Cie, the 4th largest seed company in the world, develops vegetable and field seeds with high added value, contributing to meeting th 2 global food requirements. 4 largest seed company Accompanied by its reference shareholder Limagrain, both an agricultural cooperative owned by French farmers and an international seed group, Vilmorin & Cie’s strategy for growth relies on strong, sustained investments in research and international development to durably strengthen its market shares 3 on promising world markets. True to its vision of sustainable development, Vilmorin & Cie ensures its achievements fully respect its three founding values: progress, at the heart of No. 1 its beliefs and its mission, perseverance, inherent to farming and the seeds worlwide business, and cooperation, in the fields of science, industry and commerce. for vegetable seeds 4 Vilmorin & Cie, a single core business of seeds Focused on its know-how in seed and plant breeding, Vilmorin & Cie meets food challenges through genetic progress. Seeds, the first link in the food chain, are a concentrate of solutions. No.6 5 Vilmorin & Cie preserves the independence and freedom of choice of farmers worlwide regarding their other production factors. for field seeds 6 7 ANNUAL REPORT Vilmorin & Cie 8 3 2018-2019 MESSAGE FROM 1 THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2 3 4 5 “Vilmorin & Cie offers From left to right: Mary DUPONT-MADINIER, Pascal VIGUIER, farmers a specific model, Annick BRUNIER, Philippe AYMARD, Claude RAYNAUD, Sébastien VIDAL, Miriam MAES. focused on seed and the control of plant genetics.” 6 7 ANNUAL REPORT Vilmorin & Cie 8 4 2018-2019 1 “Vilmorin & Cie posted growth this year for all its activities and is making major progress in its strategic 2 Dear Shareholders, priorities.” To feed 10 billion people by 2050, food production will have to increase by 60%. This major challenge will be accompanied by increasing urbanization, heterogeneous climate change and the need to preserve natural resources. It will therefore be necessary to manage to produce more but above all to produce better. 3 As a seed company, Vilmorin & Cie has a key role to play in Continuing to deploy its strategy of innovation and international meeting these challenges. Because seed, the first link in the development, Vilmorin & Cie made major progress this year in its food chain, is clearly a concentrate of solutions. strategic priorities: Through scientific progress applied to the plant world, - In Vegetable Seeds, thanks to a year of significant growth Vilmorin & Cie constantly offers seed varieties that are better (+3.5%(2)), Vilmorin & Cie is now No. 1 worldwide, demonstrating adapted to the climates and specificities of each region but the relevance of its strategy combining innovation and proximity also more resistant to disease and more productive, and to markets. strives to serve all forms of agriculture. Vilmorin & Cie’s CSR(1) program, which was enhanced during the year, formalizes this - In Field Seeds, the fiscal year was marked by a strong increase in 4 commitment: its main priority is to contribute to the sustainable business (+5.2%(2)), with, in particular, a high quality performance progress of agriculture through the use of seeds. This program, in Europe, but also by the strengthening of research capacity which promotes actions that Vilmorin & Cie was already and the pursuit of international development: in this respect, the implementing on a daily basis, is deeply rooted in its DNA. acquisition of Sursem and Geneze in South America marks a major step in Vilmorin & Cie’s development in this continent with In addition, with its offer focused on seeds and the control of proven potential. plant genetics, Vilmorin & Cie proposes a specific model. It is positioned as a real alternative to the agrochemical players In the wake of the past year, our ambition for 2019-2020 is to who offer farmers an integrated model, covering all their needs continue to strengthen our competitive positions, while pursuing 5 (seeds, fertilizers, plant protection products, etc.) but not taking with determination the implementation of our strategic vision. into account the necessary diversity of agricultural production systems. In times when markets are often volatile, we can rely more than ever on the dynamism and competence of our teams, the constant Building on the specificity of its model, and more than ever support of Limagrain, our reference shareholder, as well as our convinced of its relevance, Vilmorin & Cie continued its loyal and committed long-term shareholders. development in 2018-2019 and succeeded in posting growth for all its activities in a context of uncertain markets. Sales thus To thank them for their loyalty, at the beginning of 2019, amounted to nearly 1.4 billion euros, up 4.5%(2). Total net income Vilmorin & Cie allotted free shares to them, for the third time, and amounted to 77.9 million euros, up slightly(3) compared to the is proposing a dividend corresponding to a significant increase in 6 previous fiscal year. the distribution rate. Vilmorin & Cie’s Board of Directors 7 (1) Corporate Social Responsibility. (2) On a like-for-like basis. (3) With current data. ANNUAL REPORT Vilmorin & Cie 8 5 2018-2019 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 PRESENTATION1 of Vilmorin & Cie 2 1.1. Key figures 8 1.1.1. The group’s key indicators 8 1.1.2. Key indicators 2018-2019 for each activity 11 1.2. History 16 1.2.1. Historical expertise in plant improvement 16 3 1.2.2. Key stages in development 16 1.3. Challenges facing the seed segment 19 1.3.1. Producing more and better to meet food challenges 19 1.3.2. Having access to plant biodiversity and investing in research 22 1.3.3. Integrating digital transformation 22 1.4. The seed market 24 4 1.4.1. The market for vegetable seeds 24 1.4.2. The market for field seeds 25 1.4.3. A concentrated competitive environment 28 1.5. Activities 30 1.5.1. Vegetable Seeds 31 1.5.2. Field Seeds 33 1.5.3. Garden Products 40 5 1.6. Development model 43 1.6.1. A single core business: seeds 43 1.6.2. Close proximity to its markets 46 1.6.3. A long-term vision of its development 46 1.7. Strategy and objectives 47 1.7.1. Strong, continuous investment in research 48 6 1.7.2. Strong internationalization of activities 51 1.7.3. Capacity to combine targeted acquisitions and partnerships 52 1.7.4. Three strategic priorities 53 1.7.5. Objectives for 2019-2020 60 1.7.6. Outlook for development 61 1.8. Business model 62 7 1.9. Risk factors 64 1.9.1. Risk management organization 64 1.9.2. The main risk factors 66 1.9.3. Risks related to Vilmorin & Cie’s strategy 66 1.9.4. Operational risks 69 1.9.5. Shared means of control for all operational risks 76 ANNUAL REPORT Vilmorin & Cie 8 7 2018-2019 PRESENTATION of Vilmorin & Cie 11.1. KEY FIGURES 1.1. KEY FIGURES 1 1.1.1. The group’s key indicators 1,634 1.2 2 million euros billion euros of sales(1) of market capitalization (1,391 million euros)(2) on June 28, 2019 3 Evolution of sales Analysis of sales in 2018-2019 according (in millions of euros) to activity (Revenue from ordinary activities) (as a %) 1,414 1,391 1,346 4% Garden Products and Holdings 736 673 688 4 47% Field 626 623 650 Seeds 52 50 53 16-17 17-18 18-19 49% Vegetable Seeds Vegetable Seeds Field Seeds Garden Products and Holdings 5 Analysis of sales in 2018-2019 according Evolution of the operating income to geographical zone and the operating margin (as a %) (in millions of euros and as a % of sales) 118 111 97 9.2% 6 60% EUROPE 8.4% 8.4% 8.0% 21% AMERICAS 7.2% 9% % ASIA 10 OCEANIA AFRICA 16-17 17-18 18-19 MIDDLE EAST Operating income 7 Operating margin Current operating margin (3) (1) Integrating 50% of AgReliant (North America.