Our impact on communities
2.3.2
AN INCLUSIVE AND SUPPORTIVE SUPPLY CHAIN
Today, Sodexo is a major client with more than 150,000 vendors worldwide. This is why, supply is an essential component of the Group’s strategy. Recognizing the importance of an inclusive value chain, both as a business advantage and as an opportunity to reaffirm our role in the development of local communities and the promotion of diversity, the Group continues to promote its inclusion program among Sodexo partners.
This program is designed to increase the representation of SMEs, prioritizing those owned and/or managed by women, minorities, or indigenous people and vendors who are actively committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in its ecosystem of vendors and affiliates.
To facilitate their integration into Sodexo’s value chain and help them improve their quality standards and competitiveness in line with Sodexo’s requirements, these companies are supported by well-qualified local teams who are excited to work with them.
This program has lots of benefits. Sodexo is strengthening its ability to deliver services to its customers through local businesses and to meet requests from governments and local authorities. These services, which are often more flexible and innovative, while also being more affordable due to the lack of intermediaries, offer a better distribution of risks among more parties, promising a real commercial advantage. Finally, their client base expands through the stimulation of growth and the creation of jobs in local communities served by Sodexo.
Innovative ideas to support local communities
Sodexo Benefits & Rewards Services is committed to supporting its merchant partners, local businesses and people in precarious situations, who have been hardly hit by the Covid-19 crisis.
In Belgium, with the (Dé)pensez local program, Sodexo encourages users of Sodexo Meal Vouchers to spend money in restaurants and local shops, while offering them the opportunity to donate 2 euro cents to a local food bank for each transaction made.
In Colombia, the #ApoyoLocal communication campaign has helped highlight our merchants and support their reopening. Not only did they gain visibility among consumers, but they also increased traffic in their establishments.
In India, in a context where 50% of SMEs have difficulties in obtaining bank loans, a sponsorship program has been set up with our merchant partners to facilitate their access to loans.