CSR in the food industry? It's easier with ISO 26030

Driven by French stakeholders, the voluntary ISO 26030 standard has just been launched. It specifies the principles of social responsibility for all stakeholders in the food chain and supports progress initiatives, made effective by robust CSR labels.

It is a sector that is often singled out, the subject of much suspicion and criticism, and yet it is quite simply... vital! We are talking about the agri-food industry. "Whether we shop at a hypermarket or a small local greengrocer, we are all its customers. We consume its products: trust and safety are essential. That's why applying CSR principles to this sector was a necessity," summarizes Jean-Marc Callois, ministerial delegate for agri-food businesses at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food.

ISO 26030: a common language for discussing CSR in agriculture

Since January 2020, this work has been greatly facilitated by a new voluntary standard called NF ISO/TS 26030 , provides industry players with a roadmap for building a sustainable development policy that covers all issues (economic, social, environmental, territorial, ethical) and leaves nothing out. And since the agri-food industry is a globalized market—despite efforts to shorten supply chains—this standard is international: it is the result of a global consensus, ensuring that all stakeholders speak the same language, regardless of country or profession. All of this is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are dear to business leaders who find them an interesting framework for reorienting their economic model! It was well worth a conference... or even two: on January 14, 2020, in Bordeaux, then on the 23rd in Paris, at the initiative of the AFNOR members' club, stakeholders discussed this text, which marks a milestone in the French regulatory landscape.

But the agri-food industry did not wait for standardization to get involved in this process. The first initiatives emerged in 2006. AFNOR and Coopération agricole (a union representing more than 2,500 organizations accounting for 40% of French agri-food turnover) launched a "Sustainable Development" assessment to evaluate practices. And in 2010, professionals turned their attention to ISO 26000, which had just been published. "This international standard on social responsibility laid the groundwork, but it wasn't specific or operational enough for our sector," recalls Benjamin Perdreau, CSR manager at Coopération agricole. "In 2012, we began working with various stakeholders to adapt the principles of this standard to our business."

Soon to be a requirement in calls for tenders

Local roots, traceability, organic farming, training, remuneration, and workplace safety for agri-food professionals... ISO 26030 examines all these issues and adapts them from ISO 26000. "Our French text then served as the basis for international work carried out by thirty countries under the auspices of ISO," continues Benjamin Perdreau. The French version was supplemented and enriched with new topics such as animal welfare and the circular economy. Ultimately, ISO 26030 is the first sector-specific version of ISO 26000 at the international level, and France was the driving force behind it. We are truly proud of this achievement."

Although voluntary, this text is nonetheless strongly recommended. The principles of CSR will soon become essential, according to Jean-Marc Callois of the Ministry of Agriculture. "These concepts will soon be systematic in calls for tenders. It is a requirement in order to meet consumer expectations." "Those who are not committed to a responsible approach risk being excluded from the market," confirms Benjamin Perdreau. "We are already seeing this with the appearance of new requirements in specifications."

ISO 26030: deployment sector by sector

But in a sector made up of 98% SMEs, how can effective deployment be ensured? While several levers exist—notably public procurement—the ministry is focusing instead on gradual adaptation. The same is true on the producer side. The agricultural cooperative is launching an educational program to explain the merits of the approach to professionals. By the end of December 2019, more than 4,000 people had taken its MOOC course on CSR and agri-food, with more than 40% of the audience located in Africa. For its part, AFNOR has made available a directory of numerous experts in social responsibility standards who can be called upon for assignments via the AFNOR BAO service The union is also behind the "Coopératives So Responsables" (Responsible Cooperatives) label, developed in line with the framework currently proposed by ISO 26030 with the AFNOR group and France Stratégie.

An independent auditor reviews the measures put in place, the indicators, and the performance achieved, thereby conducting a critical review that commits the company to a process of continuous improvement. In short, it's anything but self-proclamation... and without the risk of greenwashing that goes with it! The objective is clear: to ensure that the momentum comes from the field, sector by sector (see box), and that all stakeholders find in the standard an easy answer to the questions they ask themselves—and that their customers ask them—in order to reconcile economic, environmental, and social concerns.

In Bayonne, ham sets the example

Created twenty years ago, the Bayonne Ham Consortium brings together the entire industry: farmers, producer groups, feed manufacturers, slaughterers and cutters, slicing workshops, and salters. "Despite its reputation, charcuterie is controversial, and Bayonne Ham is no exception to the doubts and criticism: questions about the food given to pigs, GMOs, slaughtering methods, the use of salt and preservatives... So we looked for a positive way to respond to these questions," explains Pierre Harambat, head of the interprofessional organization.

Nouvelle AquitaineVery quickly, the consortium understood the importance of working together: all professions in the sector are interdependent, and a comprehensive response is needed. Together, the members decided to create the "RSE filière Jambon de Bayonne" (Bayonne Ham Sector CSR) label, which is based on the ISO 26030 standard and echoes the general label. Committed to CSR which the consortium itself holds (confirmed level), following an audit by AFNOR Certification. "We quickly identified that there were many good practices within our network. We decided to encourage them. For example, installing cameras in slaughterhouses, sourcing food from local suppliers, and banning antibiotics," lists Pierre Harambat.

With its own label, which is intended to appear on products, the industry sees short-term benefits—by attracting attention—but above all medium- and long-term benefits. CSR is in line with the course of history. It is essential for convincing tomorrow's buyers, both in France and abroad, of the quality of our products. Failure to jump on this bandwagon means running the risk of being left completely behind. , concludes Pierre Harambat.