Developing a sustainability policy

Progress towards embedding sustainability into the business model of Nutreco benefited from developments at board level in Nutreco. Following the appointment of new members to our Supervisory Board, an Innovation and Sustainability Committee was formed. Forming the Innovation and Sustainability committee demonstrates two important points about Nutreco. First, sustainability is viewed as an essential characteristic for Nutreco and progress towards it is endorsed from the very top. Second, innovation is seen as essential in achieving progress towards sustainability through the products and technical advice we offer our customers.

Nutreco’s Executive Board also underwent changes in 2009. The three divisions of Nutreco, which are Agriculture, Specialties and Aquaculture, are now represented on the Board by Executive Vice-Presidents. Their appointments link the Executive Board more closely to the businesses and bring it direct operational involvement. This Board made a priority of progress in sustainability and the development of a policy.

To gather input from across Nutreco a Sustainability Group was brought together in 2009 to help develop the policy. Members represented various functions from the three Nutreco divisions and key corporate functions and came from six countries. Before the first meeting each member received a questionnaire on sustainability, its value to Nutreco and to them personally. The response rate was 100% and support was universal, though naturally there were individual caveats. Typical comments expressed in the questionnaires and at their first meeting stressed the importance of preserving the environment for future generations and the desire to work for a sustainable company. They also pointed out that a positive approach to sustainability is inherently good for Nutreco’s reputation and that it wins a positive response from young people, which is good for recruitment.

Given these views, it is gratifying to see the policy they prepared and to commit Nutreco to it. The ethos is substantiated by the many sustainability initiatives that were already present in Nutreco companies, a selection of which are described in this report. Implementing the policy will provide a structure and direction for such sustainability actions at all levels in Nutreco, helping to make them as productive and relevant as possible and enabling Nutreco to maintain continuous improvement in sustainability.

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