Better Tomorrow Update 2024 EN by Sodexo Nederland

Better Tomorrow Update 2024

Achieving sustainable ambitions together

Sustainable inspiration

For Sodexo, sustainability is never an afterthought. Ever since our family company was founded in 1966, improving quality of life and creating a better world have been at the heart of our business. In all our services, from catering and building maintenance to hospitality services and project management, we make sustainable choices appealing. Not with coercion, but with enticement, information and inspiration. We do this step by step with clear ambitions in mind.

NetZero2040

Food services are at the heart of everything we do. Tasty, healthy and sustainable food and drinks are increasingly important to our clients. Not only does this have a major impact on the employee experience in the workplace, it also determines the size of our environmental footprint. It is logical, then, that so much of our focus is on sustainable food services. We’re striving for a world where food waste is a thing of the past, everyone has access to delicious and healthy meals, our activities have a positive impact on local communities and we minimise our environmental footprint. We were the first food and facility management service provider in the world to commit to a NetZero2040 target, certified by SBTi.

We need everyone

Sustainability does not stop at the boundaries of our organisation. We strongly believe in the

power of collaboration and innovation to tackle the challenges facing our world. Climate change, economic uncertainty, social inequality; there’s a complex puzzle of changes affecting our daily lives and the future of generations to come. To effect real change, we need everyone: our clients, suppliers, partners and employees.

Collaboration

The stories in this Better Tomorrow Update show how we are achieving a better tomorrow with everyone in our network. With start-ups and suppliers who challenge us to look further, with clients who want to change at a pace that suits them and with employees who make a difference every day. For all these groups, we are a reliable food & facility management service provider and partner.

Making a difference

I am proud of what we have achieved, but we’re not there yet. The future could use some more sustainable enticement. So I hope this update inspires us to keep taking steps together – big or small – to build a better future for our children. Together, we are making a difference.

Cunera Vlaar CEO Sodexo Netherlands

With more than 2,000 employees, Sodexo Netherlands offers a total package of food and facility management services for business, government, healthcare institutions and offshore operations. We do this with a passion for service and craftsmanship, and with an eye to the future. Together with our employees, clients, suppliers and partners, we work on sustainability and social impact every day. With low-carbon products from farm to fork, new dishes that fit in with the protein transition, combating food waste, and more energy-efficient appliances and preparation methods. Every day, companies across the Netherlands enjoy delicious dishes made by our chefs with a positive impact on people and the planet. This is how we help our clients achieve their sustainability goals. And it's how we are creating a better day for everyone to build a better life for all. (THIS IS OUR

Towards NetZero by 2040: from ambition to action

With 430,000 employees in 45 countries and 80 million consumers served every day, Sodexo is at the heart of society. We realise that providing services on this scale is not without consequences for the planet. That’s why we’ve been actively committed for decades to reducing our footprint and increasing our social impact.

Promises

We were the first food and facility management services company in the world to commit to a NetZero by 2040 target. To achieve this target, we’re accelerating our chosen pathway to reduce our emissions by 34% by 2025. Our NetZero targets have been calculated on a scientific basis and are transparent and publicly available in the Carbon Disclosure Programme. Sodexo is the only facilities management provider in this programme to achieve ‘A’ status.

Sodexo Netherlands is on track to meet the NetZero targets. To achieve those targets, we needed to obtain a clear picture of what our carbon footprint actually looked like. As a famous footballer once said, ‘you only see it when you understand it’.

Most emissions are in Scope 3

In the 2023 fiscal year, our total carbon footprint in the Netherlands was 52.5 kt CO2e. If we break these emissions down into the three emission categories (Scope 1, 2 and 3), the vast majority

(98%) are in Scope 3; emissions linked to our activities but outside Sodexo’s direct control.

The highest CO2 emissions come from food procurement and energy consumption at client sites. This shows how crucial it is for us to strive to be a climate-neutral food service.

Reducing our carbon footprint

Our Scope 3 emissions may come from sources outside of our company, but that doesn’t mean that we cannot or should not do anything about them. For the planet, and for our clients for whom we deliver the best food and facility services every day. Our emissions determine their emissions. The extent depends on the type of business. The impact on the carbon footprint will be relatively small for an industrial client with large factories, but may be significant for an organisation that only has office buildings. Our promise is that their facility services footprint will get smaller if they work with Sodexo. With low-emissions products from farm to fork, new dishes that fit in with the protein transition, combating food waste, and helping clients make their offices more energy efficient and use their office space more efficiently.

Transparent and insightful

More and more clients are asking us for support with their climate goals. Together, we’re creating roadmaps towards a more sustainable future. From company restaurants with tasty, healthy meals to energy management projects.

Sodexo Netherlands

Scope 3 emissions in focus

Breakdown of Scope 3 emissions from food procurement

We have turned sustainability from a nice aspiration into a reality.

With committed employees and suppliers who support our ambitions. We have made our sustainability work transparent and insightful with the latest measurement tools, such as TRAACE (a carbon footprint simulation tool for developing roadmaps) and SEA (a sustainability dashboard for site managers). We have turned sustainability from a nice aspiration into a reality. We are making it increasingly concrete and measurable. It’s good for the environment, and it helps us and our clients lead the way in the fight against climate change. To see it is to understand it!

Alexander Klaver, Chief Technical & Information Officer (CTO/CIO) Sodexo Netherlands

To reduce CO2 emissions from food procurement, Sodexo has two objectives:

• By 2025, at least 33% of our dishes will be entirely plant based

• By 2030, 70% of all dishes will have a ‘low carbon’ footprint (<0.9 kg CO2e)

Making sustainable choices easier

All around us, in big and small ways, people and companies are trying to live and work more sustainably. From eating plant-based food to taking the train more often instead of a car or plane. Sometimes it’s an easy choice, and sometimes it takes some getting used to, as I found when I set out on holiday with small children on an overnight train. Some people enjoy discovering new things, while others prefer doing what they’re used to. For all of us, living in a way that is better for people and the planet means finding what works best for your situation and values.

Sustainability ambitions

We see the same thing with our clients, whether they have an office with knowledge-based workers or a large production site. Every organisation has its own sustainability ambitions with associated challenges. While one company is happy to give employees a choice and continue to offer meat dishes alongside a plant-based offering, for

another company, the protein transition cannot move fast enough. At Sodexo, we understand this like no one else.

NetZero

No matter what, partnering with Sodexo for food and facility management services means working towards your sustainability goals and reducing your organisation’s Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. We were the first company in the world in our sector to commit to NetZero by 2040, which means reducing our total emissions by 90% and physically removing the remaining 10% from the atmosphere. To achieve this goal, we’re focusing on four pillars: product, preparation, energy and waste.

Priorities

It starts with the selection of our products. We only work with suppliers who value sustainability and social impact as much as we do. As you would expect from a good French company, passion for food is in our DNA. Our chefs’

• 34% CO2 reduction in Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions

• 100% renewable electricity in direct operations (RE100 commitment)

• 100% reusable, recyclable and/or compostable packaging in food services

• 33% plant-based offerings in menus and dishes

• 50% less food waste via WasteWatch/LeanPath

• 90% hybrid and electric commercial vehicles

• A supplier relationship programme to achieve responsible procurement and emissions reductions

ability to come up with the most delicious dishes and new flavours is unparalleled. The fact that these dishes are also sustainable is no coincidence; it’s the result of years of investment to reduce our environmental footprint. Inspired by organisations like the World Wildlife Fund, we are creating new low-carbon recipes. We encourage low-energy cooking methods and are replacing electrical appliances to reduce energy consumption in our kitchens. We’re also reducing food waste, which is a huge source of CO2 emissions worldwide. I’m proud of our WasteWatch programme, which has already seen our waste fall by over 30% with the help of smart scales. In this way, data and new technologies are helping us make great strides for ourselves and our clients.

People make the difference

The thing that makes me most proud in this Better Tomorrow Update is all the stories of Sodexo employees. Together with their colleagues, they

• 70% low-carbon dishes (<0.9 kg CO2e)

• Energy reduction and transition to renewable energy at client sites

• Further development of local supply and short chains

• Commitment to a deforestation-free supply chain

make a difference to our clients every day. They’re the chefs and the catering and hospitality staff who entice your employees to try a new dish or make a sustainable choice with enthusiasm and a smile. They achieve these small improvements in everyday life, with a big impact on people, workplaces and the planet.

Marloes van der Have Manager Corporate Social Responsibility

• 90% reduction in Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions

• Once we have reduced emissions as much as possible, we will remove any remaining emissions according to SBTi criteria to achieve net zero emissions in 2040

It all starts with the everyday

Better Tomorrow is Sodexo’s global corporate social responsibility strategy. A roadmap with nine commitments to achieve a sustainable future. Our Better Tomorrow strategy is based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015.

These nine commitments help us make good, sustainable choices every day to improve quality of life. As an employer for our employees, as a service provider for our clients, and as a responsible corporate citizen in the regions and communities in which we operate. They guide our actions and make the goals we are working towards measurable. For ourselves and for the people we work with. Like the Sustainable Development Goals, they are our compass in everything we do for our food & facility management services clients in 45 countries. From combating food waste in our restaurants and reducing CO2 emissions through plant-based meals that are tasty as well as healthy, to sustainable procurement and our Stop Hunger Foundation, corporate social responsibility is at the heart of everything we do. Our actions today impact tomorrow. This is why we do it. Check out our story:

02

It all starts with the everyday

The nine commitments: Impact on individual Impact on communities Impact on the environment

Role as an employer

Improve the quality of life of employees, safely 80% employee engagement rate

Role as a service provider

Provide and encourage consumers to access healthy lifestyle choices

100% of consumers are oﬀered healthy lifestyle options every day

Role as a corporate citizen

Act sustainably for a hunger-free world

100 million Stop Hunger beneﬁciaries(3)

Ensure a diverse workforce and inclusive culture that reﬂects and enriches the communities Sodexo serves

100% of employees work in countries that have gender balance in their management populations

Foster a culture of environmental responsibility within workforces and workspaces

100% of on-site management & senior leaders are trained on sustainable practices by 2025

Promote local development and fair, inclusive and sustainable business practices

2 billion euros spend with SME(1) suppliers Source responsibly and provide management services that reduce carbon emissions

34% reduction of carbon emissions(2)

Sodexo Dat doen alledaagse vermenigvuldigt door ons dag

op de samenleving dagelijks Wij omarmen vandaag Better Better Tomorrow routekaart

De negen die de kwaliteit als facilitair voor de voor onze onszelf

Drive diversity and inclusion as a catalyst for societal change

180,000 women in communities empowered(3)

Champion sustainable resource usage

50% reduction in our food waste

The Sustainable Development Goals are highlighted with icons displayed beside each chapter.

CSRD directive: understanding the human and environmental impact

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is coming. From 2025, large companies will have to report on their impact on people and the environment in their management reports. What is your company doing to reduce CO2 emissions, how diverse and inclusive is your workforce, and what about your suppliers? Together with our clients, we are working towards compliance with the new directive. We are also working out how to make our shared sustainability ambitions for food & facility management services transparent.

Vincent Blok , Chief Financial Officer of Sodexo Netherlands, explains how the CSRD affects Sodexo.

“Sodexo wants to be a leading in sustainability, and this new European legislation is going to help us achieve our CSR goals as well as those of our clients. It gives us an opportunity to make our sustainable DNA even more visible. Our ambitions to reduce CO2 emissions and save energy directly affect our clients’ sustainability ambitions. We’ve already made great strides in making the effects of our sustainability measures increasingly transparent and measurable. This includes WasteWatch, which prevents food waste, and Eaternity, which shows the carbon footprint of dishes. They help us and our clients make

our concrete results visible. Simply having sustainability ambitions is no longer enough. What matters now is that companies can actually show what they have achieved for people and the environment. With this new directive, it will become much more obvious when a company is making a claim but not delivering on it. We are collectively working towards greater transparency, as well as a better understanding of the effects of sustainable business operations.”

What does the CSRD directive involve?

It requires large companies to report on the environmental and social impact of their activities on people and the environment, such as CO2 emissions, biodiversity and their own employees. From 2025, this will apply to large companies with at least two of the following three characteristics: more than 250 employees, annual net turnover of more than €40 million and/or a balance sheet total of more than €20 million. From 2026, it will apply to listed SMEs too.

Would you like to find out more about how to embed sustainability in your organisation and how the CSRD offers opportunities to accelerate?

Vincent Blok, CFO of Sodexo, discusses the directive in more detail in this podcast:

Significant changes prompted by the CSR directive

Reusable is the norm

Disposable cups and food containers are no longer offered for consuming food at client sites.

CSRD directive

THE COFFEE WILL NOT CHANGE, THE CUP WILL

Large companies required to report on their environmental and social impact on people and the environment.

CSRD directive

From this date, the CSRD also applies to listed SMEs.

We were the first food services company in the world to commit to a NetZero by 2040 target.* To achieve this target, we’re accelerating our chosen pathway and committing to reducing our emissions by 34% by 2025.

* certified by SBTi

Climate-neutral food services

Tasty food with a positive climate impact: that’s our goal. Sodexo is focusing on climate-neutral food services, because that’s where most of our CO2 emissions come from. We’re doing this by choosing low-emissions products from farm to fork, new dishes that fit in with the protein transition, combating food waste, and more energy-efficient appliances and preparation methods. But above all, we’re doing it by preparing delicious dishes that surprise and entice.

From plastic-free to plant-based: towards a greener future

Like Sodexo, our clients also have ambitious sustainability goals. We help bring those goals closer by reducing their environmental footprint. Through food services with delicious dishes with low CO2 emissions from farm to fork, culinary experiences that are increasingly sustainable and combating food waste.

Arnold Veenema, Manager Facility Management PGGM and Debby Moone, Service Manager Facility Management PGGM, talk about how they are working with Sodexo to ensure that PGGM is ready for a sustainable future.

Your company restaurant was Sodexo’s first plastic-free restaurant. What makes you so progressive?

Arnold: “We have very clear ambitions at PGGM! On behalf of Pensioenfonds Zorg en Welzijn, we ensure that three million Dutch residents receive a good pension. This pension is invested in such a way that it contributes as much as possible to making our living environment more sustainable. This requires us to also make our own business operations more sustainable. For example, we’re aiming to reduce our indirect emissions – Scope 3 – by 55% by 2030 (compared with 2016 levels). And by 2050, our Scope 3 emissions should be zero.

A plastic-free restaurant is one aspect, but we’re doing a lot more. For example, we’re working with Sodexo to reduce food waste, and offer dishes with a low carbon footprint as well as more plant-based dishes. We care about tomorrow; that’s something Sodexo and PGGM have in common.”

How does Sodexo help you achieve your sustainability goals?

Debby: “I think a good example is the analysis tool, Eaternity, that Sodexo is

about to introduce to us. This database will give us an insight into the environmental footprint of dishes and products. That will allow us to determine where we are now, and let Sodexo adjust menus accordingly. And Sodexo is going to make employees aware of their dish’s footprint by placing ecolabels next to the dishes. For example, I always thought a filet americain sandwich was a good choice because it’s lean meat. But it turns out that it actually has a high carbon footprint. By choosing a cheese or chicken sandwich, you can reduce your carbon footprint by over 40%! That kind of awareness is going to help. I also notice it with WasteWatch, which Sodexo’s kitchen team uses to combat food waste. Insight provides tools for change.”

What do diners in your company restaurant think of the changes to the offerings?

Arnold: “We believe it’s important for people to have choices. Forcing plant-based food on people does not work. It’s all about enticement and nudging . For instance, the fried dishes are now at the back of the company restaurant. And there is now a

Debby Moone (PGGM): “Whether it’s catering or cleaning, every time we make a choice we think about how sustainable it is.”

comprehensive plant-based range of dishes in the restaurant. It makes it a lot easier to make a healthy, conscious choice.”

Debby: “Sodexo has a focus on special themed weeks, like dairy and meat-free week. They also have special promotions, where the head chef gets fresh produce from local growers. I think more could be done to entice employees to make healthy choices. Ecolabels are definitely going to help with this as well.”

What are some important steps that could be taken in the future?

Debby: “Sustainability is increasingly in our DNA. Whether it’s with catering or cleaning, every time we make a choice, the first thing we think about is how sustainable it is. And we really do that hand in hand with Sodexo. I don’t see it as a clientsupplier relationship; it’s a partnership, where you keep each other on your toes. Hopefully, we can expand that further.”

Arnold: “In my view, Sodexo links our day-to-day operations even more closely to our ambitions. They also challenge us with innovations and new concepts. I’m proud that sustainability has really become a part of the service in recent years. The next task is to step it up a notch and back up these great results with figures.”

Arnold Veenema (PGGM): “Sodexo challenges us with innovations and new concepts.”

Ecolabels: A simple and sustainable choice

In the protein transition, how do you get people to choose a plant-based alternative more often?

First, by making sure plant-based dishes look irresistible and taste just as good as a version containing meat or fish. Leave that to our chefs! Another thing that helps is nudging , such as putting plant-based dishes at the front or making the sustainable version the default choice.

Research shows that ecoscores make consumers more likely to choose products with a low carbon footprint.

Read more about the key tools for caterers around the globe looking to move towards sustainable and healthy food consumption:

But conscious choices also start with good information. That’s why we’re using ecolabelling at more and more locations to visually depict the environmental footprint of our dishes. Signs beside the dishes show the CO2 impact: the colour green and the letter A mean low CO2 emissions, while a dish with a red E has a high impact.

How eco-ratings work Sodexo works exclusively with Eaternity for its eco-ratings. A specially developed analysis database measures the ecological impact of dishes and products. It is linked to our menu system and looks at all kinds of factors, from transport to packaging materials. For now, the eco-rating system focuses only on CO2 emissions; we are planning to extend it to include water use, land use and animal welfare in the near future.

Paul Reijnen is an Account Manager at Achmea, where ecolabels have recently started appearing next to dishes.

“Eaternity’s tool gives our kitchen teams an easy way to understand the environmental footprint of a dish. So they can consciously choose to use more organic or local seasonal produce with a better eco-rating. Our clients get a good idea of the restaurant’s CO2 impact over a given period, compared with similar restaurants. And diners can see at a glance whether their tasty lunch is also healthy for the planet.”

AROUND THE TABLE WITH ...

“With this burger, you can hardly taste any difference from the meat version. And believe me, I’m a discerning eater.”

Ali Fatih

is General Service Manager at Sodexo, a green oasis under the umbrella of Edge West Amsterdam. The building has an ‘outstanding’ sustainability certificate.

‘I like trying new things. The standard option is not for me’

“After a dynamic job as manager of the Escape club, I wanted more stability in my life. I had also become a father: I have a five-year-old daughter. I’m an avid meat eater, but since starting this job at Edge West, I’ve become much more concerned with sustainability. This is where I discovered how delicious plantbased dishes can be. Like the burger in the restaurant: you can hardly taste any difference from the meat version. And believe me, I’m a discerning eater.”

Too ambitious

“I like trying new things. The standard option is not for me. That comes in handy here. We’re working towards three key goals for our client: lower carbon emissions, more circularity and greater inclusion. In the kitchen, we make as many sustainable dishes as possible, using plant-based proteins, products from local suppliers and a limited number of ingredients. Our ambition from two years ago – 70% plant-based dishes – turned out to be too big a step. ‘I just want my beef croquette’, we would hear. We now make sure there’s always a meat or fish option as well. The ambition remains, and we’re still moving towards it. Our offering is now 50% vegan/vegetarian.”

Tastings

“The key is good communication, and plenty of it. We explain to the 3,000 building users that eating less meat, fish and dairy plays a big role in CO2 reduction. We do this through our narrowcasting screens, for example, with positive triggers. We avoid the terms ‘vegan’ and ‘vegetarian’. They aren’t helpful in trying to entice people to switch to plantbased versions.

We hold regular tastings to show that a plant-based lunch is more than a pita bread with grilled vegetables and hummus. People are often surprised. If you’re hesitating, that’s my tip: be open to plantbased food, just taste it and experience it.”

Signing baristas

“It’s nice to work in a building as progressive as Edge West. As many people as possible travel to work by public transport or bike. Another special thing is our signing baristas: deaf or hard-ofhearing people who run the coffee shop. Some of them have fled the war in Ukraine. We use sign language to order coffee. It’s great to see that other companies have adopted this initiative.”

A plate full of creativity

For some, eating plant-based food is already normal, while others are less familiar with new flavours and prefer to see a familiar dish on their plate. Sodexo’s creative head chefs devise menu plans that entice diners to try something new.

Jérôme de Jong, Sodexo Menu Engineer

“I worked as a chef in the catering industry for many years. We aimed to make people happy and surprise them with dishes they didn’t know how to conjure up at home. At Sodexo we do the same, but in such a way that it doesn’t get too complicated and remains affordable. Eating at work is about a moment of relaxation. We make our clients’ employees feel welcome and re-energised in an efficient and healthy way for the second half of the ‘match’. And we do that every single working day.”

Menu plans

“We work with menu and food engineers, dieticians and concept experts to create menu plans that we review with colleagues from sites with different concepts (such as Kitchen Works and Modern Recipe) to assess the composition and feasibility. To give you some idea: for one menu plan, we come up with around 84 different variations for meal-sized salads alone. Each of these variations has to be easy for local kitchen teams to make.”

The stories behind food

“With plant-based meals, you don’t always

have to use meat substitutes. You can also surprise avid meat eaters with delicious, attractive dishes that don’t resemble meat in taste or texture. I’ve noticed that the younger generation will try new dishes more readily, without preconceptions. For them, the stories behind the food are also increasingly important. How does this dish contribute to combating food waste, and what kind of social impact does the supplier have? They find it really appealing that Soupalicious gives one bowl of soup to the food bank for every bowl eaten.”

Inspiration

“Our head chefs get their inspiration from international trade fairs and creative sessions with suppliers. I personally use ideas from foreign cuisines, such as Arabic cuisine. Tings like roasted aubergine with couscous and a dressing of yoghurt, mint and pomegranate seeds. Sweet, bitter, umami; with plant-based dishes, the trick is to play around with those flavours until you’ve created a delicious work of art.”

Which dish do you prefer?

A healthy, vegan, plant-based, soy-based solution, or a smoky, creamy bite, freshly handmade by our local supplier?

Martijn van Vliet, Head Chef Culinary Community Sodexo: “During a blind-tasting session, option two was the most popular. The smoky version was also chosen most often, based on the name. But it’s exactly the same product: smoked tofu, but with a different presentation and name. In the first version, the tofu was presented as a cube, in the second as a roll. So option two sounds the tastiest by far. This experiment showed that the way you approach dishes makes all the difference in enticing people to choose plant-based food.”

Working together, healthy and surprising food, against waste, for a better world. That’s the recipe for modern humans. Inspiring, responsible, flexible and healthy, allowing employees to perform at their best throughout the day.

World cuisine, familiar favourites and healthy, sustainable meals. Fresh, affordable and fast. It gives employees enough of a break to really recharge and head into the rest of their working day full of energy.

Spring Summer 2023

Fermentation: a timeless trend

Fermentation: what exactly is it? And why would you want to use this ancient preservation technique? Martijn van Vliet, Head Chef Culinary Community at Sodexo and Do Bongers, founder of Basic Theory Fine Fermented Foods, are big fans of fermentation.

Starting in the spring of 2024, diners can enjoy dishes containing fermented vegetables at sites offering Modern Recipe and Kitchen Works food services. Think kimchi, curried kraut (a combination of cauliflower, onion, garlic, cumin and turmeric) and sexy sauerkraut. Sodexo has teamed up with Basic Theory to offer these products.

Made in the fermentorium

Do: “We make fermented vegetable toppings in our ‘fermentorium’ near Nijmegen. Fermentation is actually a technique dating back thousands of years to store ingredients for longer without chemical preservatives. All you need is vegetables and a little salt. Fermenting vegetables, sometimes with spices, intensifies the flavours and colours and preserves the bite.”

Fermentation makes ingredients easier to digest.

Healthier lifestyle

Martijn: “Most importantly, fermented vegetables are incredibly tasty. You taste the umami and it makes you want to keep eating. Fermentation not only intensifies flavours, it also makes them more subtle. Fermentation creates flavours that no cooking process can offer. In addition, at Sodexo, we take a critical approach to our ingredients. The fact that fermented products don’t require additional preservatives is a positive. It’s another way in which we contribute to a healthier lifestyle for our diners.

Fermented vegetables can also be eaten by people on low-carb, low-salt and/or lowsugar diets.”

Combating food waste

Do: “Fermentation reduces food waste. For instance, we recently saved 3,000 kilos of carrots that were not ‘pretty’ enough for sale. With fermentation, you can make them last until next season. We also buy locally whenever possible, and take products from producers who only use part of an ingredient, for example.”

Back to basics

Martijn: “I like the fact that we’re bringing renewed attention to a technique that’s been used by many generations before us. You could say that we’re getting back to the basics of healthy eating by offering fermented products.”

How does fermentation work?

A quick chemistry lesson! Fermentation involves microbes (healthy bacteria, yeasts or moulds). These microbes are already present on the outside of vegetables. By adding 1.5 to 2.5 percent salt to a vegetable, you extract moisture from it. This allows the microbes to do their job, which includes converting carbohydrates into lactic acid, flavours and carbon dioxide. In Do’s spotless fermentorium, vegetables are fermented in a food-safe, controlled manner.

Fermenting at home

Interested in trying fermentation for yourself? Make this KimchiDo and Kimchi Fried Rice; recipes by Martijn van Vliet (Head Chef Culinary Community at Sodexo) and Do Bongers (founder of Basic Theory Fine Fermented Foods).

KimchiDo

Ingredients

450 g Chinese cabbage, cut crosswise into 3 cm strips (set aside half a cabbage leaf)

75 g carrot, grated or thinly sliced

75 g radish, cut into thin quarter-slices

1 spring onion, sliced in rings

1 thumb of ginger

2 cloves of garlic

30 mL water or kimchi juice

30 g gochugaru pepper

1 tbsp sea salt (12–15 g)

A preserving jar (800 mL) rubber bands

Preparation

1. Make sure you have a clean workplace and clean equipment, and wash your hands thoroughly. Wash the vegetables with cold water. Don’t peel them, because the microbes you need are on the outside of the vegetables.

2. Place all the vegetables in a stainless steel or plastic mixing bowl. Add the sea salt and knead the vegetables with the salt for 1 minute.

3. Place the unpeeled ginger, garlic, gochugaru pepper and 30 mL of water or kimchi juice in a blender and grind to a paste. Add the paste to the vegetables and knead together. Keep kneading until you can easily squeeze the liquid out of the vegetables.

4. Pour the liquid from the vegetables into the preserving jar. Add the vegetables, a third at a time. Adding the liquid first allows you to thoroughly submerge the vegetables in the liquid. Fill the jar to a maximum of 3 cm below the rim.

5. Place the half cabbage leaf on top of the vegetables. Using four fingers, gently push the leaf into the liquid so that the vegetables stay under the leaf. This protects the KimchiDo from the oxygen at the top of the jar.

6. Clean the outside of the jar and attach the seal with rubber bands. This lets carbon dioxide escape during the primary fermentation process. If you seal the jar with a standard seal, make sure you gently vent the jar every day for the first five days.

7. Place the jar in a warm place (18–25 degrees), out of the sunlight. The fermentation process can now begin, and you will see small bubbles appear in the jar. This is carbon dioxide being produced. The KimchiDo is ready when it is brighter in colour, smells sour and has risen up the sides of the jar. Often, this only takes five days. Taste it with a clean fork. If the KimchiDo tastes perfect, it can go in the fridge.

Kimchi fried rice

Lunch or main course – 15 min. – Serves 4

Ingredients

40 mL wok oil

200 g KimchiDo

40 g sesame oil

1 kg cauliflower rice

160 g corn kernels, drained

60 g KimchiDo juice

4 spring onions, sliced in rings

½ tsp toasted sesame seeds, to garnish

A fried egg (optional)

Preparation

1. Place a wok over a high heat and heat the wok oil.

2. Stir-fry the KimchiDo until lightly caramelised. Add the sesame oil to the rice and mix.

3. Add the cauliflower rice and corn and stir-fry until lightly browned.

4. Add the kimchi juice and stir-fry until the rice no longer sticks together.

5. Add the spring onion and garnish with the sesame seeds. Serve with a fried egg if desired.

AROUND THE TABLE WITH ...

Angelique van Griensven

is a floor steward at the Sodexo site at Illumina, a biotechnology company. In Angelique’s view, there’s no such thing as waste.

‘If you want to change the world, start with yourself’

“As a floor steward, I’ve been the point of contact for all soft services for the warehouse environment and customer care department at Illumina in Eindhoven since October 2021. When I first started here, I was given a tour of the site. What immediately struck me was that all of the waste was disposed of as general waste. Waste management partner Renewi turned up three times a day to collect the skip. I thought that really needed to change. Together with Illumina and Renewi, we created a plan. We defined eight different waste streams, including glass, plastic, cardboard and electrical waste. We placed bins and containers in logical places so the warehouse teams could easily separate their waste, and Renewi was given a work area here to properly dispose of specific packaging materials. Illumina also invested in a cardboard press, so the waste containers don’t fill up as quickly.”

No such thing as waste

“Disposing of general waste is expensive. By properly separating the waste, we’ve made serious cost savings. But that’s not even the most

important thing. Things that were being disposed of as waste can be reused as raw materials. There’s no such thing as waste. For example, Renewi turns strapping bands into new shopping bags, and hard plastic is a raw material for Playmobil Wiltopia.”

Sustainable living is totally normal

“For me, sustainable living is the most normal thing in the world. It’s how I was brought up. With five children, it was normal for clothes to be handed down. When things were broken, we fixed them, and we never bought things we didn’t need. I have a vegetable garden, like we had growing up. If I have a bumper crop, my vegetables go into the freezer, and I make juice from the fruit at the end of the season. General waste? I put out my bin once a month at most, and even then it’s far from full. And if I need something new around the house, I'll go to the thrift shop first. Even when I’m on holiday, I sometimes pick up rubbish in natural areas. Sustainable living is actually quite simple: if you want to change the world, start with yourself!“

“At Illumina, we get tea and coffee from MAAS. They contribute to a fair price for coffee farmers, better opportunities for people who are disadvantaged on the labour market and female empowerment.”

Weigh smart, waste less

From catering to retail to households, too much food is still being wasted worldwide. All that unconsumed food causes unnecessary water, land and energy use. If food waste was a country, it would be one of the top three greenhouse gas emitters! To reduce our environmental footprint and combat waste, we work with the WasteWatch programme (Leanpath). Smart scales allow you to measure, analyse and reduce food waste.

This approach is applied by Sodexo’s team at Brainport Industries Campus (BIC) in Eindhoven. Baran Gunduz , Food & Beverage Manager: “We serve employees and visitors from educational institutions, large companies, production sites and government agencies. Around 700 diners a day eat in the buffet restaurant and café, and we also cater events. Accurately estimating visitor numbers and avoiding leftover sandwiches and salads is a daily challenge. Data such as that provided by WasteWatch is a big help.”

Being clever with left overs

Since he started working with WasteWatch, Berry van Osch, Sodexo’s head chef at BIC, begins his working week reviewing the statistics for the food discarded in the previous week. “The smart scales record all food waste: from cutting waste and leftover sandwiches to products that are past their use-by date. We discuss those dates at the briefing. It was already standard practice for us to incorporate leftover vegetables into curries the next day, for example. But the WasteWatch data has really helped our team step it up. “Is it really necessary to top up the buffet again?“ a young kitchen worker might ask me. We’ve become much more aware of waste.”

Baran is pleased by how quickly the team has internalised this new way of working. “It helps that we’re working with the head chef to address this issue; it’s not just a management thing.”

WasteWatch results

• 45 sites working with WasteWatch

• 34% less food waste in our restaurants since 2021

• 20.3 tonnes of food waste prevented in 2023

“At Brainport Industries Campus, sustainability and data-driven activities are key priorities in developing the factory of the future. It’s great to see Sodexo fleshing out these priorities in its own way, with professionalism. Working together towards more sustainable services and a more sustainable future.”

Erik Veurink , Campus Director, Brainport Industries Campus

• 37,264 meals saved in 2023

• In 2023, 141 tonnes of CO2 emissions were avoided, equivalent to 352 economy-class flights from Amsterdam to New York, 498,236 hot baths or the annual energy consumption of around 16 households

• 2025 target: 50% less food waste at Sodexo worldwide

Baran and Berry

Eeting Kind: better for businesses, nature and employees

Corné van Dooren, sustainable food adviser, World Wildlife Fund

“I love hiking in the mountains. Where I used to look out over a glacier 20 years ago, it’s now melted. All over the world, we’re seeing the beauty of nature destroyed by the impact of food production. But we can change that.”

Eating Kind. With a few simple adjustments on employees’ plates, companies can make a world of difference. The World Wildlife Fund is working with Sodexo around the world to create delicious food that is kind to nature as well as to companies and their employees. Corné van Dooren, sustainable food adviser at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF): “Eating Kind is the future for businesses too. It helps reduce their CO2 emissions. Think of a sustainable and healthy food offering as part of the employment conditions.”

What is ‘eating kind’ according to WWF?

“Kind food is food that is kind to nature as well as to yourself. It’s broader than just plant-based food. It’s also about eating locally and organically produced food, combating food waste, and having variety and balance on your plate. It doesn’t mean that everyone has to become vegetarian or vegan. Radical change is not required. In the Netherlands, if we just ate less meat for two days a week, we’d need far less farmland. It would free up an area four times the size of the Veluwe region for more natural spaces. Eating less meat means less grain and soy are needed for animal feed. Kind food is also better for your wellbeing. The Health Council studied

health effects and concluded that a diet with 60% plant-based and 40% animal proteins is healthier than our current diet, in which that ratio is the other way round.”1

What does eating kind do for nature?

“Around the world, we can see that food systems are the biggest threat to nature. Tropical rainforests are cut down to grow palm oil or coffee, or turned into fields full of soy for animal feed. Seas are being emptied by overfishing. And agriculture uses large amounts of water at the expense of nature.

Our current agriculture and food system is responsible for a third of greenhouse gas emissions and as much as 70% of biodiversity loss on land! You can feel helpless about that, or you can do

something about it. At WWF, we work on solutions by collaborating with other parties. If we work together, we can create a lot of change.”

How does eating kind contribute to companies’ sustainability goals?

“Even in companies, food has a big impact on their overall CO2 emissions, through company restaurants and catering for example. By switching to a sustainable offering and sustainable supply chain, those emissions can be halved. Eating ‘Eating kind’ is also healthier for your employees. Companies have an important role to play in changing eating patterns, because change is all about awareness and supply. Twenty years ago, few people had heard of hummus or falafel; now everyone knows them. In company restaurants, people can learn about new dishes in an accessible way. They can discover how delicious legume salads and oystermushroom croquettes are. Companies don’t have to change everything immediately. Kind choices can be encouraged by putting those dishes at the front or offering a vegetarian menu every day. Change always takes time. But making these adjustments will make nature and future generations happy.”

How kind is your food?

With just a few simple adjustments on your plate, you can give nature a helping hand. We call that Eating kind. Because it’s kind to nature, and kind to you. Wondering how kind your food is? Take the test and get tips, recipes and more information about our food system!

How can you eat in a more sustainable and healthy way, at home and at work?

Watch this webinar for practical tips.

How are you working with Sodexo to reduce CO2 emissions for companies and create healthier employees?

“From April 2024, Sodexo and WWF Netherlands will introduce visitors to Kind Food in more than 100 company restaurants in the Netherlands. A ‘how kind is your food? test’ will let employees check how kind their current eating habits are. We’ll share recipes, and Sodexo’s chefs will inspire visitors with dishes that are kind to nature as well as themselves. Kind food is the future for businesses too. Think of it as part of the employment conditions. A requirement that will become increasingly important, especially for younger generations. They will bear the brunt of the effects of climate change, and they want an employer that is ambitious around sustainability. Sodexo is the first caterer to highlight Kind Food, but it is WWF’s ambition that many caterers will follow.”

Start small

Every little helps. So start with small adjustments that you can easily adapt to fit your lifestyle. For example, use plant-based milk in your coffee or vegan chicken on your favorite pasta. The easier you can make it on yourself, the more likely the habit is to stick.

Put legumes on the menu

Legume, like beans, lentils and chickpeas are the ultimate meat substitute. These little power pods are full of proteins, fiber, vitamin B and minerals.

And they’re much cheaper than meat too!

Add more variety

Did you know the average Dutch person only eats nine different types of veggies on a regular basis? Incredible, right? There are over 1000 different vegetables, so plenty to choose from. Try something new!

AROUND THE TABLE WITH ...

Jos Franssen

is Head Chef at the Sodexo site at Interpolis/Achmea in Tilburg. He’s passionate about plant-based cooking and loves letting diners taste how delicious plantbased food is.

‘You can cook fantastically delicious food with ingredients from your neighbourhood’

“For as long as I can remember, food has played a big role in my life. My father was a cook for an international shipping company, and he made fantastic Indian food. I was often allowed to help him at home. After junior secondary school, I went to an upper secondary hospitality school. I’ve cooked in several Michelinstarred kitchens and worked for large catering companies and a wholesale food business. I’ve been working as Head Chef at this Tilburg site for just under a year. The offering in this restaurant is 80% vegetarian, which I think is great. It’s good for your body and for the planet.”

A quick trip to the GP

“At home, we’ve been eating mostly vegetarian or plant-based food for about 15 years now. That’s actually because of my eldest son, who is now 19. When he was four, he declared that he no longer wanted to eat meat. In those days, you had go to your GP and ask them what to feed your child instead, because there weren’t many vegetarian options. I didn’t exactly learn it growing up either; my father started his career as a butcher’s

assistant, so meat was regularly on the table. I started learning about vegetarian cooking, and after so many years, I’ve really developed a passion for it. I follow blogs, read cookbooks instead of novels and go to TikTok to find the latest food trends.”

Reducing our environmental footprint

“I’m an advocate of eating plant-based food at work. Humans are omnivores, not carnivores. In addition, anything that’s able to be grown on land close to home will have a small environmental impact. With vegetables, grains and root vegetables from local suppliers, you can cook fantastically delicious food that looks great. Here at Achmea, we apply the Modern Recipe concept, which prioritises plant-based food. Our partner Eaternity calculates the CO2 values of dishes. Together with Achmea, we’re actively focused on reducing our environmental footprint. I love how we can work with a client to do that!“

“This Beef Wellington with sweet potato, oyster mushrooms, spinach and truffle with a fresh tomato salsa with burrata and basil oil is an explosion of flavours!“

How do you order a latte in sign language?

At more and more Sodexo locations, signing baristas – deaf and hard-of-hearing baristas – are making fantastic coffee. Our diners are taught sign language through video screens. At Sodexo, we prefer to think in terms of possibilities rather than limitations. For us, this is the social side of sustainability.

Diverse and inclusive teams

Our goal is to create working environments where everyone feels welcome and valued. At Sodexo, we are committed to diversity, equality and inclusion. This includes greater gender equality, inclusion of people with disabilities and valuing the contribution of different generations. We work with suppliers who share our ambition to make a social impact. We also support global empowerment and food aid initiatives.

AROUND THE TABLE WITH ...

Valerie Liem

as Soft Services Team Leader, is responsible for the mailroom, print services, service desk and cleaning at the Shell Campus in The Hague.

’Sustainable

initiatives must be feasible and affordable’

“I love nature and animals. I lived in Australia for two years and travelled extensively in Southeast Asia. In Borneo, I saw with my own eyes how ape habitats have been affected by palm oil production. That made a big impression on me. I want to do my bit to make a better world. I haven’t rearranged my entire life, but I do pay more attention; I choose eggs with the three-star logo, for example.”

Book exchange

“For the Shell Campus, I’m working on several innovations. We recycle plastic badges and we’re running a pilot with a sustainable soap dispenser. At one of our sites, there’s a bookcase where employees can bring old books and exchange books and magazines for free.

That’s sustainable too. I take a very pragmatic approach to new ideas: if you’re going to do it, you have to do it well. Efficiency is paramount, and

the initiative must be feasible and affordable. For instance, we want to start collecting waste paper in paper bags – at the moment, we’re still using plastic.”

Older staff

“We’re also looking at sustainable deployment of our cleaning staff.

Many of our employees are over 50 years old. Even though cleaning is hard work, we want them to enjoy their work and stay healthy.

We’re looking for ways to make the work less onerous, such as using a different type of escalator cleaner without heavy machinery, and a better distribution of younger and older workers in a building. I’ve noticed that innovative, sustainable initiatives mostly come from startups that create something new based on passion. I enjoy being involved in that kind of change and improvement every day.”

“I love Asian cuisine. One of the Shell Campus restaurants cooks ‘plant forward’ dishes. I’m constantly surprised by how tasty those dishes are. Rendang with golden beetroot is my favourite – it’s delicious! But there’s also a green Caesar salad that goes down well, especially in summer.”

Opportunities in food services

At the NOS and NPO in Hilversum, Sodexo runs a company restaurant and provides event catering. Every day, around 700 employees visit the restaurant to get a healthy start to their day, a tasty lunch or an evening meal with fresh products. Despite all the hectic activity, Sodexo’s kitchen team gives plenty of attention to employees who need extra guidance.

David Giffen, assistant chef

“When I started here three years ago, I was too scared to do much. I cut up fruit and vegetables and mostly hid in the kitchen. Then one day I had to take a plate of meatballs from the kitchen to a well-known radio presenter, during a live broadcast. Once I’d done that, I found the courage to stand at the counter too. Now

Teriyaki Burger

Favourite dish: Teriyaki Burger

Carbono Cero is a range of super-tasty carbon-neutral recipes made from Quorn mycoprotein: a high-protein, sustainable and nutritious food source packed with fibre, low in saturated fats and cholesterol free. Teriyaki Burger is one of Carbono Cero’s most popular dishes in the Netherlands, as are Japanese Katsu, Greek Gyros and Manoush.

Carbon footprint

• Maximum 500 grams of CO2 per serving

• Quorn offsets the remaining carbon with projects that avoid or reduce CO2 emissions

• 21,345 kg of CO2 offset (in 2023)

Having a small carbon footprint is important, but flavour comes first!

By the numbers

Netherlands: 42,690 Carbono Cero dishes sold (2023)

Worldwide: 286,410 (2023)

Offering

32 dishes in the Netherlands, 4 recipe updates per year

Lots of fresh vegetables

Preparation

Heated as little as possible to minimise CO2 emissions

Prizes won Food Service Initiative Award 2023

Delicious , carbon neutral , meat free meals .

Sustainable Supplier of the Year 2023

Diverse teams are creative teams

As an international company, Sodexo’s 430,000-plus employees are as diverse as the communities in which we work. This creates innovative and inclusive workplaces with room for a variety of perspectives. It sounds obvious, but it’s a process that requires ongoing attention, development and sharing of expertise. We did just that at the Diversity & Inclusion symposium of the French Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands (CCI France Pays-Bas).

Sylvie Craenen, CCI General Manager: “In an ideal world, equal opportunities should be a matter of course. I hope big companies use their influence in a positive way and set an example for others.”

What do you notice in large companies in terms of diversity & inclusion (D&I)?

“In my contact with companies, I’ve noticed that many of them are looking for ways to promote diversity and inclusion. This also became clear during our symposium; the topic is high on the agenda, and there’s a strong need to exchange experiences.

Many different studies show how important diverse teams are for business growth. If you always have the same people, you get the same solutions. With a diverse group of employees, you get a much more creative team. Diversity in recruitment and selection is one thing, and it’s often still high on the agenda. But if true inclusion is lacking, employees will still not be happy in your workplace. And with the tight labour market we have at the moment, staff retention is essential.”

What sets companies with good D&I policies apart?

“A key success factor is the extent to which management and executives support the issue. In this regard, I find Sodexo’s CEO Cunera Vlaar very inspiring. She articulates how D&I adds value for the entire company. And it’s not just about the company’s image, it’s about employees feeling seen and supported. Examples include their global SoTogether gender equity network for raising awareness of equality and the ‘Ik ben Harrie’ (I‘m Harrie) training for mentoring people who are disadvantaged on the labour market in the Netherlands.

Companies should also be aware of the influence of implicit bias on choices and behaviour. Everyone has unconscious biases. A striking example is that storms with women’s names result in more fatalities than those with men’s names. This is because a woman’s name sounds less dangerous, so people subconsciously take the storm

The French Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands is a private foundation with over 200 business members from different sectors. Its aim is to promote trade between France and the Netherlands and strengthen French-Dutch business relations in the Netherlands by organising events such as seminars and round tables.

warnings less seriously. You also see that kind of bias in the workplace, for example in recruitment processes where biases subconsciously determine the choice of a candidate. There are great examples of companies tackling this by working with AI and having their job profiles scanned for language that is more appealing to men than women, or by using anonymous CVs.”

How does the French Chamber of Commerce help companies bring D&I to life?

“In an ideal world, equal opportunities should be a matter of course. Unfortunately, we’re not there yet. I hope big companies use their influence in a positive way and set an example for others. By showing what greater diversity can bring to a workplace, but also in the supply chain. At the French Chamber of Commerce, we continue to connect companies on this theme, providing a platform for them to share experiences and learn from each other.”

Working together on opportunities

Diversity and inclusion are in our organisation’s DNA. We create healthy working environments for our employees so they can be fully engaged, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age or origin. We also want to make a similar impact in the world around us. That’s why we like to work with suppliers who, like us, give opportunities to people for whom jobs and secure prospects are less self-evident.

Funky Fruit Mash Jams

The name of this jam alone will make you happy. And do you know who else it makes happy? The people at the care farm De Laarhoeve. They make these delicious jams for our supplier TLANT in a nice, safe workplace where they can grow and develop. And because the jam is made from local and ’second-chance’ fruit, it’s also sustainable and a good way to combat food waste. Funky it is!

Fruitful collaboration

Fruitful Office supplies office fruit to our clients. All of those vitamins are healthy not only for employees, but also for people and the environment. The fresh and seasonal fruit is sourced locally as much as possible. For every fruit basket supplied, Fruitful Office plants a fruit tree in Africa. And through the job placement office Emma at Work, they help young people with chronic illnesses or disabilities find jobs. It makes those apples taste just a little bit better!

Golden generation

While some employees cannot wait to retire, others want to keep working for a bit longer. Sodexo partners with employment agency 65plus to make that possible. It ensures that work experience is not lost to the company and younger generations. It also ensures that former employees remain engaged with the company and society in a flexible way. It’s a win-win! And let’s not forget that that combination of fresh eyes and solid experience makes for better service.

100,000 bowls of happiness

You never eat soup alone, according to Soupalicious, a social enterprise that makes delicious chilled soups from leftover vegetables. One bowl of Soupalicious soup with your lunch automatically means another bowl of soup will be donated to the food bank. It’s as simple as that. Diners at the Sodexo restaurant at EDGE Amsterdam West have already generated donations of 100,000 bowls of soup for the Amsterdam food bank! Soupalicious soups are available in more and more locations. Ask about it in our restaurants, so that together we can make a difference.

“I’m incredibly pleased that Sodexo has once again chosen Soupalicious as the exclusive supplier of their premium chilled soups. We not only donate to the food bank together, we also fight food waste and reduce CO2 emissions. But of course, the best thing is the tremendous growth in donations to the food bank.”

Milco Aarts, Director/Founder of Soupalicious.

Good food for everyone

Leonard Huisman, Labour Law and Employment Conditions Adviser, spent a day with colleagues at Rotterdam Food Bank’s supermarket.

“It was so much fun, helping to stack the shelves and giving people advice on what they can cook with certain products. It’s also an opportunity to see a different side of your colleagues.”

Sodexo’s Stop Hunger Foundation is helping to eradicate global hunger and malnutrition. Through this foundation, we support projects and organisations around the world that are committed to food aid. From the Stop Hunger Foundation in the Netherlands, Sodexo helps Food Banks Netherlands with donations, extra food and extra hands at local food banks. It’s one way in which we’re bringing United Nations’ goal of eliminating global hunger by 2030 a step closer.

Yvonne Renting is a personal assistant at Sodexo and has coordinated all Stop Hunger activities in the Netherlands for nine years. How does she look back on what Sodexo has achieved in those years?

“In the past, our main activity was our ‘servathon’: a food collection drive for food banks. But in the last five years, the number of activities has increased considerably. Things like sponsorship activities where employees run, bootcamp or cycle for charity, the annual Christmas hamper packing campaign in collaboration with Unilever, and employees doing shifts at local food banks. At Sodexo, we’ve rolled out a great volunteer scheme. Every employee is allowed to do one day of volunteer work each year during working hours that is linked to the fight against hunger and poverty. And that arrangement doesn’t just apply in the Netherlands. When you consider that we have over 400,000 employees worldwide, that’s a lot of days of charity work. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved with our Stop Hunger working group. So many staff members are committed and enthusiastic about doing something for someone else, on top of their busy jobs.

Did you know... our supplier of Aspretto coffee donates 17 cents to Stop Hunger for every kilo of coffee?

To make it easy to take part in a Stop Hunger activity, we’ve developed a toolkit for on-site Sodexo teams that details how to set up a fundraiser with a client. We’ve noticed that it’s increasingly important to the younger generation of employees for their employer to be socially engaged. At Sodexo, there are plenty of opportunities to do your bit to fight world hunger.”

Sodexo_Netherlands Forty volunteers from Rotterdam Food Bank enjoyed a delicious four-course dinner at Sodexo’s headquarters. Prepared by Sodexo chefs from across the country and served by committed employees. #eatingtogether

Sodexo_Netherlands 43,000 Christmas hampers for Rotterdam Food Bank! Every year, Sodexo employees help our client Unilever and other partners pack the hampers. #StopHunger

Sodexo_Nederland Enthusiastic Sodexo employees found sponsors and worked up a sweat during the Rotterdam Harbour Run for the Jarige Job Foundation. Their efforts in slogging it out over the obstacles ensured that more than 55 children enjoyed an unforgettable birthday. #proud

Difference is essential

We were proud to be in the top category of Global Workplace Pride for the fourth consecutive year! At the Global Workplace Pride Gala 2023, Sodexo received the Workplace Pride ‘Advocate’ designation.

Organisations awarded the Workplace Pride ‘Advocate’ designation are leaders in LGBTQIA+ inclusion. These ‘Advocates’ are committed to better working conditions as well as inclusion in society.

Workplace Pride is a non-profit foundation that aims to improve the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer people in the workplace around the globe. They do this by raising awareness and through research, training and building networks.

At Sodexo, we strive for a world of inclusive working environments where LGBTQIA+ individuals can truly be themselves, be valued and, through their contributions, help lead the way for others. Working at Sodexo means feeling at home. Whether you’re LGBTQIA+ or whatever other letter fits: at Sodexo, everyone is allowed to be themselves. Working together with all the differences that exist – to us, that’s what being an inclusive employer means.

“It makes me proud when employees tell me how it feels to be heard and to be able to be yourself in the workplace. Ever since our company was founded, our top executives have been speaking out about the importance of diversity and inclusion. And we still do. At all levels, every day, regardless of the country where we provide services and without concessions.”

Vincent Blok, Chief Financial Officer

SoTogether – Gender equality is everyone’s business

A better gender balance at all levels of the company, from management to operations. That’s what Sodexo’s gender advisory board SoTogether focuses on around the globe. Having a good gender balance in teams increases service quality, makes teams more creative and innovative and improves job satisfaction. To achieve a good balance, we set clear targets, such as 40% women in senior management by 2025. We run mentorship programmes and networking events to support women in their development within our organisation.

Pride network

Within Sodexo’s Pride networks, we are committed to inclusion and to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community. This includes events and training to raise awareness, promoting inclusion through language use and involving parties from outside the organisation, such as clients, for broader understanding and acceptance. Every country Sodexo operates in interprets inclusion in different ways. But one thing is the same everywhere: the desire to make employees feel at home at Sodexo, regardless of their gender, culture, background, religion, age, health or sexual orientation.

AROUND THE TABLE WITH ...

Marcel

Brouwer

is Chief Operations Officer (COO) at Sodexo. For him, sustainability plays a big role both at work and in his private life.

‘Food creates connection’

“Sustainability has always been important to me, and since the birth of my son – 19 years ago – it has taken on an extra significance. I want to leave the world a better place for him. I take responsibility for that, both at home and at work. At home, for example, we eat plant-based and vegetarian food. There’s other everyday things too, like re-using towels more at home or in a hotel. These little things are something we can all really make an impact with.”

Working together like an orchestra

“In my role as COO, the social side of sustainability is a focal point. When people feel good about themselves and happy about what they do, they pass that on to our clients and our services become even better. I work with the managers of the various teams to ensure a pleasant and safe working atmosphere, offer development opportunities and make sure the right people are in the right place. It may sound a bit philosophical, but I believe life is all about connecting with other people. When you work together well, it’s like you’re an orchestra performing beautiful pieces of music. I think diversity and inclusion are crucial in that respect. In fact, the whole

orchestra benefits from diversity. There’s a place for everyone. Respecting each other and learning from each other’s qualities will help us all move forward. For example, we offer jobs to people who are disadvantaged on the labour market, such as people with refugee status and signing baristas.”

Enticement and solving puzzles

“Food also provides a way to create connections, with each other and the organisation. Enjoying consciously produced food together gives us energy. In addition, with our new food concepts Modern Recipe and Kitchen Works, we’re enticing our diners to choose plant-based food more often. This is not always an easy task, but it’s a very important one. The ambition is clear, but the road towards it is sometimes puzzling. This requires us to work with employees and clients to experiment, engage in dialogue, entice diners, have the courage to make mistakes, learn from them and develop further. In our enthusiasm for plant-based food, there’s a risk of moving too fast. Some diners need a little more time. Finding the balance is a nice challenge for us and our clients.”

‘My favourite dish at the moment? Without a doubt, the poke bowl with no-meat meatballs and yummy vegetables.’

Do you know where your glass of milk or creamy cappuccino comes from? We do!

From Boer Kees, the first Dutch dairy farmer to earn a two-star Beter Leven (Better Living) quality label! His Jersey cows graze in herb-filled meadows, and in his farmyard is a mini milk processing plant. It means the milk is processed within 24 hours so consumers can enjoy fresh milk sooner.

Sustainable supply chain

Our goal is transparency and accountability at every stage of our supply chain, from farm to fork. At Sodexo, we work with our suppliers to promote sustainable practices, from ethical sourcing to environmentally friendly production. We have clear guidelines on animal welfare and responsible sourcing. We also encourage partnerships with small, local and innovative parties. At Sodexo, sustainability, quality, food safety and continuity of supply always go hand in hand.

A tasty snack with a great story

Sodexo works with suppliers who are making positive changes to the food supply chain. From organic products and sustainable cultivation to reducing CO2 emissions and preventing food waste. That’s why Sodexo Netherlands was pleased to welcome one of its newest suppliers: SUNT, a fastgrowing start-up. They’re working to address the massive issue of banana waste with tasty banana bread and doughnuts.

Every day, containers full of bananas arrive at ports. But instead of heading to the supermarket, they end up in the bin. “Bananas are both the most eaten and the most wasted fruit“, says Annabel Hoogendoorn, Brand Manager at SUNT. “Often they’re bananas that have just started ripening, and instead of being dark green they’re now light green. If this happens in 6 of the 54 boxes on a pallet, the whole pallet is rejected. And if eight pallets are rejected, the entire container is destroyed.” Globally, this leads to 50 billion kilos of waste, out of an annual production of 100 million tonnes of cultivated bananas.

Courage

Laura Hoogland, founder of SUNT Food, thought treating food like that was bananas. In 2018, she started baking banana bread in her kitchen using leftover bananas from her neighbourhood supermarket. She took the bread to local coffee shops. A few months later, she walked into the head office of Albert

Heijn with a dose of courage and a loaf of banana bread under her arm. Today, the banana bread is sold in most supermarkets. Instead of Laura’s kitchen, it now comes from a large-scale production bakery. The banana puree – the basis for banana bread and ovenbaked doughnuts – is made from rescued bananas. By 2023, around 4 million bananas had been

Prime locations

Annabel: “We now sell 60% of our products through retail and 40% through food services. Thanks to companies like Sodexo, our products are in prime locations and we get the chance to provide Sodexo’s clients with responsible snacks as well as share our story about the fight against food waste. We’re making an impact together!“

At Sodexo, SUNT’s banana bread (single slice) and its Lemon Poppyseed and Caramel Pecan doughnuts are now a standard part of the range. The banana bread is gluten free and contains no

added sugar. The doughnuts are baked instead of fried, so they contain less fat and are also vegan. As a result, these snacks fit perfectly into Sodexo’s Modern Recipe and Modern Cafe concepts.

Changing the game

With the motto ‘Change the game or remain the same!’, SUNT’s fight against food waste is far from over. Last year, they opened the world’s first banana factory (The Banana Factory) where they make banana puree for smoothies, ice cream and baked goods. And consumers can expect even more new and delicious products in the near future. To change the world, you don’t always have to take big radical steps, says Annabel. “You can do a lot just by making adjustments to the offering

Wasting 1 kilo of bananas is equivalent to:

• 790 litres of water

• 0.9 kg CO2

• 16 showers

• 55 loads of washing

• 6 km by car

• 3.5 km by plane

• 71 km by train

• 23 toilet flushes

(source: www.suntfood.com)

in company restaurants. Buy a piece of banana bread from the restaurant. Or save that brown banana from your fruit bowl and bake some fresh banana bread at home. Small steps: that’s how all change starts.”

Responsible procurement

Our services enable employees to make the most of their working day. From the most delicious dishes to great facility services with sustainable products, every day we are ready for employees throughout the Netherlands. Together with a chain of over 1,000 suppliers, we ensure that our chefs can create healthy meals with the tastiest ingredients. We also ensure that our facility teams have access to the latest products, which are good for people and the planet. Whatever we buy, at Sodexo quality, food safety, sustainability and continuity of supply always go hand in hand.

Local and seasonal

Knowing what’s on your plate: for consumers, this is becoming increasingly important. Where do the ingredients in dishes come from and are they sustainably produced? We’re transparent about the origin of our food, and clients appreciate that. We work with our AGF supplier Van Gelder to make sure our restaurants are supplied with organic and seasonal Dutch fruit and vegetables. In our menu plans, we take into account the seasons and the availability of products. So no strawberries in winter or kale in summer.

Sophia Cheung, Head of Supply Management

“We continually evaluate whether the products we source from suppliers meet our high sustainability standards. The partnership with the World Wildlife Fund in our global Responsible Sourcing Strategy guarantees not only healthy products, but also environmental protection and social impact such as improved local living conditions. For instance, we’re aiming to achieve a global deforestation-free supply chain by 2030 in which products such as palm oil, soy, beef and paper products are sustainably grown and have lower environmental impacts. We were also the first catering company to adopt an organisation-wide animal welfare policy. In the Netherlands, we encourage partnerships with small local companies. 49.5% of our suppliers are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This enables us to link small suppliers to large clients such as Shell, UWV, Achmea and APG.”

Ineke Vreugdenhil, Senior Category Buyer Logistics & Food

“We’re constantly looking for sustainable solutions and alternatives. That’s how we connect with innovative suppliers and smaller parties. Take Basic Theory, for example: through Bidfood, this start-up supplies fermented vegetables such as kimchi, curried kraut – a combination of cauliflower, onion, garlic, cumin and turmeric – and sexy sauerkraut. We help new parties with logistics by letting them use our efficient nationwide distribution system. We want to continue surprising our clients with tasty and sustainable food that is healthy for their employees as well as for the planet. To that end, we are increasingly partnering with suppliers to include more sustainable and innovative products and services in our offering.”

We supply all of our clients with sustainably caught fish that has an MSC

or ASC quality label. And in our restaurants, we don’t serve fish species of which the stocks are endangered or for which the fishing method is harmful to nature (‘red fish’). This puts us well on the way to achieving our goal of 100% sustainable fish by 2025. In developing this procurement strategy, we were guided by experts like GoodFish and World Ocean Deal.

After squeezing the juice from oranges, the orange peel can go in the green waste bin, or you can make it into lovely hand soap, like Unwaste does. Through supplier, this hand soap is now available in some of our clients’ premises.

Orange peel soap

Responsible fishing

Sustainable innovative products

Sustainable throughout your working day

Sodexo makes sure that your employees can get the best out of themselves. We do this by o ering tasty food that is healthy for both people and the planet and facility services that make everyone feel welcome. That way, we create a better everyday for a sustainable future.

Making people feel welcome through personal attention and hospitality

Meeting points for good conversation and good (and fair) co ee

Reusable is the norm

This year, companies throughout the Netherlands switched to reusable cups. It was an important step towards a future with less disposable plastic. Renate van der Linde, Bid & Solution Manager, describes the transition to the Single-use plastics (SUP) directive and how Sodexo is helping clients transition to sustainable alternatives to the familiar disposable cups.

“The transition to the SUP directive was not a one-size-fits-all situation. In one factory, porcelain crockery might be banned due to safety regulations, while in an office environment it might actually be a good alternative to disposable cups. Every decision had enormous consequences, such as dishwashing facilities, storage capacity and staff deployment.”

WHERE HAS MY SALAD BOWL GONE?

Rigid food packaging

“The SUP directive also covered alternatives to socalled rigid food packaging. To find those alternatives, we relied on solutions from suppliers. Was there going to be a substitute product for that bowl of yoghurt with cruesli, or were we going to have to start serving portions in dinnerware? In short, it was a big puzzle that we had to solve under considerable time pressure, and of course there was also a huge impact on consumers and end users who were seeing changes to their familiar lunch packaging or teacups. A lot of things remained unclear right up to the last minute – from politicians, for example – about what was or wasn’t allowed. But as a leader in sustainability, we were always very clear: reusable would become the norm at our on-site consumption locations.”

Guiding clients

“We equipped our account officers with presentations and toolkits so they could inform clients and help them make decisions. In addition, posters were displayed in company restaurants and coffee counters to show visitors the changes to their coffee cups and salads. I look back on this transition with pride. It was also nice to see how new initiatives emerged through on-site teams. Like the staff member who came up with the ‘Cup Library’: donate your old cups from home to this library, so colleagues who have forgotten their cup can still drink coffee sustainably!“

Coffee-waste cup

Coffee Based and Sodexo are launching an innovative cup, the Cafea Cup, made from the silverskin that breaks off coffee beans during the roasting process. Silverskin normally ends up in general waste, but it’s now being turned into reusable cups. A nice alternative to disposable cups.

Lisanne Addink, CEO of Coffee Based: “The fact that we, as a small company, were able to come up with this big innovation makes me very proud. Sodexo was immediately interested, and was the first service provider to provide the cup to their clients.”

Less general waste at the UWV

What’s in the general waste bins that doesn't belong there? Together with recycling company Renewi, we investigated general waste at the UWV. We then initiated targeted actions such as removing the flaps on green bins to make it easier to throw green waste into the right bin. Or placing red bags in the general waste bins; the colour encourages people to throw away waste more consciously. Sodexo’s resource coaches continue to monitor general waste in the workplace. In this way, we’re working together to reduce waste, promote sustainable behaviour and re-use raw materials.

Energy management in offices

Energy management is about the process of monitoring, controlling and conserving energy within businesses; from the kitchen to office spaces. Through good energy management, Sodexo ensures lower costs, reduced CO2 emissions and a healthier workplace. Energy management is an essential part of our food & facility management services. We help our clients improve their energy performance using three steps.

Baseline analysis:

The baseline measurement provides insight into facilities’ energy consumption and CO2 emissions. With a clear picture of energy consumption patterns, we can make recommendations for improvement.

Measurement and monitoring:

We install advanced metering equipment so we can monitor energy consumption in real time and identify optimisation opportunities.

Communication and reporting:

Clients receive progress reports. This transparency ensures engagement and encourages further improvements.

Measures to reduce energy use

• Installing climate systems including sensors

• Adjusting building management system settings

• Control strategy for heating, ventilation and air conditioning

• Control strategy for building air handling units (AHUs) and user requirements

Recognition

EcoVadis

EcoVadis is a collaborative platform that measures and evaluates performance in the area of corporate responsibility. The assessment covers the environment, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. In 2023, Sodexo was placed in the top 5% of companies.

S&P Global Dow Jones Sustainability World Index

For the 18 th year in a row, we have been included among the top-performing companies in the ‘Restaurants & Leisure Facilities’ category in the S&P Global Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. We are proud of this recognition.

S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook

In 2023, we were listed in the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook for the 16th consecutive year. Sodexo is in the top 10% of companies in the ‘Restaurants & Leisure Facilities’ sector for excellence in sustainable development.

Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Companies

Ethisphere has recognised us as one of the ‘2024 World’s Most Ethical Companies®’. They aim to promote ethical business practices worldwide. We’re proud to be one of the 136 companies named, and the only one in the food industry.

Pride 2023 Advocate

In the Global Workplace Pride Benchmark 2023, Sodexo scored in the highest category (above 90%) for the fourth consecutive year. Global Workplace Pride is committed to inclusive workplaces. As well as Sodexo, numerous other international organisations are affiliated.

World Food Innovation Awards 2023

Quorn won the Food Service Initiative Award for Carbono Cero – the carbon-neutral recipes developed especially for Sodexo.

CDP A list Europe

Sodexo has joined the 346 toprated companies in the CDP climate ranking, out of a total of 21,000 rated companies. We’re proud of this recognition for our climate ambitions and the associated performance and transparency.

PSO quality label

The Prestatieladder Socialer Ondernemen (social enterprise performance ladder, PSO) is a science-based quality label issued by the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO). It provides insight into the extent to which organisations are engaging in above-average social enterprise aimed at the employment participation of vulnerable groups in the labour market.

PUBLICATION DETAILS

Would you like to know more about food and/or facilities management services and sustainability? We’d love to discuss the options for bringing your ambitions closer to reality.

Sodexo

Watermanweg 30

3067 GG Rotterdam, The Netherlands +31 (0)88 496 20 00 CSR.NL@sodexo.com www.sodexo.nl.

We would like to express our thanks to all the partners, clients, suppliers and employees who contributed to the creation of this publication.

Composition and final editing

Marianne Goet, David van Stijn, Marloes van der Have, Patrick van IJsselmuide, Dianne Faber, Ilse Marsman, Chantal van Welsem-Janssen

Text

Marianne Goet, Astrid Bijl, Anje Romein

Design

Nanda Alderliefste, Noinoloi

Photography

Wildschutters – Tom Doms & Enrique Meesters, Annemieke Smidts, Maarten Sommer, Sodexo Image Library

Printing

Koninklijke van der Most B.V.

Follow Sodexo on:

Food and drink in the workplace that is both tasty and healthy is becoming increasingly important. Through Sodexo’s ‘Love of Food’ community, we bring our chefs and partners together, provide inspiration and make our dishes even more delicious and sustainable.

Martijn van Vliet, Head Chef of the Sodexo Culinary Community

We encourage people to read this Better Tomorrow Update in a digital format. Nevertheless, we chose to entrust the stories of our clients, employees and partners to paper in a small print run. We are proud of it and hope that by doing so, we can reach and inspire more people.

This Better Tomorrow Update was produced by Koninklijke van der Most using carbon-neutral methods on FSC-certified paper with the involvement of people who are disadvantaged on the labour market. Van der Most offsets its environmental footprint through a forest conservation project in northern Zimbabwe. They are committed to the REDD+ programme (developed by the UN to combat the 17% greenhouse gas emissions caused by deforestation) as well as to Sustainable Development Goals 1, 5, 6, 13 and 15.

The Better Tomorrow Update 2024 is available online:

Better Tomorrow Update 2024 EN