Food & Beverage Asia June/July 2022

32
ON THE TABLE
Sodexo walks
the walk on
sustainability
Though most companies have drafted
greener strategies in a bid for greater
sustainability, considerable results can be
achieved not by only looking inward, but also
by reaching out to local communities.
By Agatha Wong
While the call for greater sustainability has
always been clear on the public front, the
private sector’s commitment to the issue has
been residing in a greyer area. Greenwashing
and lobbying are some of the accusations that
were levelled at corporations in past years as
the world pays greater attention to its actions
on the planet. Many expect companies to
not only talk the talk but also walk the walk.
As other companies are stirring from
their hesitance to adopt greater
sustainability measures, Sodexo has been
supportive of its goals
towards a sustainable future.
On its website, Sodexo, a global integrated
facilities management company, claims to be
“the first food service company” to align its
objectives to limit its global temperature rise
to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Amongst
other objectives, the company has also
listed actions it plans to take to meet these
targets, especially as a food service provider.
“Sodexo is committed to encouraging our
consumers to develop good eating habits
and healthy lifestyles. With the help of our
nutritionists, we create balanced, nourishing
meals adapted to guests’ lifestyles and the
diversity of their tastes around the world.
Our approach to sustainable and healthy
eating relies on four main factors:
responsible sourcing; promoting plant-based
meals; nutrition, health, and well-being;
and the prevention of food waste,” shared
Lee Qi Ni, corporate responsibility and
diversity, equity and inclusion lead,
Malaysia and Singapore at Sodexo.
that end, the company has been working
with local food providers and producers.
“In April 2022, we announced our
partnership with celebrity chef Bjorn Shen
to bring his culinary expertise to create
plant-based menus for Sodexo’s existing
consumers. This partnership reaffirms
Sodexo’s commitment to doing good
business in a good way by ramping up its
food sustainability efforts. Through Chef
Bjorn’s elevation of plant-based foods,
Sodexo hopes to inspire consumers to get
creative with simple, everyday alternatives.”
While promoting greener business
operations — such as reducing carbon
emissions, transitioning to cleaner energy,
decreasing plastic waste and more — are
familiar to many, building a sustainable
food system requires more than that.
Besides enabling greener production
lines, the focus has also shifted to the
food itself, and how it is being managed.
LOCAL INITIATIVES
In Singapore, Sodexo has aligned
itself with the country’s 30 by 30
goals — the initiative which aims
to produce 30% of the country’s
nutritional needs by 2030. To
SPOTLIGHT ON FOOD WASTE
The global food system is currently able
to produce more than enough food for the
global population. However, one-third of
the food produced is lost and wasted, with
others being purchased faster before it is
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2022