Sustainability

2018 Sustainability Report


Discover our 2018 sustainability report

“Meeting tomorrow’s demand” - our sustainability strategy

“Meeting tomorrow’s demand” by making agricultural products available to everyone on the planet, every day, means doing business in a responsible and sustainable way.

This is because wherever we go, we are committed to creating a positive, sustainable and long-lasting difference for all our stakeholders – from our people to our shareholders, farmers, customers, communities and countries in which we operate.

Our sustainability strategy is based on five objectives.

The interactive diagram below explains the material issues and policies each one addresses.

Strategic objectives

Upholding standards

Upholding standards

Create value and balance stakeholder interests by good corporate governance, compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and ensuring the quality and safety of our products.

Read more
Material issues
  • Good Governance & Compliance
  • Product Quality & Safety
Sustainability policy

Taking care of our people

Taking care of our people

Recognise people as the driving force behind our business by respecting their (human and labour) rights, providing a safe and healthy work environment, and offering employees opportunities to develop their potential and excel.

Read more
Material issues
  • Respect for Human & Labour Rights
  • Occupational Health & Safety
  • Talent Attraction & Retention
Sustainability policy

Managing our environmental impact

Managing our environmental impact

Mitigate the environmental impact of our operations by monitoring and optimising our resource efficiency, applying responsible agricultural (production) practices and minimising waste generation.

Read more
Material issues
  • Responsible Agricultural Production
  • Water management
  • Waste management
  • Energy efficiency & Reduction of Emissions
Sustainability policy

Connecting supply & demand responsibly

Connecting supply & demand responsibly

Manage our supply chains in an efficient, responsible and sustainable way by mitigating possible environmental and social risks – including biodiversity and deforestation – sharing best practices and achieving partnerships, and by reducing impact on natural resources and increasing agricultural productivity through (agricultural) innovation.

Read more
Material issues
  • Sustainable Agricultural Sourcing
  • (Agricutural) Innovation
Sustainability policy

Building strong communities

Building strong communities

Have a positive impact on the communities where we work and live; empower underprivileged people to improve their future within the context of international agribusiness, through community engagement, partnerships and programs.

Read more
Material issues
  • Community engagement
Sustainability policy

Our strategic objectives in detail

Upholding standards

Careful compliance and good corporate governance keep our products safe, and help us to balance our shareholders’ needs.

Find out more

Taking care of our people

The future of our company depends on our people. The work we do helps our people reach their potential working in a safe, healthy environment.

Find out more

Managing our environmental impact

We are striving to reduce the environmental impact of our activities around the world.

Find out more

Connecting supply and demand responsibly

We are working to minimise the social and environmental risks at different points along our supply chain.

Find out more

Building strong communities

Our partnerships and programmes are making a positive impact on the communities we work near and live in.

Find out more

Our policies

COFCO International's formalised policies are an integral part of our company-wide sustainability approach.

Find out more

Sustainability reporting

We publish annual sustainability reports outlining progress made towards our mission to meet rising demand for food in a sustainable way.

Find out more

Our partnerships and memberships

Collaboration is key to better understand and sensitively address the diverse and complex sustainability challenges we face as a company and as an industry.

Find out more

Stories

Life in Porto: mixing beaches, wine and work

It’s 9.30 am in the Porto office of COFCO International. Like most finance experts working for international companies, João Cordeiro is busy connecting with teams of accountants, tax experts and managers around the world.

Find out more

Paraguay soy farmers welcome support for sustainable production

In Paraguay’s south-east Atlantic Forest region, smallholder farmers begin their working day well before dawn but don’t finish sometimes for 16 hours. Between feeding animals and cultivating their crops, there is little time for anything else.

Find out more

Humans are complex, but key to zero accidents

When it comes to safety, technical problems are usually straightforward to repair. But fixing human behaviour is more complex, says Svetlana Kubarieva, Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Manager at COFCO International’s crushing plant in south eastern Ukraine’s city of Mariupol.

Find out more