The French National Association of Food Industries, Coop de France, the French Federation of Trade and Distribution, and the Federation of Businesses and Entrepreneurs of France have joined forces to create a platform which will simplify corporate social responsibility (CSR) exchanges between suppliers and retailers.
The new programme, Valorise, was created out of the partners' desire to simplify the multitude of evaluations requested by retailers. It aims to:
- Make the CSR self-assessment process more accessible for suppliers with a single data entry
- Optimise CSR self-evaluation of suppliers through a single repository
- Facilitate the steering of CSR approaches
- Value the CSR commitment of all players in the chain
According to the partners, Valorise will strengthen supplier-retailer relationships through a collaborative approach.
"I am delighted with this unique partnership between federations representing both suppliers and retailers. This platform embodies our desire to move forward together on this priority issue of CSR," said Jean-Philippe Girard, CEO of the French National Association of Food Industries.
New Framework
To build the framework, the four partners reviewed the main tools available within their organisations. The groups have developed a CSR self-assessment questionnaire ensuring the simplicity of the tool and its accessibility for all companies, including SMEs and VSEs, while covering the core issues of ISO 26000.
"Valorise is a highly operational platform that will facilitate access to CSR for French SMEs," said Dominique Amirault, CEO of the Federation of Businesses and Entrepreneurs of France.
"This is the beginning of the path for SME entrepreneurs to meet their societal ambition and a sign that retailers will increasingly integrate CSR in their relations with SME suppliers."
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Solene Main. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
