Stakeholders
Our purpose can only be realized by working with our stakeholders. Through empowering our employees, engaging with our customers and suppliers, and with the support of our investors, we will create a stronger legacy and a brighter future for generations to come. We discuss topics that are relevant to our operations and our impact on society regularly with our stakeholders. These conversations shape how we define and execute our strategy, including risk management, materiality, and new business opportunities.
Employees
Our people are our most important asset, and our employees represent more than 110 nationalities1, working at more than 250 sites and offices in 55 countries worldwide. The safety, health and well-being of our people is our highest priority and we aspire to provide an incident- and injury-free working environment for everyone, including our contractors. In 2022, we took the next steps in implementing hybrid working practices while realizing our People & Organization Strategy. We also expanded our focus area on human rights, engagement, and inclusion and diversity with the inclusion of ‘equity’. For information on how we engage with our employees, see People.
Customers
Our customers are key stakeholders. They drive our business, and through our collaborations we enable solutions that help solve some of the world’s biggest problems. For information on our business and how we engage with our customers, see Animal Nutrition & Health, Health, Nutrition & Care, and Food & Beverage. For information on our approach on product quality, see People.
Investors
Capital providers play a significant role in the success and prosperity of our company. They support us in our pursuit of a long-term-oriented strategy which aims to continually create value for shareholders while offering a low-risk environment for debt holders. For more information on how we communicate with investors, see Investors and elsewhere in this Report.
Suppliers
Our supply chain consists of more than 34,600 suppliers. Our suppliers play an essential role in developing our business, and we work closely with them through our Sustainable Procurement Program, comprising our supplier development and evaluation program, our scope 2 program, our scope 3 program and the procurement of renewable fuels. For more information on how we work with our suppliers, see Suppliers.
Society
We engage with society at multiple levels – from local community initiatives to collaborations with universities and research institutes. We work with NGOs and civil society toward solutions for societal issues, and advocate on both the governmental and the societal level on important issues relating to the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. We also engage in philanthropic and sponsorship activities comprising the in-kind contributions of our employees’ time and expertise, as well as the annual donation of approximately €5 million. As outlined in our Code of Business Conduct, we do not make political donations. For more information on how we engage with these stakeholders, see Society.
1 All data presented in Stakeholders are subject to the Non-financial reporting policy.
