Sustainability
Sustainability is fundamental to how dsm-firmenich brings progress to life – for people and planet.
We drive progress across our value chain – to create sustainable value for all.
Supplier Code
All third parties who do business with or on behalf of dsm-firmenich are expected to follow the dsm-firmenich Supplier Code and all relevant laws and regulations. We do not ask our suppliers to do more than we are doing ourselves.
Responsible Sourcing Standard
Our Responsible Sourcing Standard outlines dsm-firmenich’s priorities, sets the framework for engaging with suppliers to improve their sustainability performance, and provides detailed guidance for value chain implementation. By living up to the Standard, we ensure we meet our stakeholders’ expectations and requirements – and drive progress for people and planet.
At dsm-firmenich, we’re on a journey to combine the essential, the desirable, and the sustainable – and we can’t get there alone. It’s vital for every supplier in our network to align with our goals and support our mission to bring progress to life.
That’s why we have a clear responsible sourcing strategy in place. Fully integrated across our value chain, from suppliers to customers, this strategy ensures we put our standards into practice and guides our efforts to create sustainable value for all.
Here’s an overview of our holistic approach to this complex topic.
At dsm-firmenich, we embed sustainability into our entire procurement decision-making process and every purchasing decision we make. This includes setting minimum requirements for our suppliers and closely monitoring their sustainability performance, which enables us to assess risk levels, address specific customer requests, and respond to key supply chain challenges.
We use a broad range of risk screening tools, such as IQ Plus from EcoVadis, Sedex’s Radar tool, and the Union for Ethical Biotrade (UEBT) risk matrix. ESG assessment platforms used in our procurement processes include EcoVadis, SBTi as well as on-site audits such as Sedex, UEBT, Fair for Life, and Fair Trade certifications.
At the same time, we continually engage with our procurement managers worldwide, investing in upskilling initiatives that maximize their knowledge of sustainable sourcing best practices. We are also members of industry coalitions, including Together for Sustainability – a joint initiative focused on gathering companies around a single standard of auditing, assessment and product carbon footprint calculations.
Recognizing the variety of supply chains in our network, we use a tailor-made approach for each type of procurement. Despite this diversity in our sourcing, our approach is always based on facts and driven by expertise.
We team up with our suppliers to create meaningful on-the-ground impact at source, sharing our expertise to accelerate progress for the communities in our upstream value chain.
Our actions in this area are wide-ranging, reflecting the diverse contexts in which we operate. We implement integrated on-site due diligence activities for high-risk and prioritized supply chains, develop action plans with suppliers to address issues found during the on-site assessments, lead projects at source to make a meaningful difference, support certification efforts to mitigate risk and bring positive impact, and assist efforts to improve transparency (including through digital traceability solutions). In all these endeavors, going straight to the source means we can respond to procurement issues more proactively and efficiently – and maximize our positive impact.
Joining forces with 537 mint farmers in Uttar Pradesh, India, we helped to develop a new agricultural model for the sustainable cultivation of mint. By supporting the roll-out of this regenerative model, dsm-firmenich helped enable a 7% yield increase, as well as improvements to livelihoods and gender equality.
In Madagascar, where dsm-firmenich sources high-quality pink pepper for fragrances, we’re helping to improve livelihoods for farmers and communities in alignment with our Responsible Sourcing standards.
Working with local partners, we designed a targeted local impact strategy, which includes measures to close the gap between minimum and living wages, transitioning seasonal workers to annual contracts, and enhancing HR, health and safety, and human rights processes.
While our supplier engagement takes many forms, there’s one thing that never changes: our determination to make progress together with our whole value chain. Through our Join Forces initiative, we continuously seek innovative ways to build partnerships and collaborate with suppliers and clients, catalyzing positive action across our entire supply chain, and shaping a more sustainable future for both people and the planet. During our Supplier Sustainability days and webinars, we address client questions and needs, raise awareness of our sourcing requirements and expectations, communicate our vision and purpose, and share best practices on key sustainability topics.
By inspiring ambition in our value chain and supporting partners’ tangible positive actions, we help our customers meet their own sustainability targets, protect our existing and future business, and drive sustainable innovation across nutrition, health, and beauty.
Sustainability is fundamental to how dsm-firmenich brings progress to life – for people and planet.
Dive into our progress for people and planet across various leading ESG benchmarks.
Learn how dsm-firmenich works with partners including businesses, NGOs, governments, and academia for a more sustainable world – and find out how to get involved.