Sustainability
Sustainability is fundamental to how dsm-firmenich brings progress to life – for people and planet.
Responsible sourcing
We drive progress across our value chain – to create sustainable value for all.
Quick links
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.
Real progress takes teamwork
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 it guides our efforts to create sustainable value for all. We are committed to acting for sustainable value chains across all our procurement categories: synthetics, naturals, and indirect.
In addition, we aim to have 100% of our key natural ingredients responsibly sourced by 2030, by applying due diligence and/or certification processes, ensuring that all salient risks are identified and addressed.
Here’s an overview of our holistic approach to this complex topic.
Enhancing our suppliers’ sustainability performance
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 Smeta 4 pillars, UEBT, Fair for Life, and FairTrade certifications.
To deliver this effort, 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 , to drive impact at scale actions 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, data and driven by expertise.
Powering a chain reaction on sustainability
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 chains. Our actions in this area are wide-ranging, reflecting the diverse contexts in which we operate.
People
We are committed to empowering communities today and for future generations by supporting human rights practices and improving livelihoods through fair wages and income diversification. Our comprehensive programs, which range from health and safety initiatives to education and economic empowerment, are designed to build a better future for all.
Planet
We are dedicated to protecting nature and building climate resilience by promoting sustainable farming practices, conserving biodiversity, managing water resources, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Due diligence
Our due diligence framework translates global best practices into actionable guidelines, ensuring we uphold the highest ethical and environmental standards. Recognizing that each supply chain presents unique risks and challenges, we tailor our approach accordingly. For high-risk and prioritized supply chains, we take a proactive stance through on-site assessments. This involves assessing the supply chain on-site and developing prevention, mitigation, and remediation action plans in collaboration with our suppliers, NGOs, public authorities, and other stakeholders.
Certification
Certification plays a pivotal role in responsible sourcing. It offers transparency, ensures ingredients are sourced under fair labor conditions and ethical business practices, and minimizes environmental impact. By supporting certification efforts, we mitigate risks and bring positive impact to our supply chains.
Projects at Source:
Empowering Communities and Protecting Nature
At dsm-firmenich, we believe that real change happens on the ground. By partnering directly with our suppliers, we implement tailor-made Project at Source programs through a hands-on approach, driving progress, scaling impact, and creating meaningful benefits for people and the planet. In collaboration with customers, we extend our reach and amplify positive change, bringing our shared vision of sustainability to life.
Impact Stories
Mint with Purpose
Joining forces with 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 yield increase, as well as improvements to livelihoods and gender equality.
Positive impact in pink pepper value chain
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.
Collaborating 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.
Join Forces: Catalyzing Positive Action for a Sustainable Future
At dsm-firmenich, our determination to drive progress across our entire value chain is unwavering. 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.
Our engagement with suppliers takes many forms, including Supplier Sustainability days and webinars where 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.
Equally important is our engagement with clients. We are committed to transparent communication, ensuring clients have access to clear and accurate disclosures of our progress. We implement robust tools and processes to support this, providing fact-based information from our due diligence and supplier performance monitoring. We accelerate our transition to an ethical, traceable, and sustainable value chain by leveraging our procurement strength together with our customers. Through coalitions and projects at source, we work collaboratively to drive meaningful change and create lasting value for all.
By prioritizing transparency, ethical business practices, and environmental stewardship, we help our customers meet their own sustainability targets, protect our existing and future business, and drive sustainable innovation across nutrition, health, and beauty.
Together, we are shaping a better future for both people and the planet.
Explore more
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ESG resources
Dive into our progress for people and planet across various leading ESG benchmarks.
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Our sustainability partnerships
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.