Sodexo USA’s Social Impact Goals
Driving Positive Economic, Environmental and Social Change
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said:
"Why should there be hunger and deprivation in any land, in any city, at any table, when man has the resources and the scientific know-how to provide all mankind with the basic necessities of life? There is no deficit in human resources. The deficit is in human will."
As Black History Month comes to a close, let us consider social justice through the lens of something we love and do so well: food.
At Sodexo, we suffer no deficit in “human will” – the will to apply our resources to making a better life for all. We recognize that disadvantaged communities experience environmental and social threats disproportionally. So, we commit to lifting these communities up, bringing care and focus to those who have historically been underserved and excluded.
How are we tackling this?
By fighting food insecurity, providing education, considering environmental factors, and offering opportunities.
"When we talk about social justice, we’re looking at the whole environment," says Amy Johnson, Senior Manager, Engagement, Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability.
"Many people are at or below the poverty line. We need to ensure our partnerships are focused on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities and addressing food justice issues."
"We have to keep asking, do we have the right partners? Are we on the right path?"
Our Better Tomorrow road map, with 9 Commitments, guides us there.
- By 2025, we aim to offer healthy food options to all our guests, every day. This also means partnering with community organizations to provide education on preparing food that is healthy, affordable and accessible. Plant-based meals, food donation and food waste prevention are important tools in our mission to create equity.
- We are also committed to dedicating 25% of our spend with small and medium enterprises by 2025. We partner with women-owned businesses and BIPOC suppliers, vendors and farmers.
We transparently track and report our progress and challenges through our yearly U.S. Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility Report.
Zeta Smith, CEO of Sodexo Seniors North America; Executive Sponsor of Social Impact, says:
We are addressing the three aspects of equity, inclusion and diversity where we have influence – across our value chain. The work needs to happen in employment, with our suppliers and clients, and at the societal level to positively impact and address the deep-rooted imbalance.
Strong Partnerships Fuel Progress
The SodexoMagic (a Magic Johnson partnership) collaboration with Goodr, a minority-owned, woman-led hunger relief and food waste management company, is just one example of how we can address many goals all at once. Through this relationship, we are simultaneously supporting a BIPOC enterprise, fighting hunger, decreasing waste and empowering disadvantaged communities.
Building these mutually beneficial relationships requires strategy and the payoff is enormous.
"We need to make sure we are working with BIPOC vendors," Johnson says. "Some BIPOC vendors went out of business due to the pandemic. So, we will do more to target our outreach."
The Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, a nonprofit organization, is another key partner in the fight for food equity.
In pursuit of a hunger-free world, we aim to feed 3.6 million people in the US every year by 2025, through community partnerships, food recovery, economic development and food backpack and summer programs for students. Working with Stop Hunger, our goal is to reduce our food waste by 50% by 2025.
Finally, we are focused on empowering women because we know strengthening women supports the whole family and in turn, empowers the community.
Johnson emphasizes that we must continually evaluate our social impact work – whether food-related, environmental, or economic. We embrace the mission because it is the right thing to do, not because we’ve been pressured to do so.
As Sodexo founder Pierre Bellon – who recently passed away at the age of 92 – said, it’s not always easy. But we should aspire to more than “professional success.” We should fight for a more just and humane company and society.
We must be proactive, not reactive. Because we have no deficit in resources or will when it comes to creating a better tomorrow for all.
About the Expert: Amy Johnson
Amy is the senior manager, Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Engagement for Sodexo in North America and a Graduate of Jackson State University, a Historically Black University (HBCU).