Alland & Robert celebrates SDG Flag Day 2024
On September 25, 2024, Alland & Robert is proud and excited to raise the flag of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)! We show our support to the SDGs and we are happy to show that we are part of this global movement for a better world.
SDG Flag Day is an international initiative launched by the Global Compact. Member companies all raise a flag to symbolize their commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) on 25th September, 2024. Alland & Robert is excited to raise awareness about the 2030 agenda and 17 SDGs. Adopted in September 2015 by 193 countries at the United Nations, the SDGs represent an action plan for peace, planet and prosperity.
Today is a good time to shine a light on the concrete initiatives Alland & Robert and our Corporate Foundation have created over the last few years to make our commitments a reality in countries where our natural gums are harvested:
- – Planting over 15,000 trees between 2020 and 2023 and protecting 155 hectares of land in partnership with NGO TreeAid
- – Taking actions to address the biological and social risks associated with the acacia gum supply chain by partnering with NGO Traffic and “We Use Wild” initiative, including signing the We Use Wild pledge
- – Getting our products certified Fair For Life – we’re the first company in the acacia gum supply chain to do this!
- – Focusing on the local communities through the Foundation and our work with our local suppliers
Since 2024, Alland & Robert has reinforced its commitments to sustainability and responsible business practices by becoming part of the Global Compact initiative. We have become part of a community of over 2,500 member organizations in 160 countries that drive positive change.
The Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact address the fundamental responsibilities of business in the areas of human rights, international labour standards, the environment and anti-corruption.
Inspired by landmark UN declarations and conventions, they act as a normative authority for responsible business. By integrating the Ten Principles into strategies, policies and procedures, and establishing a culture of integrity, businesses not only meet their fundamental responsibilities to people and the planet, but also set the stage for long-term success.
At Alland & Robert, we create awareness and act in support of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,that seek to address the world’s biggest challenges, including ending poverty, improving health and education, and tackling climate change. The Goals interconnect and in order to leave no one behind, it is important that each Goal and target are achieved by 2030. In alignment with its operations and stakeholders, Alland & Robert has prioritized seven SDGs where we can make a particular contribution.
All reporting by Alland & Robert on the SDG is available in the Alland & Robert CSR report 2024 that can be downloaded on our website.
This announcement is part of Alland & Robert strategy to lead the gum acacia industry in sustainability and ethics. We are taking responsibillity for crafting and communicating a clear vision for a sustainable future and an ethical industry. This involves setting ambitious, achievable goals and developing comprehensive strategies to reach them.
We work hard to ensure that our organization remains at the forefront of sustainability and durability, which is why ESG agency EcoVadis recently awarded us a Gold medal for our CSR performance.
The United Nations Global Compact, a voluntary initiative based on CEO commitments to implement universal sustainability principles
The UN Global Compact is the largest corporate sustainability initiative and helps companies to align their strategies and operations with universal principles on human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption.For more information, visit their website.
At Alland & Robert, we are proud to say we have been working towards these goals and taking actions to advance societal goals for years. We will continue our efforts and communicate on our progress. Through this membership, we hope to demonstrate our commitment to sustainability, environmental stewardship, and ethical business practices.
Alland & Robert joins the United Nations Global Compact
Alland & Robert reinforces its commitments to sustainability and responsible business practices by becoming part of the Global Compact initiative. We become part of a community of over 2,500 member organizations in 160 countries that drive positive change.
The Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact address the fundamental responsibilities of business in the areas of human rights, international labour standards, the environment and anti-corruption.
Inspired by landmark UN declarations and conventions, they act as a normative authority for responsible business. By integrating the Ten Principles into strategies, policies and procedures, and establishing a culture of integrity, businesses not only meet their fundamental responsibilities to people and the planet, but also set the stage for long-term success.
At Alland & Robert, we look forward to creating awareness and acting in support of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). These Goals were adopted in 2015 by the United Nations and seek to address the world’s biggest challenges, including ending poverty, improving health and education, and tackling climate change.
The Goals interconnect and in order to leave no one behind, it is important that each Goal and target are achieved by 2030. In alignment with its operations and stakeholders, Alland & Robert has prioritized seven SDGs where we can make a particular contribution.
All reporting by Alland & Robert on the SDG is available in the Alland & Robert CSR report 2024 that can be downloaded on our website.
This announcement is part of Alland & Robert strategy to lead the gum acacia industry in sustainability and ethics. We are taking responsibillity for crafting and communicating a clear vision for a sustainable future and an ethical industry. This involves setting ambitious, achievable goals and developing comprehensive strategies to reach them.
We work hard to ensure that our organization remains at the forefront of sustainability and durability, which is why ESG agency EcoVadis recently awarded us a Gold medal for our CSR performance.
The United Nations Global Compact, a voluntary initiative based on CEO commitments to implement universal sustainability principles
The UN Global Compact is the largest corporate sustainability initiative and helps companies to align their strategies and operations with universal principles on human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption.For more information, visit their website.
At Alland & Robert, we are proud to say we have been working towards these goals and taking actions to advance societal goals for years. We will continue our efforts and communicate on our progress. Through this membership, we hope to demonstrate our commitment to sustainability, environmental stewardship, and ethical business practices.
Alland & Robert obtains gold rating from EcoVadis for its CSR performance
Alland & Robert ranks among the top 5% of companies evaluated by EcoVadis, an renowned global ESG-rating agency.
Alland & Robert is extremely proud to report it has been awarded the EcoVadis gold medal for its CSR performance.
Rewarded for its Corporate Social Responsibility management system, Alland & Robert has continuously reinforced its dedication to sustainability since launching its first sustainability report in 2014. The company has since remained committed to reporting on its sustainable practices, with the recent publication of its 2024 report.
Our EcoVadis score places us among the top 5% of companies rated by the platform.
This rating assesses the CSR performance of companies according to four criteria:
- Impact of the company’s activities on the environment
- Labour and human rights
- Business ethics
- Responsible purchasing
Our Sustainable Journey to the Ecovadis Gold Medal
Being highly conscious of the social and environmental challenges humanity currently faces, Alland & Robert is working to establish a sustainable supply chain, and undertaking numerous initiatives in favour of an ethical production model.
The company commitments are aligned with its corporate vision:
To achieve this, the company is committed to preserving traditional expertise and supporting the harvest of natural gums and resilient development for local communities. Alland & Robert has prioritized seven of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) put forward by the United Nations: no poverty, good health and well-being, gender equality, decent work and economic growth, responsible consumption and production, climate action, and life on land.
We also strongly worked on the necessity of getting the entire supply chain involved in order for our strategy to bear fruit: all our partnership protocols with suppliers include social, ethical and environmental criteria, and our Quality department carries out annual audits and delivers training in best practices. In 2023, Alland & Robert obtained the “Fair For Life” fair trade certification, which is a first for the gum acacia sector, as Alland & Robert is currently the only company to have earned this recognition. .
Alland & Robert’s climate strategy is aligned with the 2015 Paris Agreement, and the company stands to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2025. Among the recent advances, Alland & Robert launched the Beyond Acacia® range of gums, whose carbon footprint has been highly reduced compared to a standard gum acacia.
EcoVadis, a plateform to manage ESG risks, ensure compliance with these issues, as well as achieve CSR objectives.
The EcoVadis assessement is one of the most trusted business sustainability rating. It highlights Alland & Robert commitment to put ambitious sustainability policy and objectives first, and our dedication to hard work in order to implement concrete actions and practices in our company and with our stakeholders.
The EcoVadis rating platform was created to assess CSR performance. It is based on 25 criteria and 4 main themes which are: Environment, Social and Human Rights, Ethics and Responsible Purchasing via an examination of the integration of the principles of sustainable development within the activity of each company.
This methodology is based on international sustainable development standards, in particular the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the United Nations Global Compact and the ISO 26000 standard. The objective is to set up an effective CSR management system, consisting of policies, actions and results reporting. In order to fully take into account the real impacts of a company, the assessment framework is adapted to each company according to its sector of activity, its size and its geographical location.
More information is available on the EcoVadis website.
Alland & Robert obtains first ever fair trade certification for acacia gum
The Fair For Life certification reflects the long standing commitment of Alland & Robert towards its industry and local communities.
FairFor Life-certified acacia gum is now available through Alland & Robert, for both seyal and senegal qualities. This is the first time that such a certification is obtained in the gum acacia industry, reflecting our unique commitment towards our supply chain and the local communities we work with. Alland & Robert advocates for ethical supply chains and leads by exemplarity. We constantly seek to surpass ourselves and go beyond regulatory requirements and customers’expectations, in order to be the leader of a fair industry that respects human rights and the environment. Products displaying the FFL label are guaranteed to come from environmentally friendly processes practiced by fairly paid farmers, from a transparent and traceable supply chain.
Violaine Fauvarque, sustainability manager at Alland & Robert, declared: « This certification is the result of our ambitious corporate and social responsibility policy. To us, this is the recognition of our long-term efforts towards a gum acacia supply chain that is beneficial to all parties involved. Fair trade promotes healthy and beneficial trade for people and the Earth. Participating in this collective effort makes us particularly proud”.
Charles Alland, CEO of Alland & Robert, said: “As the leading expert of acacia gum worldwide, we have a responsibility to our stakeholders. Our commitment to fair relations and sustainable products has been part of this company and its values since our beginnings . This certification embodies our unique work towards the local communities, and it strengthens our lasting relationships with our suppliers in the Sahel. We are extremely proud to be the first to achieve this certification, as we know it will meet the consumers’ demand for ethics, traceability, and transparency “.
The Fair For Life certification is an international standard for Fair Trade and responsible supply-chains.
Fair for Life promotes an approach of Fair Trade that allows producers and harvesters to take charge of their destinies through the recognition of their work. It is a collective and meaningful construction of life and society. The Fair For Life certification is also a guarantee of strict economic, social and environmental standards, set by the Ecocert group.
Fair Trade is part of a broader context of sustainable development within a region that safeguards and supports the local social fabric, particularly in rural settings.
Particularly demanding, the FAIR FOR LIFE label guarantees:
💰 a fair purchase price higher than market prices,
🤝 purchase commitments over 3 years minimum,
📉 a protection mechanism for producers in the event of a crisis,
🙏 decent and safe working conditions throughout the sector,
💪 strengthening the autonomy of producers,
🌍 environmentally friendly agricultural practices.
These principles apply throughout the whole supply chain covering producers, traders, manufacturers and brand holders.
This certification comes in addition to several other initiatives of Alland & Robert for an ethical and sustainable supply-chain, such as being a member of the SEDEX (Supplier Ethical Data Exchange) since 2006, committing to the WE-USE-WILD pledge from NGO TRAFFIC and launching a reforestation initiative in partnership with NGO TREE AID.
Alland & Robert is taking the "We Use Wild" pledge, a commitment to good sourcing practices in the gum acacia supply chain
Alland & Robert becomes the first actor in the gum acacia industry to take this pledge, proudly declaring our use of wild acacia gum and placing a spotlight on our work to create and maintain ethical & sustainable practices.
Alland & Robert proudly declares our use of wild gum acacia (or gum arabic). We constantly seek to surpass ourselves and go beyond regulatory requirements and customers’expectations, in order to be the leader of a an industry that respects human rights and the environment. This is why Alland & Robert signed the We Use Wild Pledge, created by global NGO TRAFFIC.
It is the first time that such a commitment is made in the gum acacia industry, reflecting the unique and tireless work of Alland & Robert towards sustainability and ethics, as well as the result of an ambitious corporate and social responsibility policy.
Alland & Robert is taking the Pledge on a voluntary basis, as a self-led initiative to increase awareness and responsible sourcing of wild-harvested gum acacia. The Pledge provides an action framework to take measurable action to address the biological and social risks related to the gum acacia supply chain.
More generally, wild plant ingredients are key across a range of industries. When ethical and sustainable practices are organized throughout the supply chain, wild ingredients can support rural livelihoods that can be at risk of disappearing. Wild ingredients can alos offer the opportunity to engage in conservation projects, such as the Great Green Wall initiative in Africa.
#WeUseWild
“The We Use Wild pledge means that Alland & Robert, as an organisation, supports conservation and rural livelihoods in the African Sahel, where wild gum acacia is harvested.”
Did you know?
Wild harvest accounts for some or all of the harvest of the majority of plant species in trade (between 60-90 percent)*.
TRAFFIC is a leading non-governmental organisation working to ensure that wildlife trade is not a threat to the conservation of nature. Their team works in and connects across some of the world’s most critical wildlife trade hotspots to identify and help address both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development challenges and opportunities linked to trade in wild species.
Alland & Robert obtains silver rating from EcoVadis following Corporate Social Responsibility evaluation
Alland & Robert obtains the EcoVadis silver medal for its CSR performance.
Alland & Robert has been awarded the silver medal on the occasion of the annual evaluation of the EcoVadis organization
Rewarded for its Corporate Social Responsibility management system, Alland & Robert obtains the EcoVadis silver medal. This score places us among the top 25% of companies rated by the platform.
This rating assesses the CSR performance of companies according to four criteria:
- Responsible purchasing,
- Impact of the company’s activities on the environment,
- Business ethics
- Well-being of employees.
This assessement from one of the most trusted business sustainability rating agency highlights Alland & Robert commitment to put ambitious sustainability policy and objectives first, and our dedication to hard work in order to implement concrete actions and practices in our company and with our stakeholders.
The EcoVadis rating platform was created to assess CSR performance. It is based on 21 criteria and 4 main themes which are: Environment, Social and Human Rights, Ethics and Responsible Purchasing via an examination of the integration of the principles of sustainable development within the activity of each company.
This methodology is based on international sustainable development standards, in particular the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the United Nations Global Compact and the ISO 26000 standard. The objective is to set up an effective CSR management system, consisting of policies, actions and results reporting. In order to fully take into account the real impacts of a company, the assessment framework is adapted to each company according to its sector of activity, its size and its geographical location.
More information is available on the EcoVadis website.