Promoting local & accessible food
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Agricultural sectors that value local regions and their history
In 2023, Avril consolidated a number of projects initiated in recent years to preserve and develop local farming sectors.
Vivien Paille supports plant-based production and consumption
In 2023, Vivien Paille completed its first year of operations as part of Avril. In alignment with the commitments implied by our purpose, several structural development projects were undertaken in the French-origin rice and legume sectors, such as supporting and maintaining the production of Camargue rice and Puy lentils. Following a project to introduce lentil cultivation in the Hauts-de-France region, the first harvest was completed in farmlands around Valenciennes. The goal behind this project is to help offset climate risk, and increase the proportion of foods sourced from national suppliers.
With the aim of supporting the food transition, plant proteins are the cornerstone of the Vivien Paille approach, not only in the company’s ranges of dried goods and its microwaveable meal pouches, but also through its contributions to recipes used by other Avril business units producing plant-based meals, such as Lesieur with MA POPOTE.
In addition, the development of plant proteins also involves cultivating a comprehensive and diversified range of ingredients for BtoB markets and the food-away-from-home sector.
Costa d’Oro combines tradition with responsibility and modernity
Avril took on the Italian company Costa d’Oro in 2018. Distributed in over 60 countries , including France by Lesieur, in 2023 the company occupied 4th place in the Italian olive oil market. Despite a tense and highly competitive marketplace, with Costa d’Oro Avril is pursuing an approach that showcases the value of the Umbria PDO, enhancing traceability and responsibility for 100% Italian olive oils.
In 2023, it became the first Italian company to launch a “ZERO” extra-virgin oil, indicating “Zero Pesticide Residue” in the finished product. The QR code displayed on the bottles provides information on the production methods and inspections carried out, tracking them via blockchain. This modernization helps guarantee quality and transparency.
Innovation
Olizea: budget-friendly oil with a hint of olive flavor
Building on its close ties with French consumers and seeking to offer them more accessible grocery options, in 2023 Lesieur launched an innovation combining 80% rapeseed oil and 20% extra-virgin olive oil, guaranteed pesticide residue-free, in order to offer consumers delicious olive flavor regardless of their budget. Elected “Taste of the Year” for 2023, the product is sold in a 100% recycled and recyclable bottle.
Working alongside the farming world
Avril is committed to providing optimum support for farming regions, notably by enhancing the proximity of its activities, investments and services so as to better address local needs.
Sanders boosts it presence in the Grand-Est and central France regions
In 2023, Sanders, a leading French name in animal nutrition, outlined a new strategic project centering on its relations with livestock farmers and providing effective and sustainable solutions to create added value. With this in mind, Sanders is striving to better address farmers’ expectations, and to offer them a wider range of services and local support.
Sanders supports farmers
In alignment with its new visual and audio identity, in 2023 Sanders launched a new evidence-based marketing campaign, presenting the tangible initiatives it has undertaken to make livestock farming more profitable and sustainable.
Sofiprotéol invests in local regions
With the economy facing disruption in 2023 (characterized by inflation and soaring interest rates, along with the persistently high cost of energy, transport and raw materials), Sofiprotéol opted to accelerate its investment dynamic. Its three priorities link back to the Group’s commitments:
- Structuring local agricultural sectors through ongoing support for cooperatives.
- Strengthening ties with SMEs firmly established in their local areas.
- An innovation ecosystem promoting the agriculture of the future.
Sustainable and local food
Improving sustainability in our imports
Avril uses palm oil and soya in some of its industrial activities, and the Group established a specific policy* for these products in 2016. This was updated in October 2023, with the ambition of ensuring that Avril’s supply of palm oil and soya comes only from zero deforestation/conversion sources. In order to deploy this policy’s requirements among its suppliers (traceability back to the mill and to the original plantation where possible, alignment between Avril policy and supplier approaches, grievance management mechanism), Avril has been supported by the Earthworm Foundation NGO since 2016.
Zero Deforestation and Conversion soya
When imports are required because local resources are not available in sufficient quantities (as is the case for soya), Avril strives to establish deforestation-free import supply channels, thanks to the expertise of the Solteam business unit. Since 2022, Solteam has been working with Earthworm to establish a ZDC (Zero Deforestation or Conversion) supply channel. The ZDC methodology is a protocol for evaluating the risks of deforestation and conversion as applied to the soya supply chain. In 2021, a comprehensive traceability inspection was carried out on an initial cargo shipment of 50,000 metric tons, followed by a second shipment in 2022. In 2023 the contents of four cargo ships were analyzed, for a total of 210 metric kilotons of soybean meal. Using satellite information and monitoring systems, these imported soybean meal shipments were qualified as “ZDC”.
Lesieur Cristal: a strategic vision for the oilseed sector in Morocco
Being aware of the oilseed sector’s importance for food security in Morocco. In 2023 Lesieur Cristal published a white paper in partnership with the Fédération Interprofessionnelle des Oléagineux. This document proposes a strategy to galvanize the sector through innovative and sustainable agricultural development, in order to reduce the country’s dependence on vegetable oils and oilseed meal.
