ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands – Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) published today its 2021 Sustainability Report highlighting progress in the Group’s sustainability journey – from the creation of a dedicated Carbon Solutions team to drive Group-wide decarbonization efforts, to advances for traceability, certification and farmer engagement in product-specific supply chains.
“In a context of increasingly urgent global challenges, we took significant strides to advance transformative sustainability strategies across our operations, assets and supply chains during 2021, while keeping our people safe, ensuring supply chain continuity, and working with partners to support farmers and protect the environment,” said Michael Gelchie, LDC’s Chief Executive Officer.
2021 was marked by a historic UN Climate Conference in Glasgow (COP 26), when governments and corporate leaders came together to discuss concerted efforts to limit global warming, in line with Paris Agreement goals. On this occasion, LDC was among the co-signatories of a corporate statement of purpose for accelerated and collaborative supply chain action consistent with a 1.5°C pathway.
In line with this and the Group’s existing environmental commitments and goal to help shape a net-zero economy, LDC established a new Carbon Solutions Platform to spearhead its decarbonization efforts through actions in its operations and value chains.
“Charged with leading and accelerating LDC’s decarbonization roadmap, the Platform is building an extensive emissions reduction project portfolio, with a focus on collaborative projects in line with our approach to tackle sustainability challenges through partnerships,” said Michael Gelchie.
Efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of LDC’s operations advanced in parallel, keeping the company on track to achieve its reduction targets for greenhouse gas emissions, electricity and energy consumption, water usage and solid waste sent to landfill, between 2018 and 2022.
2021 was also a record year for workplace safety, as the Group once again recorded its best-ever safety metrics. “I am especially grateful for this positive performance, in a context that continued to pose many challenges,” said Michael Gelchie. “At LDC, sustainability always starts with people – whether they are employees, contractors or other partners and stakeholders, we strive to ensure every person working for and with us goes home safe and well each day.”
In this sense, and addressing issues brought to light by the pandemic, LDC also joined forces with like-minded shipping industry stakeholders in 2021 by contributing to the development and publication of a Code of Conduct to protect the rights and welfare of seafarers.
LDC also reported progress in specific product lines – from piloting a new coffee responsible sourcing program and reaching 100% verification for LDC-managed citrus farms in Brazil, to continued progress on palm and soy supply chain traceability and transparency.
In 2022 and beyond, LDC will continue to fulfill its key role to source, add value to, transport and distribute food and agricultural products for an ever-growing global population, while pursuing its efforts and actions to help shape fair and sustainable supply chains – important among these, the Group’s commitment to eliminate deforestation and native vegetation conversion for agricultural purposes from its supply chains, by the end of 2025.
LDC’s 2021 Sustainability Report is available at ldc.com/sustainability-report-2021.
