External Social Responsibility Policy
As an integral part of various local communities, we have the power to positively influence the lives of those who live within them, not just by offering employment but also through the relations we establish, across the value chain, and the programmes of social and environmental responsibility we develop.
In 2024, we introduced our external social responsibility (CSR) policy in the aim of increasing economic and social value and progress in those territories where we operate, specifically in Portugal and Africa. This step, framed by our Sustainability Agenda 2030, will allow us to be even closer to our communities and to boost the development of initiatives aligned with the purpose and strategy of SUMOL+COMPAL and our brands.
To raise the positive impact in the communities where we operate, we have defined three priority intervention areas.
Priority Intervention Areas
To foster access to balanced nutrition and healthy lifestyles.
We have created SUMOL+COMPAL Donations Programme aimed at improving the standard of living of local communities through the donation of food products from our own brands and those we represent. This initiative annually supports over 250 national entities and also reduces food waste by channelling products which are approaching their expiry date but are still totally fit for consumption to associations located in the areas influenced by our facilities.
To foster skills development and equal opportunities
We seek to intervene in local communities by investing in training and strengthening partnerships with schools. The Positive Nutrition projects, targeted at nutrition students at various Portuguese universities, and the partnership with FICASE, which supports the most vulnerable children in Cape Verde, are educational initiatives in which we seek to foster nutritional literacy and promote healthier lifestyles.
To foster more inclusive communities by enhancing cultural diversity and access to employment.
We promote inclusion in our communities by supporting events that enhance the identity and cultural heritage of communities and the engagement of our People in partnerships with local associations.
With the external CSR policy, SUMOL+COMPAL intends to establish a number of commitments which aspire to reinforce its contribution to creating economic and social value and progress in the territories where we operate, specifically Portugal and Africa.
This policy fosters the coexistence of initiatives aligned with the purpose and strategy of SUMOL+COMPAL and its brands, emphasising practices that are integrated, consistent in time and have win-win results.
Our commitments
- To define social responsibility aims and targets and promote actions necessary to achieve them via ethical and transparent conduct;
- To establish partnerships with different actors in the territories that contribute to a continual improvement in organisational practices within the scope of the external CSR policy;
- To engage our partners in the external CSR strategy and contribute to their awareness and training in these areas;
- To foster the development of the local communities where SUMOL+COMPAL operates, in Portugal and Africa, through social investment focused above all on three areas of intervention: nutrition, hydration and wellness; education; and inclusion;
- To raise employee awareness of SUMOL+COMPAL’s commitments to social sustainability and involve them in achieving these commitments and in identifying solutions that improve the company’s performance;
- To manage the risks and opportunities associated with the social pillar, namely those related to external social responsibility;
- To foster regular dialogue and consultations with stakeholders in the aim of discovering their expectations, perceptions and assessments, incorporating these contributions into decision-making whenever possible;
- To communicate information about the results and impacts of its activities to all stakeholders in an ethical, regular and transparent manner.