Sodexo: Appetite for Action

Sodexo asked Brands2Life to help place food waste, and tackling its contribution to climate change,  at the top of the policy agenda, alongside demonstrating the steps the company has taken to reduce its own food waste footprint. With the Government expected to publish the next stage of the National Food Strategy in 2022, Sodexo needed to become a central voice in the discussion to shape policy as it emerges.

In 2021 we launched our Appetite for Action campaign to galvanise the wider business community and policy makers into action on the food waste crisis, developing strategies for reducing carbon emissions in food services, with an integrated approach to storytelling. We kicked off activity by convening political stakeholders, academics, WWF, WRAP, industry partners and Sodexo customers for an in-person roundtable, to discuss the challenges of food waste reduction from farm to fork and the missed opportunity of not prioritising this agenda at COP26.

Insights from the event and third party research polling food supply chain heads fed into the strategy and recommendations set out in the Appetite for Action whitepaper. We managed a media relations and public affairs programme alongside the campaign, and worked closely with Sodexo on a paid social strategy targeted at food procurement professionals.

The whitepaper was shared with policy and political stakeholders and resulted in 5 meetings with key targets including shadow environment ministers and key members of an influential All Party Parliamentary Group. We secured broadcast on Sky News discussing Sodexo’s net zero targets, coverage in City AM on the importance of reducing food waste to alleviate the effects of the climate crisis, and key industry trade coverage. We continue to work with the food services industry to tackle waste and carbon emissions collaboratively, while also positioning Sodexo as a partner of choice to customers.