As a globally operating group of companies, we see ourselves as part of a global network and a global community, as well as an impact-oriented organization that takes responsibility and helps make people’s everyday lives easier and better. We are convinced that only equal and fair business and supply relationships have the necessary resilience to remain stable in an increasingly fast-changing environment and thus ensure the required quality. We are therefore currently testing various approaches, which we refer to collectively as “Social Business”.

The concept of social business, which was developed by Nobel Prize winner Prof. Muhammad Yunus, is geared toward reinvesting profits either in the company or its supply chains and their environment. We are testing this innovative approach with our flagship initiative “Fair Recycled Plastic”. We have founded our first subsidiary, the social business company Vishuddh Pvt. Ltd. in Bangalore, India, with whom we are integrating this principle into our business.

Based on the findings of this initiative, we will transfer the social business principle to other activities, for example in the coffee sector. We are currently exploring opportunities for this, for example, in Brazil.

However, it is not possible to fully adopt this sophisticated approach in all areas. We are therefore also employing other methods to support the communities around our locations, in our supply chains, and in the respective sectors. Moreover, we are currently working with local stakeholders to find ways of establishing sustainable structures and how we can support their formation and existence in the long term.

At the same time, we are expanding our existing corporate citizenship activities and support the promotion of the “data commons” principle.