Originally Published by Sodexo.
Sodexo, a food and facilities management company committed to improving Quality of Life, has been recognized by the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) for its leadership in the sustainable purchasing movement, a growing trend in which organizations are using their purchasing power to advance the long-term health and vitality of society, economies, and the planet.
The Leadership Award for a Special Sustainable Purchasing Initiative was presented to Sodexo for using local sourcing to make a meaningful social impact in its suppliers’ communities in Chicago. Specifically, Sodexo, Midwest Foods, and the Chicago Botanic Garden with its Windy City Harvest program partnered to support small, local businesses and farmers by leveraging Sodexo’s purchasing power.
“We were thrilled to accept this award for the work we’re doing with our partners in Chicago,” said Judy Panayos, senior director sustainability, supply management of Sodexo North America. “This initiative highlights how taking a more holistic approach to evaluating impact is more meaningful given the profound effect a relatively small percent of institutional spend can cause when well placed,” added Panayos.
Sodexo, in practice, initiated a multiplier effect as producer partners scaled their businesses; expanded career development opportunities for at-risk community members; increased access to affordable and nutritious choices for food desert communities; reduced food waste; and supported local sustainability efforts.
SPLC’s Leadership Awards recognize organizations that have demonstrated or actively supported the kind of leadership envisioned in the SPLC’s Principles for Leadership in Sustainable Purchasing. The Principles state that an organization demonstrates leadership in sustainable purchasing through:
- Understanding the environmental, social, and economic impacts of its purchasing.
- Taking responsibility by committing to an action plan.
- Delivering on its commitments Actively promoting internal and external innovation that advances a positive future.
- Soliciting and disclosing information that supports a marketplace of innovation.
“The winners of these awards have each demonstrated their commitment to leadership in sustainable purchasing,” says SPLC CEO Sam Hummel. “Collectively, they focus the powerful purchasing influence of organizations — in public and private sectors alike — to advance a socially just, ecologically robust, and economically prosperous future. The winners of SPLC’s Leadership Awards exemplify, encourage, and support a constructive cycle of innovation that will define the global marketplace of tomorrow.”
