ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) in Foodservice - Thematic Research

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is the most important theme for 2021, and the next 10 years. Companies must excel across all three aspects of ESG. Being a laggard in one ESG area will taint brand image and influence consumer decisions, despite progress in other areas. Health and safety (H&S) and supply chain management are commonly recognized as the greatest risk factors in the foodservice industry. This report offers expert market analysis, data, and comparisons of foodservice companies’ ESG achievements and commitments, and highlights industry leaders and laggards.

The publisher’s propriety ESG framework identifies 12 main areas of ESG, contributing factors to these areas, and mitigating actions that companies can take to excel in ESG. The report's trends section highlights the tech, macro, and industry trends impacting the ESG theme in foodservice over the next 12 to 24 months.

Scope

• The publisher's Q1 2021 global consumer survey, with over 21,000 respondents in 42 countries, found three quarters of consumers demand more ethical or environmentally friendly products. Immediate ESG action will future-proof businesses and create tomorrow’s winners.
• Chipotle, Compass, and Seven and I Holdings are governance leaders, Starbucks, McDonald's, Glovo, Doctor’s Associate (Subway) are governance laggards. Environmental and Social leaders and laggards are also highlighted in the report.
• Social media, one of the key trends impacting ESG, has enabled consumer feedback, both positive and negative, to quickly reach a global audience. As a result, foodservice companies have been facing increased scrutiny over all aspects of ESG, including food safety and cleanliness standards, engagement with social and environmental causes, and quality of service.
• Health and safety (H&S) and supply chain management are the greatest risk factors for the industry. H&S for both employees and consumers has come to the fore over the last year due to COVID-19. As foodservice is at the very end of the supply chain, sustainable and ethical sourcing are key components of a solid ESG strategy for any company aiming to reduce its environmental footprint, improve social outcomes, and avoid scandals.

Reasons to Buy

• Position yourself for the future and create a holistic ESG strategy using the publisher’s ESG framework. Assess sustainability policies, performance, and progress against the publisher’s ESG framework. Identify and mitigate risk factors and pursue actions to improve ESG performance.
• Uncover the foodservice companies excelling in ESG operations with the publisher’s thematic scorecard. Understand competitor activity and positioning in the ESG theme with extensive coverage of leading companies’ activity.
• Use the trends section to identify key technology and macro trends affecting and shaping the ESG theme, such as using computer vision to reduce food waste.
• Understand the key challenges to foodservice companies across environment, social, and governance, with company examples of mitigating actions and malpractice.
• Understand the ESG action feedback loop, a market mechanism that drives reputational and competitive advantage, incentivizing further action, and drawing more participation.