Vilmorin & Cie - Annual report 2017-2018

ANNUAL REPORT Vilmorin & Cie 135 2017-2018 4 In France, 900 family and friends were able to discover the activity of Vilmorin-Mikado and the organization of a site with an industrial, administrative and research vocation. Organized by 60 volunteers, the discovery of Vilmorin-Mikado included guided tours and fun workshops, including the discovery of Japanese culture through the practice of origami. The organization of such an event and the ability of each person to present their company and work environment to their loved ones are sources of pride, and foster a sense of belonging, even within families. Partnerships and corporate patronage To help them with their charitable or solidarity actions, during fiscal year 2017-2018 the group devoted 5,604 of its employees’ hours to non-profit associations. Evolution of the societal commitment since 2015-2016 (amount in thousands of euros and number of actions) Vilmorin & Cie aims to contribute to the development of its environment, and to this end, through its subsidiaries, is actively involved in various social, societal and humanitarian projects. In June 2016, the Group adopted the framework for a societal commitment to encourage access for as many people as possible to high quality agriculture and food, through the development of sustainable, efficient chains that respect the environment and human rights. The rules associated to this commitment will make it possible, to objectively validate, or not, the different initiatives undertaken through the Group’s societal commitment. Vilmorin & Cie's commitment towards communities is based on an approach that favors awareness, dialogue, cooperation and shared progress. The ambition is to build up new ways of working together and creating value with local stakeholders involved in the Group’s activities. This framework for societal commitment is planned to be coherent with the business lines and their challenges, as shared by all the Business Units, and a way of uniting employees around progress and innovation. Since 2012, Limagrain has been a partner of Fair Planet, an NGO that has been active in Ethiopia, and whose aim is to insure the development of vegetable production by experimenting with high- performance varieties and training small-scale growers in how to use them. “Bridging the seed gap” is Fair Planet’s goal among small-scale vegetable growers in Ethiopia by breaking the vicious cycle of poor seed quality, poor vegetable quality, malnutrition, and poverty. Its method is to test varieties emerging from seed company research in local conditions to decide which ones are best adapted to local growing conditions and then to train growers on how to best bring out their potential. With these two benefits, growers can then develop a qualitative and quantitative production, enabling them to provide better food as well as develop economic activity that will insure their independence. Fair Planet, present at three sites in 2017-2018 (Dire Dawa, Haramaya, and Butajira), has focused its efforts on three crops (tomato, hot pepper, and onion), and is testing dozens of varieties. Concerning training, more than 1,000 growers have been trained since Fair Planet began and they are sharing their knowledge and available educational tools with their communities. By 2020, Fair Planet is expecting that 50,000 Ethiopian small-scale growers will have been reached directly or indirectly by its program. In France, Vilmorin SA has committed 15,000 euros to the endowment fund “Plantons pour l'avenir” (Planting for the future) . The company is thus actively involved in the renewal of French forests, no longer guaranteed today. And consequently, it works for the energy transition, the development of a sustainable economic sector, and the preservation of the natural biodiversity of different regions. HM.CLAUSE Kenya is actively involved in the protection of biodiversity by working with local NGOs who are striving to preserve the forests, biodiversity and ecosystems of Mount Kenya. A nursery, which reuses irrigation water from the seed production farm, has just been built on the HM.CLAUSE Kenya site to preserve young trees funded by the Mount Kenya Trust before they are transplanted. In addition, on the occasion of World Environment Day, June 1, the company contributed to the collection of waste dispersed in nature, organized by the National Environment Management Authority . Finally, it acts to preserve black rhinoceroses hunted for their high-value horn. Keen to transmit the pleasure of learning and experimenting in the garden, since 2014, Vilmorin Jardin has been committed to Jardins du Cœur , workshops and employment integration programs by Restos du Cœur . These gardens, in addition to providing employment integration for people in difficult situations, provide vegetables to Restos du Cœur for distribution. Every year, Vilmorin Jardin renews a seed donation to the 42 Jardins du Cœur in France. 500 400 300 200 100 0 120 100 80 60 15-16 16-17 17-18 312 413 452 93 102 120 Key figures In 2017-2018, 120 initiatives and 451,889 euros were devoted to societal actions, including almost 152,125 euros to philanthropic initiatives 4.4. Building new patterns of relationship and creating value Social, environmental and societal INFORMATION