SUSTAINABILITY

Our CSR approach

As the only sugar operator on the Moroccan market and a recognized aggregator, COSUMAR has been a forerunner in integrating the principles of sustainable development and Corporate Social Responsibility in Morocco, which has resulted in numerous distinctions. In 2009, our Group was honored by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with the Aggregator Model Medal. The same year, COSUMAR was also awarded the CSR label by the General Confederation of Moroccan Businesses (CGEM).

In 2016, conscious of our social, societal and environmental impact, we formally adopted the “3 Ps” approach, committing ourselves to three major axes: People, Planet and Prosperity. This approach was presented at COP22, underlining our desire to actively contribute to global sustainability issues. In 2018, COSUMAR confirmed its excellence by joining the Top 10 Performers of the Casablanca Stock Exchange’s ESG 10 index, testifying to our ongoing commitment to best practices.

In 2021, we reached a crucial CSR milestone with our first materiality analysis. This process, conducted in consultation with a broad panel of partners in our ecosystem, enabled us to transparently identify the main priority issues for our sustainability. Drawing on the lessons learned from this analysis, in 2022 we formalized a new CSR strategy entitled “CARING FOR THE FUTURE”.

This strategy is based on our Group’s strategic CSR challenges, affirming our long-term commitment to a sustainable future.

This trajectory illustrates our constant evolution towards responsible management aligned with international best practices in sustainable development and CSR.

THE STORY OF A GROUP COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

First ISO 9001 certified sugar factory

A commitment to sustainable agriculture: Creation of FIMASUCRE

National and international recognition: FAO Medal and CSR Label

Governance adapted to the integration of CSR: Formation of the first integrated CSR policy

COSUMAR's participation in cop 22: Press release about its CSR anchoring based on the 3Ps: People, Planet, Prosperity - COSUMAR commits to the Air Quality Pact and carries out its first GHG assessment

Cosumar enters the ESG 10 index, Vigeo - Eiris: CSR integrates the communications, sponsorship and patronage department

COSUMAR responds to AMMC Circular 19/03 - COSUMAR publishes its first ESG report;

2001

2007

2009

2014

2016

2018

2019

OUR CSR APPROACH: A SUSTAINABLE IMPACT STRATEGY

Our stakeholders

COSUMAR‘s territorial roots in five regions of Morocco and its presence at all stages of the value chain make it a value-generating company within an ecosystem that is as vast as it is varied.

The stakeholders identified by COSUMAR are grouped into distinct categories, including shareholders, employees, farming partners, direct customers, business partners (suppliers, investors, financial institutions, the financial community), institutional partners, the media, academia and civil society.

COSUMAR ecosystem

Public authorities

Ministries
Administrations
Institutions
Authorities
Local authorities

Business

Farmers
Suppliers: Agricultural
and industrial service providers
Financial operators and
investors
Direct customers, Indirect
customers

Society

Residents
Civil society
Social economy players
Associations and federations
End consumers.

Academic world

Training and Research
Institutions
Professors
Researchers
Experts
Students

Media

Journalists
Press houses
Financial analysts

Each stakeholder is selected on the basis of criteria such as legal and regulatory requirements, contractual obligations, and the COSUMAR Group’s internal procedures relating to the relationship with that stakeholder. This approach ensures that the issues identified as significant in the materiality matrix for each stakeholder are adequately taken into account.

For many years, COSUMAR has cultivated a constructive and structured dialogue with all its stakeholders, both internal and external, based on listening, trust and transparency. A formal dialogue process is set up for each stakeholder, aimed at understanding their expectations, responding to constraints raised, sharing information, clarifying objectives and confirming COSUMAR’s commitments. This dialogue supports and feeds into the Group’s CSR approach, reinforcing its socio-economic impact in the regions where it operates, and its ability to demonstrate agility in the face of the risks and potential impacts of its activities.

Our CSR challenges

The first materiality study conducted by COSUMAR in 2021 represents a significant milestone in the evolution of its CSR approach, reflecting its growing maturity in this area.
This exercise led to a redefinition and prioritization of the company’s corporate social responsibility challenges for the coming years. Carried out in collaboration with a large panel of COSUMAR’s internal and external stakeholders, the study confirmed the relevance of the priority issues to be addressed and identified new challenges in line with the current context, such as water saving, health and safety in the workplace, food safety and carbon footprint.
The strategic ambitions arising from this study are currently embodied in the new “CARING FOR THE FUTURE” CSR strategy, which aims to support the Group’s sustainable growth.

Very high importance

Sustainable resource and water management
Human capital management and development
Sustainable agriculture and biodiversity
Employer-employee relations and well-being at work
Responsible governance and business ethics

High importance

Sustainable waste management and environmental impact
Product quality, safety and traceability
Health and safety at work
Product accessibility and food safety
Technology development and access
Transparent communication and product labelling
Community involvement and socio-economic impact
Social dialogue and respect for human rights
Raising awareness and integrating CSR into customer-consumer relations
Promoting CSR in the value chain

Moderate importance

Eco-design and circular economy for packaging
Product diversity and nutritional quality

SOCIAL ISSUES

1.Human Capital Management and Development
3.Employer-employee relations and well-being at work
7.Social dialogue and respect for human rights
8.Health and safety at work

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

2.Sustainable agriculture and biodiversity
4.Sustainable resource and water management
5.Sustainable waste management and environmental impact
6.Eco-design and circular economy for packaging

PRODUCT LIABILITY

10.Product quality, safety and traceability
15.Product accessibility and food safety
17.Diversity and quality

TERRITORIAL COMMITMENT
AND STAKEHOLDER RELATIONS

9.Community involvement and socio-economic impact
12.Promoting CSR in the value chain
13.Technology development and access
14.Raising awareness and integrating CSR into customer/consumer relations

BUSINESS ETHICS

11.Responsible governance and business ethics
16.Transparent communications and product labelling

Our CSR policy

At Cosumar, we place the challenges of sustainable development at the heart of our corporate project and managerial culture, because we are convinced that growth is only sustainable if it is shared.

In the face of today’s challenges, we position ourselves as a driving force for sustainable innovation and growth, benefiting all our partners in our ecosystem.

Committed to a dynamic of progress that is both responsible and inclusive, we are committed to building, with and for our stakeholders, models that are economically competitive, socially responsible and respectful of the Earth and natural resources.

Our CSR approach permeates our corporate culture and all our activities, wherever our Group operates, in a climate of solid and lasting trust, thanks to an open and transparent dialogue. Through 4 pillars and our 12 commitments, our approach is driven by a model of governance and ethics in all our actions.

Named “CARING FOR THE FUTURE”, it is in line with our role as a player committed to sharing progress, and aims to respond to the social, environmental and societal challenges of our business sector and the expectations of our stakeholders.

Caring for the
FUTURE

Responsible
and exemplary
governance

Our Social Pillar

To be a responsible company that learns, listens and respects its employees.

Maintain continuous vigilance in terms of health and safety at work for our employees and all partners operating on our sites
Cultivating the excellence of our talents through coaching and skills development
Looking after our employees' working environment and promoting well-being in the workplace

Our community pillar

Partnering with farmers and promoting local development

Cultivate the long-lasting, equitable ties that bind us to our partner farmers through financial support, technical guidance and social accompaniment
Promoting responsible practices throughout the value chain, by engaging our suppliers and partners
Developing and facilitating access to technologies for sustainable, responsible production and supply solutions
Strengthening our local roots and boosting the socio-economic development of regions and communities

Our market pillar

Committed to accessibility to a quality product and meeting everyone's needs

Guaranteeing our customers and consumers quality products, from production to use
Guaranteeing the accessibility and availability of our products throughout the kingdom
Develop product ranges that meet specific nutritional needs and support rapidly changing eating habits and practices

Our environmental pillar

To be a responsible player aligned with climate objectives and committed to sustainable agriculture

Design and implement innovative solutions for sustainable natural resource management and water optimization
Strengthen our commitment to sustainable agriculture, to help meet the challenges of climate change and the expectations of our farmers
Integrate our activities into a circular economy aimed at limiting our environmental footprint

Each year, we will undertake to evaluate our CSR policy in order to challenge ourselves to improve our social, environmental and societal performance. It is also proof of our commitment to making a positive impact on our customers and our agricultural, economic and institutional partners.

Our commitment to responsible governance

The establishment of responsible and transparent corporate governance is of crucial importance to ensure the long-term survival and success of our Group. This approach is based on ethical and responsible management of our activities, open and sincere communication with all our stakeholders, rigorous risk management, and constant enhancement of COSUMAR‘s reputation. By adopting this approach, our aim is to create sustainable value for our stakeholders while having a positive impact on society as a whole.

The CSR strategy is underpinned by actions approved and monitored by the Executive Committee within a CSR Steering Committee. To ensure that CSR is taken into account strategically and globally, the COSUMAR Group’s Managing Director is appointed as the CSR referent on the Board of Directors, thus guaranteeing that social, environmental and good governance issues are integrated and put into practice at the highest decision-making level of the company. He ensures that CSR issues are incorporated and implemented in the Group’s overall strategy. In addition, specialized cross-functional committees actively contribute to the development of CSR roadmaps and performance on specific issues. They oversee the implementation of the various aspects of the Group’s CSR strategy and monitor essential non-financial information.

3 levels of governance

CSR governance

The deployment of the CSR approach and the monitoring of CSR actions are carried out by the CSR Department, which relies on strong synergies with the Upstream Agricultural, HR, Purchasing, Sales, Safety, Supply Chain and Marketing functions, and the establishment of a network of CSR referents at all sites.

CSR Sponsor
CSR guidelines

CSR on the CODIR agenda (weekly)

Steering and monitoring the implementation of the CSR approach
CSR reporting

Composition: CSR Sponsor, CSR Department, HR Department, CSR Manager
Monthly CSR committees

Deployment, coordination,
monitoring and coordination of the
CSR approach

Membership: CSR coordinators, representatives of entities involved in CSR initiatives
Monthly monitoring by the CSR function.

Compliance & Business Ethics

The principles of loyalty and transparency guide all COSUMAR employees, anchored in a culture of responsibility based on strong values. This culture is extended throughout the Group and shared with its external stakeholders, encompassing aspects such as preventing conflicts of interest, fighting corruption, complying with the law, and protecting personal data.

In compliance with Moroccan regulations and industry best practices, COSUMAR has set up:

A code of ethics defining rules of conduct, notably in terms of compliance with Moroccan laws and regulations, the fight against market abuse, the management of conflicts of interest, and the prevention of corruption.
A Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, establishing common minimum standards to guide the behavior of all Group employees internally and in their interactions with third parties. This code includes provisions on whistle-blowing rights and procedures, commitment to universal Human Rights principles, Human Capital management, commitment to the environment, and the role of corporate citizenship.

COSUMAR has also drawn up a compliance charter, structured in two parts. The first deals with the regulatory compliance program, including the definition and objectives of compliance, the CSR approach, the code of ethics and business conduct, and the identification of risk situations. The second part presents the action plan, detailing the commitment of management bodies, the appointment of a Compliance Officer, training, and the monitoring and control of actions.

HELPING TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OF FOOD SOVEREIGNTY

Faced with the global challenge of food security, which requires the implementation of effective agricultural policies, sustainable food systems and access to healthy, nutritious food for all, our Group remains resilient and continues its commitment to ensuring the continuous supply of sugar to the national market, thereby helping to strengthen food sovereignty. Despite the challenges, we are maintaining our production capacities and storage levels across the country, aiming to meet the national market’s annual demand of 1.2 million tons of sugar.

CREATING AND SHARING VALUE WITH THE FARMING COMMUNITY

COSUMAR‘s strategic priorities are centered on securing the country’s sugar supply, focusing on the sustainability of the sugar industry and on initiatives to improve performance throughout the value chain. For many years, our Group has been strongly committed to the promotion of sugar crops and the ongoing creation of value within sugar-growing regions. As a major player in the agro-industry, we are fully committed to promoting a competitive, high-performance sugar industry, in line with the national “Génération Green” strategy. Since 2008, COSUMAR has evolved into a responsible and committed aggregator, providing financial, technical and social support to its agricultural partners. Our Group’s presence in the five agricultural regions has contributed to the emergence of economic clusters, job creation and socio-economic support for farmers and local communities.

+80 000

AGREGATED
FARMERS

3 000

3,000 INDIRECT
JOBS CREATED

369

SMBS CREATED IN THE
AGRICULTURAL
SECTOR AND 5
COOPERATIVES
SUPPORTED

MILLION WORKING
DAYS GENERATED IN
THE AGRICULTURAL
SECTOR

87%

LOCAL
PARTNERS AND
SUPPLIERS

70%

OF PURCHASING
BUDGET GENERATED
LOCALLY

2 792

BENEFICIARIES
OF OUR EDUCATION
INITIATIVES

INNOVATING FOR SUSTAINABLE AND RESPONSIBLE AGRICULTURE

The challenges facing sugar farming lie in the need to ensure sustainable production of sugar crops for sugar production, while preserving the environment and meeting climate requirements. This calls for responsible, environmentally-friendly sugar farming, characterized by optimized use of energy and water, and preservation of soil quality. To meet these challenges, we at COSUMAR have adopted agricultural practices aimed at minimizing our environmental footprint, including reducing nitrogen fertilizer inputs, optimizing the use of plant protection products, promoting agriculture adapted to climate change, controlling water consumption, using technologies and R&D for intelligent agriculture, and adopting the circular economy concept for the valorization of our co-products from sugar plants.

A COMMITMENT TO DECARBONIZING THE SUGAR INDUSTRY

Our strategy for reducing carbon emissions is based on a number of key areas. We promote high-performance agricultural practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, notably through the use of solar pumps, and we encourage soil carbon storage. In addition, we are working towards energy efficiency by modernizing our industrial facilities, adopting practices to reduce energy consumption and implementing the ISO 50001 energy management system at all our sites.

We have also adopted renewable energies for sugar extraction, introducing biomass in our sugar beet processing factories to gradually reduce the use of fossil fuels by 50%. In addition, we have set up solar drying platforms for beet pulp to replace oil- and coal-fired drying kilns, eliminating over 50,000 tons of CO2 per year. To measure our environmental impact, we carry out periodic assessments of our greenhouse gas emissions and overall carbon footprint.

FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR
PLANET

BILLION MAD INVESTED
IN INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES
TO REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT

-90%*

REDUCTION IN
WATER CONSUMPTION
SINCE 2005

-39,4%*

IN ENERGY CONSUMPTION
SINCE 2005
*Sugar beet processing

-46%

REDUCTION IN
GREENHOUSE GAS
EMISSIONS
BETWEEN 2016 AND 2022

276 799

TONS OF UPGRADED
CO-PRODUCTS
(PELLETS, BAGASSE, MOLASSES)

INVESTING IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR HUMAN CAPITAL

As a major player in the food industry, we demonstrate our commitment to preserving the well-being of our employees through the rigorous implementation of safety measures, health protocols and optimal working conditions. At COSUMAR, we are committed to creating a working environment that prioritizes the safety and security of our employees, and protects them from potential accidents and occupational illness.

We have succeeded in establishing a strong and captivating organizational culture, with a focus on identifying business experts and potential talent. Each candidate is placed at the center of a process that responds to the needs of the business, offering a promising trajectory for their career, specifically designed to align with their individual potential and talents. A multitude of programs have been developed to provide support and professional development opportunities for employees during the course of their employment. The presence of diversity within COSUMAR is a valuable asset that contributes to its global competitiveness, capacity for innovation and attractiveness. The company is dedicated to building an inclusive corporate structure in which every employee is recognized for his or her individual skills and abilities, thanks to a transparent approach to human resources development.

Thanks to Fondation Zakoura and COSUMAR, our children have acquired knowledge that will enable them to succeed in the future. My son has developed skills in both learning and behavior.

Rachida ZOUHIR

Mother of a child benefiting from the ANEER preschool program, rural commune of ZAIO.

At COSUMAR, we believe that every employee is a talent. We want everyone to evolve in a learning environment where each skill is recognized for its contribution to the Group's strategic objectives. We are concentrating our efforts on the deployment of dedicated and progressive programs with the active contribution of the business lines.

Sofia IFRAH

COSUMAR Group Human Capital Director.

Thanks to the Al Ibdaa Caravan initiated by COSUMAR, we have been able to enable some sixty women in difficulty to work in our cooperative, which works to preserve the region's cultural heritage by continuing to weave and enhance the ancestral Bennouri carpet.

Tahra MINI

President of the "Jennat"
cooperative, Sidi Bennour province.

FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR EMPLOYEES

2549

men/days of training

55,4%

Increase in parity between
2016 and 2022

-15%

reduction in accident
frequency rate by 2022

-62%

reduction in accident
severity rate by

Our Group is involved in local sustainable development projects, including drain-cleaning, well-drilling, road-building in douars and villages, and the creation of green spaces in schools. These actions reflect our commitment to our local communities and our desire to make a significant contribution to their well-being and prosperity. These actions reflect our commitment to our local communities and our desire to make a significant contribution to their well-being and prosperity.

Sustainability of our value chain

Learn more

Our ESG reports

Learn more

At COSUMAR, we uphold a tradition of continuous improvement. Indeed, the Group introduced the first quality management system at one of its production sites back in 2001, and since then has continued to obtain certifications for its various sites and activities in accordance with several international standards. Today, our Group stands out as the Moroccan industrial operator with one of the highest numbers of certifications, covering several sites and standards.