Over the several weeks that Paris will host the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer, Sodexo will prepare and serve up to 40,000 meals a day to 15,000 athletes, their fans, and organizing committee staffers at 22 venues in and around the city. Catering an event on that level is quite a challenge. But so is the one the company has set for itself around sustainability. As one of the world’s largest food-services companies—managing dining options at hospitals, schools, office buildings, and much more in 45 countries around the world—Sodexo has been spearheading a push toward more-sustainable consumption, and it intends to take that ethos to the Olympics. Ingredients will be sourced from eco-friendly suppliers and, where possible, local ones. Waste will be kept to a minimum. And as part of an ongoing effort to shift eating habits away from resource-intensive choices, menus will emphasize delicious plant-based dishes. The company has become a market maker in sustainability—not just to improve the efficiency and productivity of its value chain and ensure financial success, but also for the benefit of society at large.
Over the several weeks during which Paris will host the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer, Sodexo will prepare and serve up to 40,000 meals a day to 15,000 athletes, their fans, and organizing committee staffers at 22 venues in and near the city. Catering an event on that level is clearly quite a challenge. But so is the one we have set for ourselves around sustainability.