Reflections on Earth Day—and the Imperative to Act Sustainably

It’s been more than 50 years since the first Earth Day celebration, and its global call to action has had the far-reaching impact it imagined. The environmental issues that inspired the movement’s early days are certainly still present, but businesses and individuals have made progress over the decades, with millions using their shared experiences and vision to create a healthier, more sustainable world. Earth Day offers us the opportunity to acknowledge the overwhelming work we still need to do to protect our planet’s precious resources and, at the same time, celebrate our progress and set priorities for the future.

As one of the largest food service companies in the world, Sodexo’s ambition is to be the world leader in sustainable food and valued experiences at every moment in life: learn, work, heal and play. We want to have a positive impact on the planet, and sustainability underlies our strategy. From responsibly sourcing ingredients and expanding our plant-based and healthy menu choices to developing recipes with zero waste, every day our teams are taking tangible actions to make sustainable choices available to our clients and guests.

Earth Day’s message resonates with the guests we serve in our restaurants, with insights showing that 74 percent of consumers believe companies should be investing in sustainability (Innova). Sodexo is focused on creating new plant-based dishes to meet consumer demand and contribute to our wider net-zero goals. We’re exploring nutritious aquatic food, such as bivalves, small pelagic fish and algae, as new protein sources, and we’re integrating nutrition with social responsibility across our global business.

Through Sodexo’s Future Food Collective, we have embedded sustainability into our operations, forming alliances and relationships with organizations and individuals that share our vision and goals and help us bring innovation to our guests. In a world where innovation is endless, Sodexo chefs and teams are leading the way in creating food and experiences in the most environmentally friendly way possible, increasing our plant-based menu options, innovating with Future 50 ingredients, growing food indoors and on-site and also reducing waste in our kitchens. By understanding and honoring our relationship with the planet, we can see how connected planetary health is to human health and well-being.

In 2022, we partnered with Quorn Professionals to roll out Carbono Cero in the United Kingdom, the world’s first carbon-neutral solution for contract catering, and we’ve now expanded into more countries with a wider plant-based menu to highlight food trends and whole foods. Our global brand Kitchen Works Co. is using root-to-stem recipes to craft new dishes that feature fresh, seasonal and low-waste ingredients to support our guests’ wellness journeys while also reducing our carbon footprint. And speaking of waste-reduction efforts, our Waste in Mind program for managers and culinary teams enhances the way our teams purchase, prep, cook and dispose of the food we use on-site, all while supporting the necessary creativity and innovation we need to excite the guests in our restaurants and retail spaces.

This month, we’re launching our second annual Global Sustainable Chef Challenge. It’s a thrilling competition for Sodexo chefs, allowing them to showcase their passion for creating dishes that feature low-carbon ingredients, illustrating the power of food in driving a more sustainable future. The finalists in last year’s competition are fostering a culture of environmental responsibility in their individual kitchens and have inspired menu sustainability worldwide.

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Founded as a day of education about environmental issues, Earth Day is a year-round mindset for Sodexo, compelling us to mitigate the impact we have on the earth’s resources by thinking and acting sustainably each and every day.

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Alexandra Serizay 索迪斯 Patrick Sochnikoff Nicholas Hamilton Lloyd Mann John Corlett