Risks and opportunities [GRI 103-1]
Grupo Nutresa promotes among its stakeholders the commitment to building a working environment that values and recognizes human beings as active and essential agents of competitiveness.
Opportunities
- Guaranteeing fairness and inclusion as mechanisms for having diversity-based teams. Thus, the Company has raised the awareness of its employees, especially the leaders, about the contribution of the role of women, and trained the recruitment process leaders in the effective identification and elimination of unintended biases. Additionally, Grupo Nutresa consolidated alliances focused on the attraction of the best and diverse human talent.
- Working jointly to raise awareness and bridge any type of gaps associated with child labor, unsuitable work environments and detriment to the right to freedom of association.
- Continue addressing the COVID-19 pandemic circumstances with the deepest sense of humanity, while thinking about the common good and protecting jobs. Additionally, paying special attention and assisting the employees who are working from home and who could be susceptible to psychosocial illnesses or even in reported cases of domestic violence.
Future outlook and goals for 2030
- Remaining at the forefront of diversity-related and inclusion practices.
- Ensuring the incorporation of global talent and the strengthening of policies that promote gender equality.
- Working on ensuring a greater employment participation of women as a social driver, particularly in executive positions.
- Devoting considerable efforts to include in the work force a greater number of people who would contribute to diversity: people with special capabilities, young people, senior citizens, migrants, among other.
- Enhancing the work with partners from the value chain to make sure that suppliers, contractors and customers also incorporate leading Human Rights practices.
- Continue developing the capabilities of the Company’s leaders through training and empowerment, so that they become the main promoters of a culture that values diversity in all its forms.
- Promoting participation and debate mechanisms among employees, worker organizations and third parties to identify improvement opportunities regarding Human Rights.
- Strengthening the complaint and reporting channels and mechanisms to encourage people to use them and highlight their effectiveness.
- Promoting and strengthening a fluent communication with the stakeholders and the development of capabilities in the communities on which the Organization has an impact, particularly emphasizing the groups affected the most by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Success stories and acknowledgments [GRI 103-3]
- Servicios Nutresa was awarded the Gold Seal in Employment Equity by Equipares
The Ministry of Labor and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP Colombia) acknowledged Servicios Nutresa for its work and commitment to gender equality by having systems in place intended to eliminate existing gaps between men and women in the employment sphere.
- Servicios Nutresa was ranked fifth in the Ranking Par list of best companies in Colombia
The company received this accolade within the category of companies with 201 to 1.000 employees of the ranking organized by the firm Aequales, which measures the progress in terms of gender equality made by the participating companies from Latin America.
- The Ice Cream Business diversified the masculinized position of service ambassadors
The Company hired 30 women for the service ambassador position, which includes the responsibility of delivering the products to customers and collect the money from the sales. This action consolidates women in logistical positions, which have traditionally held by men, and raises awareness among employees and customers regarding the necessary capabilities for performing this role.
[GRI 103-1]
Risk and crisis management
Grupo Nutresa exerts a positive impact on the creation of value for both itself and its stakeholders through the respect and promotion of Human Rights, and by fostering a culture focused on diversity and inclusion. That is why the Organization has a Human Rights management system that monitors any possible emerging risks, implements corrective measures if required and enables access to an adequate remediation. This system has been promoted by the senior management based on a permanent commitment, multiple training activities for leaders and employees, and discussion conferences at all levels of the Company for guaranteeing a solid understanding and an adequate management within the supply chain.
Other tools
- Human Rights Policy.
- Human Rights Management System.
- Matrix of Human Rights risks.
- Matrix of third-party risks.
- Diversity and Inclusion Policy and Diversity and Inclusion Management System.
Five focal points for the actions carried out in 2020
- Strengthening of the environments for active conversation and listening with the stakeholders to maintain a trustworthy and respectful climate.
- Signing of 19 collective agreements with the unions and employee organizations.
- Update of the Human Rights Policy to respond to the existing challenges.
- Creation of a unified international system for the Ethics Hotline as part of the evolution of the complaints mechanisms to enhance the transparency of the process and build trust.
- 20 discussion conferences about Human Rights were held at each one of the Businesses with the participation of 400 employees. [GRI 408-1] [GRI 409-1] [GRI 407-1] (ODS 8.7)
Training and leadership
- Promotion of an inclusive and diverse leadership style based on social awareness. The following are the numbers of people who participated in the Organization training activities [GRI 412-2]:
- 1.686 attendees to the discussion conference titled “Cómo vivir y expresar el valor de la integridad” (How to live and express the value of integrity).
- 3.313 employees attended the discussion panel titled “Transformando miradas – Conversaciones que Fortalecen la Equidad de Género” (Transforming perspectives – Conversations that strengthen the gender equality). 14.188 employees received training related to Human Rights.
- 736 employees participated in the second discussion panel about Women Leadership.
- 71 members of the Cohabitation Committee from 12 Grupo Nutresa companies received training related to mediation processes.
Programs intended to facilitate learning-focused resources
Grupo Nutresa implemented the strategy known as “Obras por impuestos” (works instead of taxes), which is promoted by the Colombian Government. Through this strategy, taxpayers can contribute to the bridging of socioeconomic gaps in the municipalities that have been affected the most by poverty and violence by means of the execution of projects with a positive economic and social impact, thus fostering development in such territories.
- More than COP 19.954 million invested in improvements to the school environments with 81.048 school furniture kits that benefited more than 80.000 students and 2.961 teachers.
- With the “Nutresa Quiere a los Niños” (Nutresa cares for children) Program, the Organization contributed to the improvement of the conditions related to education system access and continuity of more than 10.500 children at the basic primary education level. The contribution consisted in delivering school kits that include basic elements for the development of their academic activities from home, biosecurity elements and an educational booklet that favors the adoption of healthy lifestyles.
- Production of a seven-episode web series for children between the ages of 7 and 11; in 2021, the series is shaping up to be a pedagogical tool for the universal access that could be available with or without internet service with the purpose of facilitating the participation of limited-connectivity school populations.
Supply chain
- 41 employees from 24 partner companies received training related to Human Rights via digital means.
- 41 audits were conducted, resulting in an average compliance rating of 88,9%, allowing the identification of improvement opportunities with the partners and performing collaborative work on the gap-bridging plan.
- Update of the Human Rights risk list, where three of the nine existing risks were rated as priority matters: child labor, unsuitable work environment and violation of the right to freedom of collective association.
Diversity and inclusion
- Development of recruitment programs that promote diverse work environments free of discrimination and harassment.
- Creation of jobs for people affected by the Colombian armed conflict through multi-sector public/private alliances focused on promoting employability and work inclusion.
- 58 employees with special capabilities were hired through alliances that foster the employability of people with intellectual disabilities. These actions have the purpose of creating opportunities, transforming perceptions in the community and promoting dignified jobs.
- Within the framework of its Engagement Model, Grupo Nutresa participated in two Guild Committees on Diversity, Inclusion and Human Rights organized by the National Business Association of Colombia (ANDI) and in five external discussion panels focused on sharing leading practices related to diversity and inclusion.
- Reinforcement of the strategy focused on getting women prepared for leadership positions.
- Adoption of practices that create a gender balance in the recruitment processes and promotion of inclusive language and balanced images in the publications about open positions.
Managing the impact of the pandemic
- Deployment of actions centered on taking care of people’s life without affecting the continuity of the operations through a responsible and proactive risk management exercise.
- Creation of a committee responsible for assessing and monitoring the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic situation with the aim of providing responses in a timely manner with all the necessary protection measures. The following initiatives also stand out:
Medical analyses of the employees to determine their level of vulnerability in relation to COVID-19. The population classified as vulnerable was sent home under a paid leave of absence. These people continued working remotely when it was possible in terms of their job descriptions, and the Company performed frequent follow-up to check in on their health condition.
On another note, the Organization commissioned the creation of a mobile app that could be used to report symptoms and close contact, thus ensuring the traceability of potential cases. Additionally, the Company established protocols for the identification of symptoms, track and trace measures, epidemiological fences and preventive isolation measures. People who tested positive were provided with comprehensive assistance.
Moreover, multiple protection measures were implemented, including the creation of employee transport routes, adaptation of the facilities and delivery of personal protection elements for the employees whose jobs require them to perform tasks in person.
With the purpose of integrating the employees’ families and favoring their protection, Grupo Nutresa implemented strategies for the disseminating, communicating, promoting and raising awareness about self-care measures on a frequently basis.
Addressing the circumstances with the deepest sense of humanity, while thinking about the common good and protecting jobs
Preservation of the jobs of all the employees who, due to the nature of their role, could not fulfill their duties. Some of them were sent home and participated in online training activities, other were assigned functions that could be performed and some other were put on paid leave.
Cooperation with public and private allies centered on contributing to the care of the most vulnerable populations
The Company delivered more than 270.000 food aid packages in Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Central America. In Colombia, the Organization made arrangements to ensure the delivery of resources to enhance the capacity of the intensive care units of multiple hospitals. In addition, Grupo Nutresa put its 3D printers at the disposal of society for manufacturing face shields for the protection of the hospitals’ medical staff. Additionally, the Company made an economic donation for increasing the capacity of the intensive care units and delivered food to the medical staff at hospitals by means of the El Corral food truck.
Through the Cold Cuts and Biscuits Businesses in Panama, Grupo Nutresa contributed USD 50.000 to the virus contention efforts in Panama. This initiative was developed jointly with Banistmo, Argos, Celsia and Sura with the purpose of enhancing the early identification of the patients with the highest probability of facing health complications so that they could be timely treated, preventing the need for hospital assistance. Tresmontes Lucchetti donated PCR supplies in Chile for diagnosing coronavirus with reagents for 1.000 samples.