Translations

MCCAIN involved in social entrepreneurship

7. Community involvement

Skills and technology transfer

Sector Food-processing

Year 2015

Country France

Transmitter

Context

McCain is a Canadian company founded in 1957, and well established in Europe since the 1960s. The company's CSR policy is implemented through its 5 “Be Good Do Good” pillars: Good Agriculture, Good Production, Good Food, Good Company and Good Partner. McCain has been involved in Social Business for several years now, and contributes to developing projects co-created with members of the value chain in order to improve quality of life for the communities where it operates.

Every year, McCain processes over 5 million tons of potatoes into French fries and related products in its 7 European factories, 4 of which are in northern France.

Objectives

Directing social initiatives in collaboration with individuals and/or civil society in view of effecting lasting improvements to the quality of life of vulnerable communities.
Supporting “sustainable agriculture” through a coaching program for farmers in continental Europe.
Going beyond a charity model to a shared value model, creating both social and economic value through new profitable, sustainable and therefore reproducible partnership models.

APPROACH

Both in France and abroad, McCain is involved in social entrepreneurship.

In Colombia, the "Campo Vivo" Social Business, co-created with Professor Muhammad Yunus's team (Nobel Peace Prize 2006 and founder of the Grameen Bank) benefits underprivileged families of small Columbian producers. It gives these producers direct assistance in terms of agricultural best practices, in technical areas and at an entrepreneurial level, while creating communities and a social link within the community.

The long-term contracts providing fair pay for the work supplied offer a stable income and a better life for these families.

McCain is responsible for co-creating the Nord de France Social Business project in the Nord Pas-de-Calais region of France, aiming to foster a local ecosystem that will raise awareness and facilitate training, financing and incubation of new Social Businesses.
Example of BON et Bien

McCain is also involved in Greece, by supporting underprivileged potato farmers, together with the number 1 Greek distributor Alpha Beta. They share their technology, provide quality potato plants, teach sustainable agricultural production techniques, and facilitate market access.

In 2012, McCain joined Ashoka in supporting social entrepreneurs.

For example, they are partners of the French Roule ma Frite project that was created on the Île d'Oléron and copied in Lille Metropole. The idea behind this project was to gather used frying oil from restaurants so as to turn it into biofuel. This biofuel is then used for social mobility projects and in public transportation for local communities.

CONTRIBUTION TO COMPANY PERFORMANCE

Good brand image in the countries where McCain operates, which contributes to sales.
80% of McCain employees understand the meaning of Be Good Do Good and are proud of it, and 5% of the employees are personally involved and contribute to social and environmental progress at McCain.

Benefits

Colombia: First harvest in 2015. 20 families helped and 20 more are being selected.
Quality of life improvement for underprivileged rural families through know-how transmission