Already involved in several quality initiatives by obtaining the Global Gap certification and, since 2011, the High Level IFS, Alinéa wishes to go further by establishing a true “CSR policy” (Corporate Social Responsibility) within the company.
“In addition to our commitment to the Nouveaux Champs collective with the ZPR label, we also launched an HEV initiative this year. And in the future, we would like to implement a global CSR policy, which sums up our social, environmental and quality engagements,” explains Marine Doussau, from the quality department of Top’Alliance.
Marine Doussau and Sabine Bouvier
A desire to reduce our environmental footprint
By installing 86,111 square feet of rooftop solar panels and by sorting and reducing waste, the company wants to “make a sustainable commitment for the planet”. An implication that retailers require more and more of their suppliers. “Our clients are very aware of the environmental actions we put in place. Even if these efforts will not all be communicated directly to the consumer, we are required by each to make a specific commitment,” explains Sabine Bouvier, from the sales department of the company.
Parity: an important value
“We have as many women as men working in our offices. Gender parity is an important value for our general director, Hervé Hel.” Although parity is more difficult to achieve at the production level, each application is examined carefully, regardless of gender. “We have, for example, a female packer who was given a chance by our director several years ago. It is a physically demanding position at which she excels. Another one of our female employees has been working in production for about fifteen years, and many women hold positions of responsibility within the company,” explains Sabine.
Ludivine and Dominique, manually packing garlic
Cindy, sorting garlic by hand
Projects led on the social level
“Our director is particularly sensitive to workplace wellness. A work psychologist came to the site some time ago for the production employees as part of a social project. We really strive to improve working conditions for the employees, which is rewarded by a very low rate of absences and leaves.”
The company also wants to take on the role of a societal actor, by creating partnerships with daycares and higher schools, by hiring young people in training, and also working with ESATs (centers providing care through employment). “We run an ESAT in Lautrec. The employees come to work on our site, under working conditions which are adapted to them.”
Moreover, most employees at Alinéa are first-aid rescue workers, a training offered by the company.
About Top’Alliance
Top’Alliance is the commercial branch of Alinéa, a garlic cooperative created in 1960, to become an organization of producers in 1998. The activities of the cooperative are spread over three sites. The company headquarters are located in Beaumont de Lomagne, where most of the products are also packed. The second site in the Tarn is specialized in packaging the garlic of Lautrec, and a third site for storage is located in Lectoure (Gers).
Last year, with 240 member producers, the cooperative marketed 7,000 tons of garlic - its core target - 5,000 tons of onions and 1,200 tons of shallots. “Being a cooperative allows us to have high quality traceability by controlling the entire chain, from the seeds to the production and marketing,” explains Sabine. Because the cooperative also produces seeds and works in collaboration with research organizations such as INRA and Ctifl, and with 45 seed producers giving 600 tons of seeds of 10 different garlic varieties.
For more information:
Hervé Hel
Top'Alliance
ZA de Bordevielle
82 500 Beaumont de Lomagne
Phone: +33 5 63 26 28 00
www.topalliance.com
