Towards new company models?

There are two forms of corporate commitment within the food system: the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). While these two movements have developed independently of each other, at present both are contributing to the transformation of food systems. Among the many actors able to influence the sustainability of food systems, businesses have a key role to play. Their ways of doing so are as diverse as the companies themselves, which differ in both their functions (production, processing, distribution, services etc.) and their profiles (status, size, mission, geographical location, mode of governance etc.). The question then becomes how much room for manoeuvre these companies have, what their motivations are and which concomitant forms of commitment to food system sustainability exist (Marais, 2014). The economic, social and environmental responsibility approaches of companies operating in the food system follow two main routes: the social solidarity economy (SSE) and corporate social responsibility (CSR). This chapter looks at the benefits and limitations of these two frameworks and discusses the opportunities afforded by their articulation.