Translations

CHICORÉE LEROUX fosters strong relationships with its suppliers from the North of France

5. Fair Operating Practices

Responsible purchasing

Sector Food-processing

Year 2013

Country France

Transmitter

Context

The Chicorée Leroux company, French specialist in chicory, plays an important role on its market, both in France and abroad. The company is established in the Nord-Pas de Calais region since 1858, and counts 180 employees today. The generations which followed one another ensure the long-term viability of the company thanks to an unfailing spirit of initiative coupled with a permanent concern for innovation.

From the “seed to the cup”, Chicorée Leroux favors its territorial rooting in the Nord-Pas de Calais region. The Leroux Développement association, which owns the company, aims to defend local employment, the brandname and the production tool of Chicorée Leroux, for the sake of independence.

Objectives

To maintain a partnership with the 250 farmers who are loyal to Leroux
To favor local supply
To avoid unnecessary transport

APPROACH

Chicorée Leroux historically shops locally at 250 planters. Chicory root is mainly grown in the North of France thanks to a perfectly adapted soil: 80% in the Flandre Maritime province, 10% in the Pévèle area and 10% in the Somme département. The fields are located between the towns of Calais, Dunkirk and Saint-Omer. Only an extra supply in India is sometimes necessary, for instance in the case of bad weather in France.

100% of Chicorée Leroux products are locally processed, on two production sites:

- The Vieille Église site: drying of 80,000 metric tons of chicory root, washing and cutting into thin slices called “cossettes”

- The Orchies site: roasting, grinding, spray-drying and lastly, packaging of chicory.

Most of the 180 employees on the Orchies site are local people. Indeed, the company participates in forums of local recruitment. Moreover, it subcontracts its marketing studies to companies from Lille.

Thus, the company favors local supply for better responsiveness and less transport-caused pollution. This is made possible thanks to:

- the loyalty of farmers who are Chicorée Leroux's partners for more than 150 years.

- the existence of a moral contract between the company and its suppliers, in which Chicorée Leroux is committed not to buy at a too low price and farmers not to sell at a too high price.