Inspiring concrete action for CSR change

Food Paradoxa is teaming up with SIAL Paris in 2024 to organise the CSR Summit

Food Paradoxa is a duo of two independent food experts: Diane Leroy and Stéphane Brunerie. Sharing a positive vision, they have created the first workshop-based trend book for companies in the food industry. Drawing on their complementary expertise, they work with food industry players on innovation and marketing issues. They are known for their interactive workshops and conferences on food transition issues and both have over 20 years of experience in the food industry. Diane Leroy has worked for more than 30 French and Global brands on communication, marketing and innovation projects. She is also a Certified Professional Coach and one of the founders of “Elles sont food!”, the community for women working in the food sector. Stéphane Brunerie was Marketing Director for St Michel and Bonne Maman brands and today supports food industry players in marketing and innovation. He also gives conferences, and is the founder of StripFood, a professional media outlet on food transition.

Food Paradoxa is a partner of SIAL Paris’ CSR Summit which will be held on 20 October 2024 at the show. SIAL Paris newsroom spoke with the founding duo about their goals and vision for the summit as well as what they hope the audience will take away with them.

How does your partnership with SIAL Paris fit in with Food Paradoxa’s overall objectives? 

The aim of our SIAL x Food Paradoxa partnership is to design and structure the content of the CSR Summit on Sunday 20 October. It is part of a more global approach to contributing to the dynamics of the food transition by drawing on our positive, committed and inspiring vision of food.

Could you describe that global vision?

When we started working on the subject, we started from the observation that CSR is something that everyone today says they want to get involved in, but in practice it’s not that simple. We’re talking about climate change, food sovereignty, health, obesity and the food divide. The question, and this is really the theme we’ve chosen, is how we can get to grips with these issues and really speed things up. The theme is how to accelerate the CSR dimension.

As we thought about it, we realised that when it comes to CSR issues, there’s a particularly strong tension between what we say we want to do, particularly in opinion polls and surveys, and what we actually do. We wanted to explore these tensions. It’s a subject we know well, it’s at the heart of our thinking and is what led us to create Food Paradoxa. The first trend book we put together is structured around five major societal paradoxes. The paradox between what we say and what we do is particularly true of CSR issues, and understanding this discrepancy is key to moving forward better and faster. The point is to talk about it, to be aware of it, because that’s the first thing, sometimes it shakes things up a bit, to understand it and above all, and find inspiration to move forward. 

What are the main objectives of the CSR Summit and what are the messages you hope the audience will take away from it?
We’ve designed the summit around two ideas. The overall theme is really how to accelerate CSR. The first part of this is to explore and understand the obstacles and difficulties that arise around these issues. The second is to identify the drivers for inspiring innovation around CSR, because innovation isn’t just about product innovation, it can also be about innovation around CSR issues. This is really about understanding the obstacles then inspiring with innovative ideas to move forward with CSR. In terms of messages, what we also want to get across through this summit is that food industry players have a responsibility to work on the major challenges facing the world, which are concentrated in our food supply, and we also want them to be inspired by the opportunities for innovation that exist around CSR. We know that the context is complicated, that it’s not easy when you’re working in companies or organisations, but we’re convinced that it’s by putting a positive spin on things and creating enthusiasm that we can really get there together.  The real message that we want to convey through the content is the positive side. 

What strategies will you put in place to achieve these objectives?

We have two things in mind: firstly, we want to include renowned speakers who really care about these issues. Secondly, we also want participants to leave the event with concrete inspiration and commitments they can make in their professional environments. We want them to be inspired to take action in their organisations. We really believe in this idea of empowerment. 

Why is SIAL Paris such an important event for the food industry?

Its global dimension is very strong.  It’s also a real opportunity for personal encounters and networking, and showcases innovation in a unique way which is important for the industry. SIAL is a must because it also delivers quality content through conferences and now summits, which we are really looking forward to taking part in this year.

The CSR Summit will be part of the SIAL Summits held in Paris during the show in October 2024. For more information, click here.

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