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Lesaffre is celebrating its 170th anniversary. But, as with any living being, its past has only one meaning: to enable it to build its future.

 

These 170 years represent a milestone where all of us can come together – employees and partners – to celebrate past achievements and look forward to the years ahead. That future will be based on three pillars: our successes, our commitment to the planet and, of course, all of us. Because our task is to grow, so that we can fulfil our mission : Working together to better nourish and protect the planet.

Our company was built around the friendship between Louis Lesaffre and Louis Bonduelle. In 1853, the two men launched the company´s first grain alcohol and Dutch gin plant in Marquette-lez-Lille in northern France. They later acquired their first mill in Marcq-en-Baroeul.

From that site grew Société Industrielle Lesaffre, which gradually proved to be the driving force behind the group´s industrial and commercial boom in yeast.

As with any living being, our past has only one meaning; to enable it to build our future.

 

170 years is an opportunity to take stock, with everyone who has been with us on our journey. But above all, it´s an opportunity to look ahead, to identify – perhaps even to imagine – how we will continue to fulfil our mission; Working together to better nourish and protect the planet.

A key global player in fermentation for more than a century, Lesaffre, with a 2,2 billion euro turnover, and established on all continents, counts 10,700 employees and more than 85 nationalities. On the strength of this experience and diversity, we work with customers, partners and researchers to find ever more relevant answers to the needs of food, health, naturalness and respect for our environment. Thus, every day, we explore and reveal the infinite potential of microorganisms.

 

To nourish 9 billion people, in a healthy way, in 2050 by making the most of our planet’s resources is a major and unprecedented issue. We believe that fermentation is one of the most promising answers to this challenge.

 

In 2010, Lesaffre Nordic was formed, offering our five Nordic countries yeast, active sourdough and baking improvers. We are small organization and located in Gothenburg with office and Baking CenterTM.

 

More on  www.lesaffre.com

Lesaffre Activities

Yeasts & baking solutions

Food taste & pleasure

Health care

Biotechnologies

Yeasts & baking solutions


Our mastery of the fermentation process is illustrated by our lines of yeasts and baking solutions, and also in the form of technologies and services dedicated to professionals along the value chain. Not to mention the technical support provided by our network of Baking Center™.

Food taste & pleasure

Organic yeasts also have a key role to play in the world of taste and pleasure in food.
Lesaffre innovates by developing natural flavor molecules, yeast extracts that optimize nutritional, sensory and taste qualities, and alcohol fermentation solutions for makers of beers, wines and spirits.

• Biospringer
• Fermentis
• Ennolys

Health care

Lesaffre has always been intent on serving the well-being of living things and helping to better feed and care for the global population, while protecting the environment.
Human health and nutrition, animal health and nutrition, and plant nutrition are all strategic development areas for our group.

• Agrauxine
• Phileo
• Gnosis by Lesaffre

Biotechnologies

In the field of biotechnologies, Lesaffre develops efficient cellular nutrients reserved for the creation of new molecules to benefit humans and animals.
In parallel, our group also helps to create yeast strains that are conducive to the development of 1st and 2nd generation bioethanol. In the interest of promoting a sustainable economy, our group is equally active alongside biosourced chemistry industries.

• Procelys
• Leaf
• LIS

Lesaffre CSR strategy: daily challenges and commitments

Protecting the planet together


The environment accounts for 15% of our industrial spending and, each time we build a new factory, we dedicate 20% to 30% of our investments to environmental protection. Using recycling and co-product development in production, optimizing water consumption and encouraging energy savings are all actions that contribute to the preservation of our ecosystem. In the interest of respectfully integrating our business with the environment, Lesaffre employs scientific experts in developing by-products and reprocessing effluents.

Working to grow human capital

Since its creation, Lesaffre has understood that its people are the lynchpin of its success and has been committed to fostering respect and fulfillment among its employees, throughout their time at the company. As a result, experience-sharing, dialogue, diversity and the encouragement of initiative are all characteristics of the group. And at our subsidiaries in China, Morocco, Argentina and elsewhere, Lesaffre again distinguishes itself through the many field initiatives that aim to improve the local populations’ standards of living. Lastly, our ethics strategy is an integral part of our culture, today taking the form of a behavioral charter that was the result of collective discussions and our responsible practice beliefs.

Sharing and promoting our good practices

In a fast-changing environment, Lesaffre needs to maintain its high ambitions and improve its sustainability actions on a daily basis. With this in mind, each of our 9,500 employees proactively share their good environmental, social and economic practices, particularly during our internal Corporate Social Responsibility Awards, held every other year. More than 50 long-term initiatives can testify to Lesaffre’s commitment to living our shared motto: “Working together to better nourish and protect the planet.”

Lesaffre Values

Innovation

 

Ongoing, collaborative innovation

 

At Lesaffre, R&D is a key driver of our group’s success. Preparing for the future means adopting a proactive, collaborative, responsible attitude towards innovation, with full awareness of the stakes and real needs out in the field.

Proximity

 

Close proximity to our clients

 

With our products currently sold in 180 countries, now more than ever we want to remain our clients’ local partner, wherever they may be.

Transfer

 

Passing on knowledge to ensure a sustainable future

 

Since 1853, thousands of men and women have been building Lesaffre, each time passing on their expertise and passion for their work.