Field to fork

When Xavier Unkovic was approached to take on the role of CEO at plant-based food solutions company Bonduelle in 2023, the decision couldn’t have been easier.

“For me, the reason why I wake up every morning and do my work with a great deal of passion and energy is because my personal mission aligns with the company mission: ‘to encourage more people to eat high-quality nutritious and healthy products,’” he tells The CEO Magazine.

“I personally eat plant-rich food. I love flexitarians because I believe every day you have the choice to make a difference in the world by the food you eat, and if the food tastes good and the food does good, it’s a very energizing proposition. So this is why when I was invited to join, I didn’t take much time to reflect.”

Since its inception in 1853, family-run Bonduelle has spanned seven generations, always driven by its overarching mission to encourage more people to eat high-quality, healthy produce.

Today, it has a truly global presence. With revenue reaching US$2.69 billion between 2022 and 2023, the company’s produce is grown on 69,000 hectares of farming land worldwide in partnership with 2,080 farmers and a total of 10,400 employees across three continents.

While business may be booming, Unkovic explains that Bonduelle needs to invest in marketing and communications to better inform as many people as possible about the benefits of a plant-based diet.

“Our positive impact is essential,” he explains. “Because this is all about being a family-owned company, looking long-term. It’s not just about business, it’s about sustainable growth. We’ve been around for 170 years – it’s not a short-term fix, it’s the continuation of this beautiful legacy.”

Quality produce

Across four brands – Bonduelle, Cassegrain, Globus and Ready Pac Bistro – the business works closely with farmers to produce vegetables and pulses, which are then packaged as canned, fresh or frozen.

Presented either naturally or as a ready-to-eat meal, the Bonduelle products are designed to serve two separate markets: retail consumers and the professional food service industry.

“I think what sets us apart from our competitors is our passion for everything we do when it comes to the legacy of our business, the quality, and time and energy we spend to come up with the highest-quality, tasty food,” Unkovic says.

“Our produce set us apart, to be perfectly honest, because it’s not just about how we make it, it’s how we start from the field to the fork. The entire food experience, I don’t think anybody can compete with us when it comes to offering all-year-round vegetables and pulses to consumers.”

Working with farmers

Quality is one aspect that Bonduelle simply will not compromise on. And through integral partnerships with farmers, the company is able to ensure the highest level across all of its vegetables.

“We’re very selective – we are working with our farmers on regenerative agriculture, we have products that do not contain pesticides and we’re offering the choice to consumers,” Unkovic reveals.

“We’re very lucky to have an amazing relationship with our farmers; we’re very lucky to have them working with us on how to enhance the agricultural practices. And due to this unique relationship we have developed over time, there’s a trust factor that comes into play.

“They’re in the same movement as us because they understand what’s good for them. It’s good for the planet. It’s good for the wallet.”

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“Bonduelle has been one of our most valued customers for many years. Our relationship, based on trust and transparency, drives us to be innovative and agile. Together, we are pioneers in decarbonization, integrating solutions such as power purchase agreements and the electrification of industrial processes. This collaboration demonstrates our determination to succeed together in the challenge of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.” – Jean-Bernard Terrier, EDF Commercial Director Hauts-de-France and Normandy, EDF

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Sixty percent of Bonduelle’s farmers are already engaged in regenerative agriculture practices, with the aim for more to make this transition in the future. And given that 88 percent of the farmers renew their contracts each year, it’s clear that the relationship is mutually thriving.

“We’re intertwined when it comes to our farmer partners,” Unkovic says. “It’s an ecosystem – every farmer is important.”

A global footprint and innovation

In the same way, other suppliers, such as energy provider EDF France, are integral cogs that are part of the Bonduelle machine, which enables it to flourish in the international market.

“We are the only global plant-rich company,” Unkovic adds. “There are local companies, but nobody operates today in a hundred different counties, which allows us really to understand perfectly new consumer trends and to be able to innovate faster.”

By next year, Bonduelle – which is currently at 80 percent – will be 100 percent B Corp certified, a monumental achievement for the brand and one that Unkovic sees influencing buyers in their decision-making, too.

“I don’t think there’s any other company in our field that has the positive impact that we do,” he enthuses. “Nobody else is B Corp and I hope sincerely that consumers will value this massively because we have this social and environmental aspect that is quite significant.”

As to what the next chapter of Bonduelle’s already extensive legacy will look like, Unkovic sees the company growing ever closer to its customers, with a renewed focus on innovation.

“It’s about reconnecting with consumers, understanding how we can be even more relevant,” he says. “The company has very strong foundations from its family ownership to the brands to the buyer trends – we have those powerful assets, but have to evolve in a global environment that becomes more and more challenging economically and geopolitically.

“It’s all about adapting to this new world – a world that is asking us to be more agile, bold and leaner, which is beautiful, because this is reinforcing our commitment and vision to deploy a sustainable business model.”