In our first year of EcoVadis assessment, we have achieved the EcoVadis Silver recognition. This means that Bayo ranks in the top 15% of companies evaluated globally for sustainability performance.
This is not a symbolic milestone. It is the result of a rigorous analysis process that scrutinized our environmental, ethical, social, and procurement practices.
For those unfamiliar with it, EcoVadis is one of the leading international rating systems for corporate sustainability, used by over 100,000 companies and recognized globally by customers, distributors, and supply chain partners as a benchmark for evaluating a supplier’s ESG reliability.
What is the EcoVadis rating and why is it relevant to the food industry?
EcoVadis evaluates companies across four areas: environment, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. This is not a self-certification: the system analyzes documents, corporate policies, operational practices, and concrete results, comparing performance against all other companies evaluated worldwide over the last 12 months.
Medals are awarded on a percentile basis: Platinum for the top 1%, Gold for the top 5%, Silver for the top 15%, and Bronze for the top 35%. Achieving Silver on the first attempt means having demonstrated a sustainability management system that is already structured and documented.
In the food sector, the EcoVadis rating is increasingly being requested by large retailers and industrial groups as a supplier qualification criterion.
For companies operating in the flavorings, colorants, and ingredients supply chain, having a verified EcoVadis rating is no longer an optional extra: it is a requirement that influences purchasing decisions.
What was evaluated: the four assessment areas
Undergoing an EcoVadis assessment means opening the company to an external analysis of how we work, not just what we declare. Here are the four areas on which we were evaluated.
Environment. Energy and water consumption of the plant, CO₂ equivalent emissions, waste management, and the impact of processing. For Bayo, which produces in Concorezzo, the evaluation covered the entire cycle from raw material to finished product. Investments in more efficient technologies and structured consumption monitoring contributed significantly to the score in this area.
Labor and human rights. Working conditions, health and safety, staff training, and non-discrimination policies. For a third-generation family business, these aspects are not just written policies for an audit, but the way people work every day.
Ethics. Anti-corruption, fair business practices, data protection, and transparent governance. For Bayo, this translates into a commercial approach based on clarity, complete documentation, and fulfillment of commitments—principles that our customers already experience in our daily work.
Sustainable procurement. Supplier selection and management, along with environmental and social criteria in the supply chain, guide Bayo in selecting partners committed to sustainability.
Silver in the first year: what it means in practice
Being evaluated for the first time and achieving Silver is not the norm. EcoVadis uses a percentile system: the score does not depend on a fixed threshold, but on a comparison with all companies evaluated globally over the last twelve months. The threshold for Silver is progressively rising as more companies improve their practices.
For Bayo, this result confirms that the work done over the years was not just good operational practice: it was already a structured sustainability system, even before it was measured externally.
What changes for those working with Bayo
For customers and partners already working with us, the EcoVadis Silver rating is an independent confirmation of what they know from daily practice: a supplier with a controlled supply chain, documented processes, certifications, and a concrete focus on people and the environment.
For those evaluating us for the first time, it is an additional objective element. In a market where supply chain sustainability is becoming a supplier selection criterion, having an EcoVadis Silver rating means being able to respond with verified data rather than just statements.
The EcoVadis medal joins our ISO 9001 and FSSC 22000 certifications and completes the documentation available to those who need to qualify Bayo as a reliable supplier in every respect: quality, food safety, and sustainability.
A starting point, not a destination
We say this without rhetoric: Silver is not the end of the journey. It is the first assessment, and that is precisely the point. Undergoing an EcoVadis evaluation means agreeing to be measured, identifying areas for improvement, and committing to doing so.
For us, sustainability is not a statement. It is a continuous process, just like quality. It is measured, documented, and improved. This is the same approach we apply every day in the production of our products, flavorings, colorants, and ingredients: method, control, and verifiable results.
The goal is clear. To continue with the same determination, strengthen our practices, and aim higher. Using the same method with which we have been working since 1946.