Compliance

Olmix¹ is committed to conducting business in a responsible and ethical way. This charter is an expression of Olmix's desire to integrate ethical behaviour within an approach of mutual respect both inside and outside the Group and is indispensable to the internal cohesiveness of the Group and to its long-term commitment to serve wider society.

This Code of Ethics applies to all Olmix Members² throughout the world. We must all comply with it and ensure that it becomes an integral part of our professional behaviour. The following list is not exhaustive but provides a point of reference for the development of the Group.

Olmix expects its leaders, directors and employees (referred to in this Code as “Olmix Members”) and other persons acting for, or on behalf of, any Olmix Company to:

• follow all legal obligations applicable to the company/country in which they are active; and
• behave in accordance with the principles laid out in this Code of Ethics, Olmix Values, Olmix Leadership Code of Conduct
• and Group policies.

1     RESPECT of People

Respect for people is a fundamental value at Olmix, each individual has a duty to contribute to the cohesion of the company by conducting professional relationships with both managers and colleagues that are open, loyal and respectful to all. 

Olmix supports human rights in line with the stipulations contained within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and we remain committed to upholding these principles through the conduct of our activities throughout the world.

We support the four fundamental principles contained within the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Declaration:

• Effective abolition of child labour
• Elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation
• Elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour
• Freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining.

Olmix will respect freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.

We value all of our people, for their contribution to our business. The relationships with and between them must be respectful, honest, safe and professional.

We recognise achievement and create equal opportunities for all Olmix Members at all levels of our businesses. In dealing with our Members we act in compliance with national and international requirements and laws. 

Olmix promotes diversity and inclusion. Opportunities for advancement will be equal, and not influenced by considerations other than performance and aptitude. Olmix Members are provided with the opportunity to develop their potential and, where appropriate, to develop their careers further within our group of companies.

We do not tolerate discrimination based on age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, disability or any other legally protected status.

All Olmix members must be treated with respect and made feel safe within the workplace. Olmix does not tolerate any form of abuse, harassment or bullying of its people in the course of their engagement. Olmix will investigate any claims of harassment, bullying or other forms of abuse

Health and safety is a natural priority and a core element of all of our activities. As such, we strive to:

• Protect the physical health of all of our members while in the workplace, by seeking to prevent accidents and work related ill health;
• Consult with our Members on matters affecting their health and safety;
• Maintain a safe workplace and equipment/systems across all of our operations and provide information, training and supervision in safe working methods and procedures;
• Ensure that our production sites and offices are comprehensively evaluated and tested and meet applicable legal and regulatory requirements;
• Ensure that emergency procedures are in place in cases of fire or other major incidents and that Olmix Members are properly trained to follow/execute them; and
• Ensure that all Olmix Members report all health and safety related concerns or incidents, including accidents or injuries, to the Group CEO, Group Deputy CEO or Director of the Olmix Company they work for.

For more information on the Groups Health and Safety strategy; see Management engagement letter 2021

2     RESPECT for the LAW

Olmix and its Members must comply with the laws and regulations in every country where they perform their business activities. Members must avoid activities and behaviour that could involve themselves, other employees, their company or the Group in an unlawful activity.

While we cannot ask everyone to be a specialist in the legislation that applies to their professional activity, individual Olmix Members need to acquire sufficient knowledge of the rules of law that are applicable to their activities, regardless of whether the activities are performed in France or abroad.

This basic knowledge will allow them to determine when it is necessary for them to seek counsel from line management, the legal and human resources departments, and possibly from the Group’s external counsels. Strict compliance with the anti-corruption, competition and embargo laws is of utmost importance. The same is true for laws governing respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, labour and employment, health and safety, personal data protection, and protection of the environment, which require particular vigilance.

At Olmix we are resolutely opposed to bribery and corruption regardless of its form.

No Member of the Group may, directly or indirectly, accept or require any bribe or advantage of any kind (gift, invitation, etc.). Olmix must not offer or give any bribes or other advantages, nor agree to any requests for the same.

Sales of the company’s products or services, and purchases of goods or services from suppliers, shall be made solely on the basis of price, quality, performance, value, and for the benefit of Olmix. Business decisions, sales or purchases must never be made as a result of inducements from third parties such as: gifts; money; entertainment; or favours in any other form.

Gifts or entertainment may only be offered to, or accepted from, third parties if they:

• are consistent with usual business practice and applicable laws in the relevant territory;
• are modest in value; and
• cannot be interpreted as a form of inducement.

Olmix has zero tolerance towards the criminal facilitation of tax evasion and we are committed to rejecting the facilitation of tax evasion.

Involvement in facilitation of tax evasion may expose Olmix and the person facilitating the evasion to penalties and criminal prosecution. Tax evasion will also damage our reputation and the confidence of our customers, suppliers and business partners.

Any transactions or import, export and re-export activities must be conducted in full compliance with all applicable import and export control laws, regulations, and policies as well as, governmental trade restrictions and international sanctions

Consequences of violating trade controls can be severe for Olmix and for individuals involved and can result in disciplinary action, substantial fines and/or imprisonment. 

3     RESPECT for the Company

Olmix Members are expected to utilise company assets and facilities with care and frugality and solely for their intended purpose. Appropriation of any Olmix funds or property by its Members for anything other than official company business is strictly prohibited unless prior written authorisation has been granted by the Group CEO, Group Deputy CEO or Director of the Olmix Company they work for or as permitted by Olmix policies.

Olmix Members shall seek to protect Olmix property (whether tangible or intangible) from loss, damage, misuse, theft, fraud, embezzlement or destruction.

Every Olmix Member should seek appropriate legal advice and formal authorisation from their Group CEO, Group Deputy CEO or Director of the Olmix Company they work for before he or she lets others use or have access to Olmix proprietary information. 

All records, accounts and financial statements must be completed in a timely manner and accurately and fairly reflect the nature of the transactions recorded. All records must conform to both the applicable legal and accepted accounting principles and Olmix internal policies.

Olmix Members who are authorised to enter into an agreement for the supply of products or services to Olmix must obtain an appropriate number of bids so as to ensure the best possible quality and quantity of goods and services for the most reasonable price is obtained by the contracting Olmix Company. 

4    RESPECT for the Groups Stakeholders

Olmix values political debate and Olmix Members are free to engage in political activity in their private capacity. However, as a company Olmix does not (directly or indirectly) participate in party politics, nor do we provide financial support to political parties or politicians.

Olmix respects confidentiality. Those duties may arise by law, pursuant to an agreement or because of the relevant circumstances.

Olmix Members must never keep or use non-public information, unless either:

• it is specifically protected by a confidentiality agreement, in which case the terms of the relevant agreement must be observed;
• it has been provided or legally obtained with the intention that it be used by the Olmix Members concerned; or
• it is Olmix proprietary information that they need to know or use.

Olmix Members are expected to ensure immediate destruction or return to its legitimate owner of any physical or electronic piece of information that is not addressed to them or that they do not need to know or use. Wherever possible this will take place before they have even been read or opened.

Olmix Members must avoid forwarding or disclosing confidential information, unless they are duly authorised to do so.

We will not make improper attempts to acquire competitor trade secrets or other confidential information.

Olmix respects the intellectual property rights of third parties. Inappropriate use of others’ intellectual property may expose Olmix and its Members to criminal and civil fines and penalties. Therefore, Olmix Members should seek appropriate legal advice and formal authorisation from their direct supervisors before they solicit, accept or use proprietary information from others. The appropriate licences should be acquired if developing a product or service that uses intellectual property not belonging to Olmix. 

Olmix is committed to treating information with respect and protecting personal data from unauthorised disclosure.

We respect privacy by collecting, using, retaining, sharing and disclosing personal data fairly, transparently, securely and in accordance with legal requirements. We share information on a strict need-to-know basis only. We shall protect information about, or belonging to, our customers, suppliers, Members or our business and, unless strictly necessary for the conduct of our business, we shall not transmit such data outside of the Olmix Company which acquired it or beyond the Members of that Company who absolutely need it to perform their work.

We regard mutual trust and confidence between our company and our customers as very important. We require Olmix Members to strive consistently to deliver high levels of products & service, surpassing customer expectations, and meeting their changing requirements. Olmix Members shall personally commit to offering our customers the highest level of quality of products & services that can be achieved with the technical means and the fees provided by the customer. 

Olmix ensure that all of our suppliers and service are treated fairly and responsibly, in accordance with our agreed terms of trade. All potential suppliers will have a reasonable opportunity to win business with us. We expect that all our suppliers conduct their activities in accordance with the values and principles laid out in this Code of Ethics.

Companies in the Olmix Group aim to compete vigorously with their competitors, but in a fair and ethical way. We strive to ensure that our success is built upon providing excellence and never based on unfair practices such as inappropriately accessing competitors’ confidential information. 

Olmix and its Members shall comply with national and international competition laws and regulations, such as those relating to pricing strategies, market divisions or abuse of dominant position. We will not undertake any arrangements or practices in violation of applicable competition laws. Olmix and its Members will not discuss pricing strategies with competitors, nor undertake any arrangements or practices that may conflict with the laws applicable to the conduct of our business. 

We will not accept details of other competitors’ bids during a tender process, unless such information is lawfully available in the public domain or disclosure is permitted by law.

Olmix Members are responsible for avoiding conflicts between their personal interests and the interests of companies forming the Olmix Group. This includes any situation that could appear to present the potential or risk of a conflict of interest even if such conflict of interest does not actually arise.

A conflict of interest arises when an individual permits the prospect of a personal gain or benefit to improperly influence the manner in which he or she conducts business. Olmix Members must be free of any interest that could adversely influence their judgment, objectivity or loyalty to Olmix. Whenever Olmix Members have, or anticipate, dealings with a business, in which they or a family member or a relative are interested, they need to disclose such dealings to the Group CEO, Group Deputy CEO or Director of the Olmix Company that they work for if they are themselves the leaders or directors of an Olmix Company.

During negotiation of contracts with customers or suppliers, Olmix Members are prohibited from improperly influencing the terms of a contract with the company for the personal gain of one or several Olmix Members or their family or relatives.

5    RESPECT for the Environment

Olmix is committed to making a significant contribution to respecting the environment through the conservative use of resources coupled with the optimization of its production processes in its facilities throughout the world.

Olmix has begun to deploy a strategy to develop an international eco-system of partners – farmers, integrators, and distributors – to grow plants and raise animals in a plan for agro-ecological transition.

Olmix strives to create a range of Animal Care and plant Care products adapted to the diversity of environments therefore helping reduce the use of synthetic chemical inputs.

Olmix also endeavours to disseminate sound and responsible agricultural practices and is working to promote and implement high quality standards and industrial norms that comply with European and international laws.

6    QUERIES

For any questions relating to the application of this code, each employee may contact their line manager, site manager or the Human Resources Department. 

7    WHISTLEBLOWING

For concerns relating to misconduct at work, breaches of this Code of Ethics or other illegal activities within the Olmix Group, Olmix Members are encouraged to raise concerns in the knowledge that their action will be viewed positively and that they will be protected from victimisation which may result from their reporting of these facts.

Actual or suspected criminal offences, failure to comply with legal obligations, serious health and safety risks, modification or falsification of product test results, damage to the environment, financial and procedural irregularities as well as deliberate suppression or concealment of any of these should be reported.

There is also an e-mail address available for employees and other stakeholders: service.ethics@olmix.com. All requests sent to this address will be analysed and dealt with by the Ethics Representative (Group Legal Manager) with all due confidentiality.

These Ethical principles are part of the scope of several international texts of which Olmix shares the principles:

• the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
• the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact
• the core conventions of the International Labor Organization, in particular conventions 29, 105, 138 and 182 (child labor and forced labor), 155 (health and safety of workers), 111 (combating discrimination), 100 (remuneration), 87 and 98 (freedom of association, right to organize and the right to collective bargaining);
• the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child;

the OECD guidelines intended for multinational companies.