Validating Ricola’s Sustainability Strategy and Enhancing Global Credibility
Ricola is one of Switzerland’s most iconic herbal brands, known globally for its natural cough drops and herbal specialties. As a family-owned company with a long tradition of responsibility, Ricola is committed to embedding sustainability into every part of its business, from farming practices to packaging innovation.
In 2023-2024, Adelie partnered with Ricola to conduct their Double Materiality Assessment and to develop their combined Sustainability Report, ensuring alignment with evolving reporting standards and growing stakeholder expectations.
Explore the 2023/2024 Ricola Sustainability Report.
“Adelie helped us validate our sustainability strategy which is tailored towards meaningful impact. They have been an amazing partner, supporting us to progress as a company and maintaining focus on what really matters.”
Jenny Kunz, Head of Sustainability, Ricola
KEY INFO
Services: Double Materiality Assessment, Sustainability Report
Industry: Food & Beverage
Company Size & Location: Mid-sized, Switzerland
The Challenge
Ricola is widely considered a sustainability frontrunner, leading the way in ethical sourcing and agricultural principles. Their strong track record includes achieving B Corp certification, sourcing sustainable sugar through IP Suisse, and SBTi target alignment.
The challenge for Ricola was to formally validate their future strategic direction and consolidate their achievements through their sustainability report. They were looking for a reliable partner, specifically a B Corp certified consultancy, who would understand their values and deliver on their expectations.
Ricola approached Adelie to close two critical gaps:
Update their sustainability strategy by conducting a Double Materiality Assessment (DMA) and identifying the most material topics for key stakeholders across social, environmental, and governance areas.
Translate their comprehensive sustainability strategy and key achievements into a clear, approachable, and engaging narrative.
Our Approach
Part 1: Double Materiality Assessment (DMA)
We started by mapping Ricola’s supply chain and interviewing key stakeholders. This included key suppliers, manufacturing partners, and consumers, as well as internal operations and other internal teams, We even visited the local herb farmers to make sure their voice was heard.
Once all the data was collected, we evaluated and scored the topics against EFRAG’s guidance for assessing impacts, risks and opportunities (IROs). This process provided clarity on key focus areas such as agriculture, circularity, climate, as well as traceability and working conditions along the supply chain. Ultimately, the DMA validated Ricola’s existing strategy and created a clear direction for the future.
The Ricola Sustainability Strategy and Double Materiality Matrix
Part 2: Sustainability Report
Following the assessment, we project-managed the Sustainability Report creation, acting as the critical link between data, narrative, and design. We collected data from various teams through interviews, identifying sustainability achievements and key performance metrics to report on. Our copywriter converted this diverse source of information into engaging content, which was merged with the graphic design team to produce a visually engaging document. The main goal was to communicate the company’s key achievements and sustainability initiatives, while ensuring that the report communicated Ricola’s values and adhered to GRI standards.
You can read the full sustainability report here.
The Impact
Validated Strategy: The Double Materiality Assessment confirmed that Ricola's overall strategy was sound while reinforcing the need to focus more on areas like value chain impacts and human rights, securing their strategic confidence for the future. It also ensured that the perspectives of a diverse set of internal and external stakeholders are considered in Ricola’s future strategy.
Engaging, Credible & Authentic Report: Ricola’s final Sustainability Report was a combined document that perfectly captured their values, achievements, and future goals. It was both visually engaging and built for credibility, honouring the approachable and honest tone of the brand while aligning seamlessly with GRI standards. This made it easy to understand for the general public, investors, and all key stakeholders.
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