WelcomeSustainabilityCategory overviewLevelling the 昀椀eldDespite the progress of recent decades in addressing socialinequalities, society still has a long way to go before the 昀椀eldis levelled. So does the food and drink industry: between 2009and 2019, 42% of venture capital funding in the sector went to昀椀rms founded by people from “elite educational backgrounds”– just 2.3% went to all-female teams and only 0.3% went toBlack-owned start-ups.13The industry is helping to redress the balance. Sainsbury’s,for example, is running the Thrive with Sainsbury’s incubatorscheme, which offers funding, support and mentorship forBlack-led food and drink businesses. In February 2023, itannounced the 昀椀rst three businesses to have won a listing atthe retailer as part of the scheme.14Further examples from the past year include Deliverooand its restaurant partners’ campaign with charity, AlbertKennedy Trust to support vulnerable LGBTQIA+ people facinghomelessness, Lidl’s sponsorship of Birmingham Pride 2023(complete with a Lidl Pride bus on which staff members rode)and Ocado’s decision to join the Career Accelerator LGBTQIA+business mentoring programme.15At Britvic, we believe we all have a part to play in makingthe world a more equal and inclusive place. And not justbecause it’s the right thing to do; by ensuring people fromall backgrounds and of all points of view are included in allaspects of life, we all stand to bene昀椀t.Our work with the National Autistic Society to supportthe launch of Robinsons Fruit Shoot’s easier to recyclesports caps in 2024 is also pertinent. We developedvideos, storyboards and online materials with the NationalAutistic Society to help neurodivergent children andtheir families manage the transition to the new cap. Wetargeted autism-related media, parenting publications andin昀氀uencers to explain the changes, raise awareness ofthe challenges faced by those with autism and show howbrands can support this community.The campaign was a huge success, achieving an earnedmedia reach of more than 1.5 million people and a socialmedia reach of 4 million people. Internally, Britvic continuesto develop and expand neurodiversity training and continueits commitment to develop inclusive marketing campaignsthat resonate with diverse consumer groups, including theneurodivergent community.13 The Grocer - https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/saturday-essay/why-is-food-and-drink-innovation-only-accessible-to-the-privileged-few/678675.article14 The Grocer - https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/buying-and-supplying/sainsburys-thrive-scheme-lists-its-昀椀rst-black-founded-brands/676106.article15 The Grocer - https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/marketing/15-ways-supermarkets-and-grocery-are-celebrating-pride-month/679697.article8SUSTaINaBIlITy
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