More than a raison d'être: a mission. On Monday December 9, 2019, the Groupe Rocher headed by Brice Rocher became the first international group to adopt the status of "company with a mission".
Underpinning this transformative and engaging approach is the raison d'être of the Groupe Rocher:
A pioneering approach, in perfect continuity with the history and founding vision of Yves Rocher in 1959, for a family-owned ETI which today includes 10 brands (including Yves Rocher, Petit Bateau, Arbonne, Dr Pierre Ricaud...) and achieves annual sales of almost 3 billion euros.
"Convinced through Monsieur Yves Rocher's personal experience that Nature has a positive impact on people's well-being and therefore on their desire to act for the planet, the company's Raison d'être is to ReconnectPeople to Nature.
This Raison d'Être is embodied in experiences, services and products that bring well-being, thanks to the benefits of nature.
"A raison d'être that echoes both Yves Rocher's initiatory moment of reconnection with nature at the age of 14, and a very specific contemporary challenge: the extinction of the experience of nature, in a world that is increasingly urban, digitalized and confronted with the collapse of biodiversity as well as the climate challenge.
"As assets and proof of its long-term commitment to this subject, the company claims a family business model with the ambition of developing a sustainable ecosystem that combines wealth creation, frugal innovation and humanist ecology.
"Drawing on its botanical, agronomic and scientific experience and the unique model created at La Gacilly in Brittany, the local cradle of the Groupe Rocher, the latter cultivates a direct link with its communities and territories."
Groupe Rocher
A mission statement in the Groupe Rocher bylaws
Groupe Rocher's mission, " Reconnect people to nature ", has been part of the company's DNA since its inception: the fundamental conviction that nature has a positive impact on the well-being of people and communities has permeated the company's culture, value creation model, products and commitments from the outset.
The raison d'être of the Rocher Group is perfectly aligned with the history of the company and its founder, Yves Rocher. Born in La Gacilly, Morbihan, the founder of France's favorite beauty brand grew up in the heart of the Breton moors, close to the knowledge of the region's healers and phytotherapists, like his godfather Dr. Pierre Ricaud.
Having spent two years in nature between the ages of 14 and 16, Yves Rocher set up his company at an early age, convinced of the benefits of nature for women's beauty and well-being. He defended organic farming and invented Cosmétique Végétale: an approach to cosmetics that enables all women to benefit from natural plant-based skincare.
It was in La Gacilly that he created his production site and botanical garden. Today, La Gacilly is home to a museum and a Photography Festival that questions our relationship with the world and nature.
Concrete actions for an engaging mission
As stipulated inArticle L210-10 of the French Commercial Code, companies wishing to become a "société à mission" can do so, provided they include in their articles of association their raison d'être and one or more social and environmental objectives, set up a mission committee to monitor the execution of the mission, and appoint an independent third-party organization to verify that the objectives are being met. Groupe Rocher has progressively implemented this committing approach.
The following social and environmental objectives have been set in the company's bylaws, and their implementation is now monitored by the Mission Committee and verified by an independent third-party organization:
- Promoting the link between communities and nature
- Promoting biodiversity on its territories
- Developing frugal innovation and responsible consumption initiatives
- Making La Gacilly the emblem of a virtuous ecosystem
- Providing wellness experiences thanks to the benefits of nature.
These commitments, which create value for the company and its stakeholders, are supported by a number of concrete, innovative initiatives. For example, Groupe Rocher has launched a "Reconnect to Nature" barometer to measure the quality, modalities, frequency and effects on well-being of the link with nature in several countries around the world.
Another initiative is the creation of a "Nature Academy" to train all Group employees on the subject - the first class was trained in early 2021. Finally, the Yves Rocher Foundation celebrated its 100 millionth tree planted in 2020. At the same time, all our brands are currently working to define their unique raison d'être and clarify their contribution to that of the Group.
Groupe Rocher is one of the companies involved in the " Engagés pour la nature" initiative, supported by the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB).
