Corporate governance is increasingly expected to incorporate sustainability goals—economic, social, and environmental—that go beyond financial performance alone. In sectors such as agri-food, where the connection to the local community and its people is central to corporate value, how does this expansion of responsibility translate into practice in corporate governance models?
I am convinced that the agri-food sector is precisely one of the areas where this evolution in governance finds the greatest scope and the most concrete means of implementation. Unlike many other sectors—from mechanical engineering to ICT—here the contribution of natural resources and people is directly measurable. The use of land, water, and forest resources—along with livestock and crop production processes, right through to the production of consumer goods—are factors in constant interaction with the external environment. And despite technological advancements and the emerging world of artificial intelligence, human resources remain an indispensable element throughout the entire supply chain, starting with the primary sector.
These factors place a particularly heavy responsibility on companies in the sector to pursue overall sustainability—consider the often unfounded controversies surrounding livestock farming—but they also allow those who address the issue properly to convey a strong and distinctive message to the market and all stakeholders involved. A company leadership that incorporates these new elements into its management tools—business plan, budget, reporting—and is able to account for them at both the operational and strategic levels lays the foundation for solid and lasting success.
With a view to the growth of the supply chain, how much weight does a company’s ability to attract, train, and retain talent—including those in roles that are not strictly managerial—carry today in assessing the strength of its governance model? Is there a way to make this human capital measurable and recognizable to external stakeholders as well?
The world of work is undergoing significant change. First the pandemic, and now artificial intelligence, are redefining the environment in which HR professionals operate every day. Administrative personnel management is no longer enough: we need HR professionals with skills ranging from processes to technologies to coaching.
