The group's personnel has increased by 12% to reach 5,438 permanent employees at the end of June 2003.

This increase is essentially the result of the arrival of 168 employees in Bekescsaba in January 2003 and 369 employees from Caugant in March 2003. Taking into account the increase in seasonal employees during the harvest periods, the equivalent full-time workforce is 7,070.

Growth will happen through the personal fulfilment of each and every employee. This belief, which is shared throughout the group and can be seen throughout its history, has guided all the group's actions.

Over recent years, numerous events have greatly affected the group's teams, notably acquisitions and organisational changes. Initiatives aimed at improving working conditions, safety in the workplace, the organisation of working hours, the setting up of profit-sharing incentive schemes, procedures aimed at strengthening the sense of involvement in the group and its results.

In order to regularly assess the employees' perception of their working environment, a barometer has been established with the help of Ifop. The results collected in 2002/2003 were particularly encouraging: 95% of employees are proud to be part of the Bonduelle Group and 89% feel well in their work.

The quality of the answers given by the 1,000 employees questioned is both encouraging and crucial in deciding the priority of actions to be undertaken.

The Institut Pierre et Benoît Bonduelle, the group's internal university, was created at the start of the 2002/2003 financial year.

Its main missions are to  :

• develop specific expertise within the group, by setting up training courses for example for the activity of crimper, one of our basic activities, and by launching a marketing course, combining specific expertise for the vegetable market and benefits provided to consumers ;
• strengthen joint culture through discovery courses for new management recruits, as well as spread the awareness of values within the group, and put them into practice in daily activities and relations

During the financial year, in France, over 100 PRP agreements (progressive early retirements) were established, thereby enabling elder employees who have worked for many years to gradually leave the company and pass on their know-how to new recruits, thus contributing to the rejuvenation of the workforce.

On 2nd December 2002 , a new share option agreement was signed, so that all French employees can share in the profits of each subsidiary. Furthermore, employees receive participate in an incentive scheme in the subsidiary to which they belong. The total of the two represents 6.73% of the payroll.

Employees collectively controlled 4.2% of the share capital at the end of the financial year.

A new group savings plan open to all employees was set up during the first quarter of 2003.

Strengthening identity and belonging to the group, in line with the group's values, was emphasised through numerous initiatives in terms of management, involvement of teams, mobilisation by means of transversal projects and the setting up of new subsidiary newsletters aimed at the entire workforce.

The company's policy is committed to the objectives of long-lasting operations, independence and personal fulfilment and is therefore based on vital human values which have been developed throughout the Group's history and now are part of its identity. Defining these values with which employees can identify makes it possible for everyone to make his or her actions efficiently consistent with the group's mission statement.

Concern for people:
Mutual respect; attentiveness and guaranteeing a close relationship between staff members.
Ensuring physical safety.

Confidence:
Knowing how to delegate; contributing to team spirit and acknowledging the right to try things out.

Equity:
Guaranteeing objectivity; setting an example and involving everyone in profit-sharing.

Integrity:
Honouring commitments; acting with honesty and transparency .

Simplicity:
Promoting common sense; maintaining cordial relations on a day-to-day basis, genuine human relations.

Excellence:
Making performance and quality our priorities .

Openness:
Making ourselves available; being tolerant and promoting creativity.