The question of the relationship between innovation and CSR has so far resulted in studies that principally analyze, either the integration of CSR into the business as a generator of innovation and thus of economic performance, or the strategic dimensions of environmental innovation. A few rare publications examine the impact of innovation on CSR or the double-relationship. The aim of this article is to statistically verify the relationship between innovation behavior and CSR in both senses in the agri-food businesses in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. An original scale of societal performance is constructed to this effect. We confirm the existence of a bi-directional relation between innovation behaviour and societal performance, more marked in the sense of “innovation influencing CSR”. However, a positive effect of economic performance in the relationship between innovation and societal performance can be observed, which suggests, contrary to most current literature, that economic performance is a prerequisite for societal performance. JEL Codes: L00, L66, M14, O31, L25