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Friday, September 30th, 2011Campbell Soup Company Sets Updated Sustainability Goals
Friday, September 9th, 2011Campbell Soup Co. recently released an update to its corporate social responsibility report outlining steps it has taken in CSR and identifying the goals it has set to achieve by 2020.
Among its CSR Corporate Imperative 2020 Destination Goals, are to cut the environmental footprint of its product portfolio in half as measured by water use and CO2 emissions per ton of product produced.
This destination goal has a series of supporting goals which include:
- Reducing energy use by 35% per ton of product produced and sourcing 40% of the energy used by the company from renewable or alternative energy sources;
- Recycling 95% of waste generated on a global basis;
- Eliminating 100 million pounds of packaging from Campbell products;
- Delivering 100% of global packaging from sustainable materials (renewable, recyclable, or from recycled content);
- Reducing water use by 20% and energy use by 30% per ton in its top five agricultural ingredients.
Campbell Soup Company approaches CSR with a four-pronged, “nourishing” approach. Not only is it “Nourishing Our Planet” by cutting the environmental footprint of its product portfolio in half, as measured by water use and CO2 emissions per product, its other initiatives include “nourishing” customers, neighbors and employees.
It plans to do this by increasing the nutrition and wellness profile of its products, achieving 100% employee engagement in CSR and sustainability and by “measurably improving the health of young people in their hometown communities by reducing hunger and childhood obesity by 50%.”
Integrating sustainability into the entire company and community creates a framework where all stakeholders become aware of corporate social responsibility and sustainability initiatives and presumably will consider those when making purchasing decisions.
How are your employees engaged in sustainability?
1http://www.campbellsoupcompany.com/csr/pdfs/Campbells_2011_CSR_Report.pdf
Innovations in Soybean Oil Research
Thursday, August 25th, 2011Cooking oil that is nutritious, produced naturally, contains zero trans-fat and tastes better than traditional cooking oils is on the horizon for food companies. Dr. Kristin Bilyeu, research molecular biologist with the USDA Research service, and Dr. Grover Shannon, professor of genetics and breeding at the University of Missouri – Columbia, have developed a high oleic soybean that is functional for cooking without undergoing hydrogenation.
Dr. Bilyeu and Dr. Shannon found a way to increase the oleic content of soybeans from about 24 percent to as much as 80 percent through traditional breeding. This will give food producers the option of using soy oil that is stable enough for cooking at high temperatures, yet includes no trans-fats. Food companies will gain increased functionality due to the stability and extended shelf life, as well as have the opportunity to offer customers increased nutritional benefits and naturally-bred high-oleic soybean oil. Plus, since soybeans are very plentiful, the availability of the improved oil will help keep prices competitive.
For more information on Dr. Bilyeu and Dr. Shannon’s research, you can watch their video.
[1] Mutant alleles of FAD2-1A and FAD2-1B combine to produce soybeans with the high oleic acid seed oil trait. By Grover Shannon, and Kristin D. Bilyeu
Smithfield Making Significant Inroads in its Sustainability Journey
Tuesday, August 16th, 2011Smithfield Foods, Inc., one of the country’s leading pork producers, offers a great example of how a company can become an industry leader in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability by learning from its mistakes, creating a new company culture and defining core values that emphasize leadership, performance and accountability.
In the past, some have been critical of Smithfield’s animal feeding operations and expressed concern about animal welfare issues.
However, Smithfield addressed these issues, along with environmental practices involving pig manure and water management, and in recent years has earned recognition from government regulators and environmental groups as a leader in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability practices throughout the meat processing industry.1 The company was the first within its industry to achieve ISO 14001 environmental certification for its American processing plants. “Since 2007, Smithfield has reduced its water consumption by 15 percent, electricity use by 17 percent and solid waste generation by over 20 percent. The results achieved a net annual savings of over half a billion gallons of water, 124,000 decatherms in natural gas use, and a 2.2 million kilowatt hours reduction in the consumption of electricity.”2
In addition, Murphy-Brown, Smithfield’s livestock production subsidiary, has enhanced the quality of animal care at its farms throughout the country. Murphy-Brown is committed to phasing out gestation stalls for pregnant sows and replacing them with group housing, known as “free access.” This change was welcomed by animal welfare proponents. Smithfield based its decision to implement this practice on a three-year research study that showed group housing works as well as gestation stalls in providing sows with proper care during their pregnancies .3
Smithfield also was first in its industry to develop a comprehensive animal welfare policy for its subsidiaries involved with the production or processing of live animals. The policy provides:
- Comprehensive written animal care programs to ensure animal well-being;
- Shelter that is designed, maintained and operated to provide a physical environment that meets the animals’ needs;
- Access to adequate water and high-quality feed to meet animal nutrition requirements (production facilities) and in accordance with the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act of 1978 (processing facilities);
- Humane treatment of animals that ensures their well-being and complies with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements;
- Identification and appropriate treatment of animals in need of care;
- Humane treatment of animals which meets or exceeds the requirements of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act of 1978, and all applicable American Meat Institute Animal Handling Guidelines (processing facilities);
- Timely use of humane methods to euthanize sick or injured animals not responding to care and treatment. 4
Smithfield’s CSR efforts also include employee training and outreach activities in the communities where its employees live and work. Employees must complete a rigorous 90-day training period where they learn animal welfare and handling techniques.5 Among the company’s community efforts, its Learners to Leaders® initiative supports local educational programs that provide learning opportunities for disadvantaged individuals and Smithfield’s Helping Hungry Homes® program provides support for food programs that help feed the hungry.6
Has your company instituted sustainability and CSR programs that make a difference in how you are perceived? Click here and tell us how.
1www.triplepundit.com/2011/05/smithfield-sustainable-pork-csr/comment-page-1/
2www.triplepundit.com/2011/05/smithfield-sustainable-pork-csr/comment-page-1/
3www.smithfieldfoods.com/responsibility/gestation.aspx
4 www.smithfieldfoods.com/responsibility/awp.aspx
5www.triplepundit.com/2011/05/smithfield-sustainable-pork-csr/comment-page-1/
6www.smithfieldfoods.com/responsibility/community.aspx
Conservation Tillage
Friday, August 12th, 2011Find out the effect conservation tillage has had on U.S. soybean farming.
Please go to Conservation Tillage to view the quiz
