Smuckers – Pesticide Use (2017)
Whereas: Companies with exposure to pesticide uses and practices through their supply chains that pose risks to public health and pollinator communities may face a number of business risks, including potential reputational damage due to growing consumer interest in how food is grown and its impacts on health and the environment. Numerous studies document the correlation between pesticide exposure and increased cancer risk. According to the U.S. President’s Cancer Panel, approximately 40 chemicals found in EPA-registered pesticides are classified as “known, probable, or possible” carcinogens. Additionally, low level exposure to chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate pesticide used widely on fruits and vegetables, …
PepsiCo – Pesticide Pollution (2015)
PepsiCo’s Global Sustainable Agriculture Policy states it “supports sustainable agriculture practices that … improve product value by maximizing the desired outputs …while minimizing the required inputs and avoiding any negative impacts to the farm and surrounding lands.” The Company’s Sustainable Farming Initiative “enables PepsiCo to measure the environmental and local economic impacts associated with [its] agricultural supply chain.” Yet, Pepsi is a major purchaser of corn, oats and potatoes — crop types that are routinely pre-treated with neonicotinoids (‘neonics’), a class of insecticide linked to declines in pollinators and other beneficial organisms, and negative impacts to land and water (according …
Yum Brands! – Sustainable Agriculture / Palm Oil Policy (2015)
Whereas Yum! Brands (Yum) foods contain palm oil, a commodity that has attracted high-profile scrutiny for its role in deforestation and human rights abuses. Yum’s website suggests that palm oil is used as cooking oil in 30% of its 39,000 restaurants. Approximately 85% of palm oil is grown in Indonesia and Malaysia, where it is the leading driver of deforestation. Primarily due to forest and peatland conversion, Indonesia was ranked the 3rd largest emitter of greenhouse gases globally, despite being the world’s 16th largest economy. The palm oil industry is also notorious for using child and forced labor, according to …
The Hain Celestial Group – Pesticide Disclosure and Policies (2014)
WHEREAS: Our company’s brand identity and value are strongly linked with health and wellness. A 2013 study by an accredited and independent lab, Eurofins, commissioned by Glaucus Research, alleged that ten of the 11 Celestial Seasoning teas in this study showed pesticide residue levels exceeding federally defined tolerance levels, or pesticides that did not have regulatory guidance. In response, the company commissioned its own test from a different laboratory that allegedly showed no levels of pesticide residues above regulatory guidelines. The company explained these results on its website, but did not disclose the actual test it had commissioned. We asked …
Sustainable Palm Oil Policy – YUM! Brands – (2013)
RESOLVED: Shareholders request that the board of directors adopt and implement a comprehensive sustainable palm oil policy. Supporting Statement The environmental and social impacts of palm oil, an ingredient in our Company’s supply chain, make it highly controversial. Accordingly, we believe the Company’s failure to procure certified sustainable palm oil is a brand risk, to both our Company’s reputation and long-term to the security of supply. Approximately 85% of palm oil is grown in Indonesia and Malaysia, much of it on industrial plantations. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, palm oil plantations are a large source of greenhouse gas …
Smuckers – Coffee, Climate Change and Sustainable Sourcing (2012)
Whereas: Our company is one of the four largest coffee companies in the world. It provides industry leadership through brands such as Folgers not only in consumer expectations but also with regard to pricing. The coffee business is critically important for our company by providing approximately 40% of our company’s revenue. It is equally important to the well-being of 25 million coffee farming families worldwide. Climate change may present a number of important risks and opportunities for our company and these communities, as it impacts temperature, rainfall patterns, frequency of severe weather events, and disease vectors, among other effects, in …
Sustainable Palm Oil Policy – YUM! Brands, Inc. (2012)
Whereas: The environmental and social impacts of palm oil, an ingredient in our Company’s supply chain, make it highly controversial. Accordingly, we believe the Company’s failure to procure certified sustainable palm oil is a brand risk, to both our Company’s reputation and long-term to the security of supply. Approximately 85% of palm oil is grown in Indonesia and Malaysia, much of it on industrial plantations. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, palm oil plantations are a large source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) because they are often established on land converted from swamp forests (“The Root of the Problem: …
Smucker’s – Environmental and Social Risks of Coffee (2011)
WHEREAS Our company is one of the four largest coffee companies in the world. It provides industry leadership through its Folgers brand not only in consumer expectations, but also with regard to pricing. The coffee business is critically important for our company by providing approximately 40% of our company’s revenue. It is equally important to the well-being of 25 million coffee farm families worldwide. Climate change may present a number of important risks and opportunities for our company and these communities, as it impacts temperature, rainfall patterns, and disease vectors in the world’s coffee growing regions. According to the Intergovernmental …
Chipotle – Ban on Pesticide Use (2010)
WHEREAS Chipotle has stated that “ ’Food With Integrity’ isn’t a marketing slogan. . . . It’s a philosophy that we can always do better in terms of the food we buy.” Yet, Chipotle has not systematically addressed the use of pesticides in its food sources. (http://www.chipotle.com/html/fwi.aspx) Chipotle customers and shareholders have come to expect the company to provide leadership in product sustainability. The company has begun gathering important information on water treatment and pesticide management from its avocado suppliers, but Chipotle does not report on this information to the public. Reporting on such practices as those used in its …
Kellogg Company – Nanotechnology in Food (2009)
WHEREAS Nanotechnology is the science of manipulating matter at the molecular scale to build structures, tools, or products, known as nanomaterials. The extremely small particles create opportunities for innovation; however the scientific community has raised serious questions about safety. The processed food industry is reportedly involved in research on the use of nanomaterials, but it is not publicly known whether such materials are used in Kellogg products or packaging. The novel properties of nanomaterials offer many new opportunities for food industry applications, for example as potent nutritional additives, stronger flavorings and colorings, or antibacterial ingredients for food packaging. However these …
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