Dive Brief:
- Corporate Knights has named McCormick & Company, Inc. as the No. 1 food company in its 2017 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations Index, according to a company release. McCormick was ranked No. 14 overall out of all companies.
- McCormick regularly partners with more than 13,000 farmers to help them with "best-in-practice training, deploy mobile technology to enhance capabilities and support development funds that incentivize farmers to produce higher quality crops," according to the release.
- The company has made big efforts to provide employees with tools to improve efficiency and reduce water, waste and energy, which has resulted in a 43% decreased in its carbon footprint.
Dive Insight:
Although it was absent from the annual Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations Index in years past, McCormick & Company took a big step forward in 2016.
In the company’s annual Corporate Responsibility Report, it noted that its focus is on growing the business globally and driving positive change to the environment, within its communities and for its employees. According to McCormick's data, its initiatives have impacted more than 12,760 farmers and improved the lives of 63,840 people.
Much of this positive change has been spurred by a 400% increase in sourcing organic acreage over the past two years. The company has also transitioned more than 70% of its branded herbs and spices labeled non-GMO as the calendar turned to 2017.
“We’re investing financial and human resources now to create a sustainable pathway of environmental and social development for tomorrow,” McCormick CEO Larence Kurzius said in the report. The company is focusing on increasing efficiency and minimizing and bolstering the economic viability of the farming communities it sources from.
Many food manufacturers are overhauling their product packaging in order to improve sustainability, but McCormick provides a good example of farther-reaching environmental initiatives. While packaging can have significant environmental impact, it's important for companies to remember that consumers' environmental concerns stretch beyond the the physical product they buy. Shoppers want to be confident that the brands they purchase use ethically and sustainably sourced ingredients. Because of this, McCormick's strategy could be a viable model for producers beyond the spices segment.