Kraft Heinz enhances sustainability goals as part of ‘continued growth strategy’

The emissions reduction goal, set against a 2015 baseline, comes as part of snapshot of the company’s sustainability approach ahead of its first CSR report later this year. Kraft Heinz – owner of major brands such as Capri Sun and Philadelphia – will also focus on global hunger and malnutrition, and creating a more sustainable supply chain, as it looks to integrate sustainability across the entire business.

“As one of the world’s leading food and beverage companies, we hold ourselves to a high standard for driving social and environmental change,” Kraft Heinz chief executive Bernardo Hees said. “Our global CSR initiatives focus on improving our planet, its people and the communities where we live and work, and are critical components to our continued growth strategy.” 

Enriched environments

To establish responsible material-sourcing policies and practices, Kraft Heinz has pledged to procure palm oil products in a sustainable manner, and will only purchase palm oil and by-products 100% certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).

The policy also reinforces and introduces several supplier guidelines for humane sourcing, including commitments to use eggs only from hens living in cage-free or enriched environments and the transition away from traditional gestation stall housing for pregnant sows by 2025.

Kraft Heinz is also prioritising continuous improvements in policies that prohibit the use of child and forced labour and protect existing forests and habitats, and has set a list of core principles to protect animal welfare under human care.

The food and beverage firm will donate one billion nutritious meals to people in need by 2021 in the fight to eliminate global hunger and malnutrition. The project will operate in collaboration with internal hunger relief organisation Rise Against Hunger, which has helped Kraft Heinz to provide micronutrient powders to fortify more than 167 million meals across the globe since 2013.

“We are profoundly grateful for our partnership with Kraft Heinz and are inspired by the company’s commitment to provide one billion meals to people in need, which is a reflection of their dedication to nourishing lives,” Rise Against Hunger chief executive Rod Brooks said. “We commend their efforts to empower communities around the globe to end hunger.”

Sustainable nutrition

Substantial progress has been made from the food and drink industry to drive sustainability up the business agenda in recent times. Last week, senior executives from 12 leading coca and chocolate companies, including Mars, Mondelēz International and Nestlé, heeded the advice of the Prince of Wales and agreed to end deforestation in the global cocoa supply chain.

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) recently revealed that its members, which include major brands such as Cadburys, Danone, and Kelloggs, have achieved a collective reduction of 46% in CO2 emissions since 1990, as the group builds on fresh targets for 2025.

George Ogleby