Kellogg report describes “bold steps”

Responsible sourcing of ingredients, conservation of natural resources, new nutrition goals and progress in contributing to hunger relief are among the features of Kellogg Company’s newly-released seventh annual global Corporate Responsibility Report. “We know that people are loyal to brands they trust and, more than ever, they want to support companies that share their same […]

Responsible sourcing of ingredients, conservation of natural resources, new nutrition goals and progress in contributing to hunger relief are among the features of Kellogg Company’s newly-released seventh annual global Corporate Responsibility Report.

“We know that people are loyal to brands they trust and, more than ever, they want to support companies that share their same values,” said John Bryant, Chairman and CEO of Kellogg Company. “We continue to take bold steps forward in becoming an even more responsible and transparent corporate citizen as guided by our founder, W.K. Kellogg, who was passionate about people, quality, innovation and nutrition.”

The 2014 report addresses the company’s progress and future direction in all four pillars of Kellogg’s corporate responsibility strategy: marketplace, workplace, environment and community. This year’s report also includes a new cross-pillar section on Responsible Sourcing, which highlights the company’s pledges to its priority ingredients, sustainable agriculture and enabling and empowering smallholder and women farmers.

Highlights from this year’s report include:

Marketplace

• Every year, Kellogg introduces new and enhanced foods to meet consumer wants and needs around the world.
• By the end of 2014, sodium had been reduced 29 percent in cereals since 2007.
• Kellogg offers more cereals with at least a good source of fiber (3 grams) and at least one-half serving of whole grains (8 grams) than any other food company in the U.S.

Workplace

• The company has steadily improved its safety record, and is consistently better than the industry standard in total recordable incident rates.
• Kellogg has one of the more gender-balanced boards of directors in corporate America with seven men and five women.

Environment

• Worldwide, 94 percent of Kellogg’s waste is recycled or diverted from landfills, and 13 plants send zero waste to landfill.
• Kellogg’s use of energy is down 2.4 percent (per metric tonne of food produced) in 2014, and 7.4 percent since 2005
• The company decreased its greenhouse gas emissions 2 percent in 2014, and nearly 9 percent since 2005.
• Water use is down almost 12 percent since 2005.

Community

• In two years, 900 million servings of food, 500 million of which were breakfast, were provided through the company’s Breakfasts for Better Days initiative.
• In 2014, Kellogg gave $53.7 million through brand philanthropy, cash and in-kind donations to charitable partners.
• For World Food Day 2014, employees and the company donated nearly 150,000 pounds of food, much of it Kellogg products, through activities in 30 countries.

Responsible Sourcing

• Through Kellogg’s Origins program, rice farmers in Spain achieved yields 13 percent higher than the region’s average.
• Kellogg is helping support more than 700 farmer families in Bolivia, as well as a women-run farm cooperative, to ensure that the grower communities keep 10 percent of their yield for personal use and nourishment.