Hormel releases Corporate Responsibility report
Published 9:20 am Friday, May 16, 2014
Company says its on track to meet or exceed all 2020 Goals
Hormel Foods Corp. is claiming another successful year of corporate responsibility.
Hormel released its 2013 Corporate Responsibility Report this week.
“We are proud of our results and are excited to share the progress we have made in key areas,” CEO and President Jeffrey M. Ettinger said. “We are on track to meet or exceed all of our 2020 goals, and made significant strides throughout the past year. Our stakeholders can be assured that we will continue our corporate responsibility efforts in concert with our internal principles platform, Our Way, which helps to emphasize corporate responsibility in the fabric and strategy of our business.”
The eighth corporate responsibility report for Hormel includes information on the company’s second set of environmental goals that span from 2012 to 2020 using 2011 as a benchmark.
The annual report focuses on the company’s commitment to being a responsible food manufacturer. Highlighted performance and initiatives throughout 2013 include:
— Donating a total of $9.1 million in cash and product donations. Donations specific to hunger relief organizations throughout the U.S. and abroad totaled more than $6.5 million through the company’s On Our Way to Ending Hunger program.
—Achieving outstanding results from the annual Environmental Sustainability Best of the Best competition. In 2013, the competition generated 59 entries throughout all business segments, resulting in annual savings of: 154 million gallons of water; 180,000 MMBtu of energy; 1,000 tons of solid waste; and 7,900,000 kWh of electricity. In 2013, Hormel said it implemented projects that:
—Resulted in a reduction of 17,000 metric tons greenhouse gas emissions (22 percent of goal when combined with 2012 progress).
—Reduced energy use by 204,000 MMBtu (45 percent of goal when combined with 2012 progress).
—Reduced water use by 0.154 billion gallons (56 percent of goal when combined with 2012 progress).
—Reduced the amount of solid waste sent to landfills by 1,000 tons (81 percent of goal when combined with 2012 progress).
—Reduced product packaging by 4.72 million pounds (35 percent of goal when combined with 2012 progress).
—Reduced sodium levels in select products within branded retail product portfolio.
The Hormel Foods 2013 Corporate Responsibility Report has a refreshed design and features infographics for each area of focus so stakeholders can easily see top-line highlights.
In addition to the online version, the report is also available as a fully downloadable PDF. Hormel plans to continue reporting on its environmental and social performance annually. The company’s next report will be released in May 2015 for data spanning from November 2013 to October 2014.
The latest report is available at www.hormelfoods.com/csr.
Hormel to donate to Feeding America
To promote Hormel Foods Corp.’s commitment to philanthropy and in honor of the launch of the eighth annual report, the company will feature an online trivia sweepstakes. For every person who engages in the sweepstakes or tweets about the release of the 2013 Hormel Foods Corporate Responsibility Report using the hashtag #HormelCR, the company will donate $8 to Feeding America (up to $5,000). Feeding America is the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity.