Pursuing the Safety and Security of Food
Concerns related to food touch all our lives deeply and personally. Food shapes people’s sense of dignity; its scarcity can breed conflict and violence; its distribution raises issues of justice; it can threaten communities and individuals; and impacts environmental sustainability — all are part of MMA’s Stewardship Investing Core Values.
MMA has been in recent dialogue with food companies regarding the safety and security of their supply chain. MMA co-filed a resolution with Yum! Brands in December, calling for a thorough sustainability report on the company’s supply chain. MMA withdrew the resolution in April due to the Yum!’s responsiveness and willingness to dialogue. Yum! Brands is the parent company of fast food restaurants including Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Long John Silvers.
MMA met with Hormel managers in February to discuss their latest sustainability report and suggest improvements, and help strategize about ways to decrease energy use and pollution. MMA also has continuing conversations with ConAgra management about improving the environmental impact of their operations. Hormel and ConAgra are two of the nation’s largest food corporations, owning hundreds of household food brands.
MMA’s shareholder engagement with Yum! Brands, Hormel and ConAgra began with resolutions but ended in productive dialogue. The companies view meetings with MMA and other socially responsible shareholders as important and beneficial, and look forward to dialogues as a way to improve their operations. For MMA, the goal of these advocacy efforts is to work with food companies to ensure their products are safe and environmentally responsible, and to encourage long-term profitability. Here is a list of key items that MMA requests food companies to implement:
* Strategies to significantly reduce waste, energy and water use throughout the supply chain;
* Resource conservation programs and pollution prevention measures for the full product life-cycle;
* Labeling products for country of origin;
* Safety testing and systems to ensure identity preservation and traceability “from farm to fork.”
Recent outbreaks of salmonella, e.coli bacteria and swine flu highlight the safety risks of poorly managed food and farming operations, as does excess pollution from such operations. Unsustainable practices are not only a threat to the safety of consumers and the environment, but a threat to the company’s image and profitability. MMA seeks to work with food companies to point out and address these concerns.
