Del Monte Foods has published a fiscal year 2023 report about the company's progress toward its environmental, social and governance goals.
"At a time when concern over global resources and food insecurity are on the rise, I'm proud to lead a company that is committed to reducing our impact on the environment, championing the diversity of our team members and giving back to the communities in which we live and work," Del Monte Foods President and CEO Greg Longstreet said in a news release.
"Thanks to the efforts of our committed Del Monte Foods team members, we continue to make progress toward our 2025 ESG goals and have already reached many of them," Longstreet added. "Even as we celebrate these milestones, we continue to push forward and work to make good on our pledges to be a grower of good for our people, our communities and the planet we all share."
In line with Global Reporting Initiative and Science Based Target initiative industry standards, the report maps progress across Del Monte Foods' three ESG focus areas: Nourishing the Planet, Nourishing People and Nourishing Communities.
Nourishing the Planet
The company said its working to build its environmental integrity through eight impact areas, including:
- Carbon footprint reduction — Since 2021, the company has seen a 6% reduction in Scope 1, 2 and 3 total emissions and set a net-zero target, committing to carbon reduction targets in line with the Science Based Targets Initiative Net Zero Standard.
- Regenerative agriculture — Created a collaborative forum for organic tomato growers, where they can share best practices, learn more about regenerative agriculture processes and collaborate to enrich the collective community and planet.
- Sustainable packaging — Began incorporating post-consumer resin in plastic beverage cups, marking progress against the company's goal to include 25% recycled content in plastic packaging. By 2030, the company aims to make 100% of plastic packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable.
Nourishing People
The company said its continually working to care for its team members at an individual level, for example:
- Creating inclusive culture — Earned a top score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's 2023-24 Corporate Equality Index for LGBTQ+ equality and inclusion.
- Diversity in management — Maintained diversity in management with women and people of color filling over 50% of senior manager or higher roles, which is an 8% increase since 2020.
- Del Monte Foods education scholarship — Awarded 10 $5,000 college scholarships to team members' children in a new annual program.
Nourishing Communities
The company said it continues to find ways to make nutritious food accessible and bring nutrition education to families and communities, including:
- Nourishing Families by Nourishing Schools program — Continuing a $5 million commitment, Del Monte Foods reached 1.25 million families and engaged over 4,000 schools in 2023 with its Nourishing Families by Nourishing Schools program in partnership with Alliance for a Healthier Generation. The program strives to improve the physical, mental and social emotional well-being of children. The company says it continues to make progress toward its goal of reaching 75% of students that represent Black, Indigenous and people of color populations.
- Team member and company donations — Team members made donations to nonprofits of their choice through the Donation Matching Program, and Del Monte Foods donated over 4.7 million pounds of food with a value of more than $3.3 million through partnerships with the American Red Cross and Feeding America.
"We're so excited to showcase the hard work Del Monte Foods has been doing to strengthen our commitments to growing good for the planet and the people on it," Molly Laverty, director of environmental, social and governance at Del Monte Foods, said in the release. "Sustainability is not only good for the planet, it's simply good business. This report reflects our dedication to integrating our purpose into every aspect of our operations as we continue to do our part to build a more sustainable future for generations to come."