Chemical group BASF, seeds company Monsanto and cereal maker Kellogg all lead a new index of the food industry’s most diverse and inclusive companies.
BASF performed strongest in 25th place, according to the list from DiversityInc, which measured more than 1,800 companies against their talent pipeline, talent development, leadership accountability, and supplier diversity. It found that BASF, which makes plastics for packaging and ingredients for food, had 7.7% more women in senior leadership positions than the average for Standard & Poor’s 500.
Kellogg (28th), Monsanto (39th) and McCormick (45th) rounded off the other food companies in the list.
But the sector’s lack of involvement in the list, coupled with its relatively low-ranking performance, suggests that there’s still work to be done on increasing the diversity and inclusivity of some of the industry’s biggest businesses.
As well as its position in 28th place, Kellogg finished seventh in terms of the top companies for female employees, while Hershey was commended for its focus on veterans in the workplace.
But the DiversityInc findings show that the food industry has failed to make progress on increasing the diversity of its suppliers, and there are no food companies among the 19 businesses praised for their commitment to LGBT employees.
“We’re proud that our commitment is again being recognised for the sixth consecutive year by DiversityInc,” a Kellogg spokesperson said. “[Our position of 28th is] two spots from our ranking at 30th last year. Honours such as this acknowledge that a diverse and inclusive environment is an inherent part of our ‘K Values’. It allows our employees to bring their authentic ‘whole selves’ to work so they can partner together for each other’s success and the success of our business. With recognition also comes a responsibility and a motivation to do better, to push harder.
“To achieve our 2020 Growth Plan and fuel our future, we must continue to invest in and build our categories and brands globally, and to do that we need a diverse and inclusive workforce. We must nurture an inclusive environment in which all our people are empowered to bring their most creative thinking, do their best work and achieve their full potential.”
McCormick president and CEO Lawrence Kurzius added: “We are honoured to receive this recognition from DiversityInc, which demonstrates our commitment to supporting a global workforce that values and respects diversity. It is a testament to our organisation’s continued emphasis on promoting diversity and inclusion, and I couldn’t be more proud.”
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