Ardent Mills has released its Fiscal Year 2020 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report, providing details of its recently launched CSR programme.
Established in 2019, the CSR platform seeks to align itself with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through its focus on three areas: sustainability; nutrition; and people.
The sustainability pillar of the report includes the new goal of powering 50% of the company’s US electricity usage with renewable sources by 2025.
The US flour and ingredient company is working to achieve this goal through directly sourcing renewable energy and retaining project-specific renewable energy credits (RECs).
In Kansas for example, 90% of the energy usage of Ardent Mills’ Wichita and Newton facilities is expected to come from wind power once the Soldier Creek wind facility project is complete. Once online, this will reportedly represent 7.3% of Ardent Mills’ total US electricity usage.
Ardent Mills has also been engaging in community solar projects, and purchasing replacement RECs to support green claims.
“As a global leader in the food ingredient industry, we undoubtedly have an important role to play in the food system and supply chain,” said Dan Dye, CEO of Ardent Mills.
“We strive to use our global network for good, and we are deeply committed to nourish what’s next by driving positive change in nutrition and sustainability, and supporting those that make our food system possible.”
Ardent Mills’ activities in the people pillar encompass providing development and engagement opportunities for the next generation of agri-business professionals.
This is carried out through partnerships with organisations such as Agriculture Future of America, Future Farmers of America, and National Agriculture in the Classroom, supporting activities ranging from professional development programmes to education at school level.
In October 2019, Ardent Mills appointed Phoenix Dugger as CSR manager, a new role aimed at promoting sustainability and innovation.
“I’m proud of the great progress we’ve made growing our social and sustainability efforts,” said Dugger.
“This newly developed programme reflects our holistic commitment to bring positive change to the ingredient industry, while meeting the needs of our customers, consumers, communities and environment in everything we do.”
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024