“More than 1 billion people around the world rely on farming and hundreds of millions of them live on less than $2 a day,” said Mike Duke, Walmart president and CEO. “Globally, with a booming population, food production must increase roughly 70% to feed 9 billion people in 2050.”
Duke continued: “Through sustainable agriculture, Walmart is uniquely positioned to make a positive difference in food production – for farmers, communities and customers. Our efforts will help increase farmer incomes, lead to more efficient use of pesticides, fertilizer and water, and provide fresher produce for our customers.”
Walmart’s sustainable agriculture strategy is divided into three broad areas, each containing specific supporting goals to help the company track and report its progress.
Support farmers and their communities
More than a billion people rely on agriculture for subsistence. By the end of 2015 in emerging markets, Walmart will help many small and mid-sized farmers gain access to markets by:
In the US, Walmart will double its sale of locally sourced produce and increase its purchase of select US crops.
Produce more food with fewer resources and less waste
Walmart has one of the world’s largest food supply chains and is committed to reducing and optimizing the resources required to produce that food and driving more transparency into its supply chain. For the first time Walmart will ask suppliers about the water, energy, fertilizer and pesticide they use per unit of food produced. The goals include:
Sustainably source key agriculture products
Farming practices are having unintended side effects, from deforestation of the world’s rainforests to increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Walmart will focus on two of the major contributors to global deforestation, palm oil and beef production.
To help reach these goals, Walmart’s global markets have also established country specific commitments. For example:
In the US, Walmart’s Heritage Agriculture program will help the company double the sale of locally grown food. The program focuses on sourcing produce from states and regions with long histories of agricultural production. Three of Walmart’s largest Heritage Agriculture programs are in the I-95 corridor along the East coast, the Delta region in the South and the Mid-America region of the Midwest. Sourcing examples include tomatoes, blueberries and broccoli in the I-95 corridor, peaches, cucumbers and strawberries in the Delta region and potatoes, onions and apples in the Mid-American program.
Source: Walmart
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