To learn more, please read our Environmental Policy Statement.
Our Goals
As part of Our Food Journey™, we’re committed to continuous improvement. We have set 20 qualitative and quantitative goals to achieve by the end of 2030 to make the world a better place. Our new goals follow our previous set of sustainability goals in which we achieved significant reductions in our packaging, nonrenewable energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, water use and solid waste sent to landfills. In addition to our new goals, each year we aim to achieve a 1 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, energy use and solid waste sent to landfills, and a 2 percent reduction in water use. We also aim to achieve a achieve annual efficiency gains of 1 percent in energy and water use. To learn more about our new goal set, please see our 20 By 30 Challenge.
Sustainable Agriculture
Hormel Foods recognizes the critical role that sustainable agricultural practices play in meeting the world’s food demands while protecting our natural resources. That’s why we have developed a Sustainable Agriculture Policy that applies to our direct suppliers, including our family farms and growers.
In calendar year 2017, we completed a comprehensive risk assessment of our company-owned operations and a high-level water risk assessment of our largest direct suppliers. The assessments were completed in partnership with a third-party sustainability consultant, Antea Group. Additional information about the assessment, analysis and our next steps will be provided in our corporate responsibility report.
Environmental Management System
We use a companywide, web-based environmental management system to track and monitor our progress toward meeting environmental requirements. This system includes compliance calendars, environmental policy and program information, training materials and formal internal environmental auditing protocols.
Knowledge Sharing and Training
To continually improve our practices and achieve our environmental goals, we look for ways to enhance internal information sharing.
For example, monthly conference calls with plant engineering and environmental staff facilitate ongoing conversations about environmental programs and sustainability issues.
We hold a biennial companywide environmental conference to discuss environmental compliance programs, sustainability initiatives and encourage knowledge sharing among environmental representatives throughout the company. In addition, annual environmental training covers key program areas such as storm water, wastewater and the proper handling and transportation of regulated materials.
Waste Handling Practices
Certain Hormel Foods operations generate low volumes of regulated hazardous waste. Most locations are well within the federal definition of a Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator, generating 100 kilograms or less of hazardous waste per month. All Hormel Foods and subsidiary locations adhere to strict operational standards that have been designed to ensure compliance with all applicable hazardous waste rules.
Our operations also generate small quantities of other regulated substances, such as used oil and universal waste. As with the generation of hazardous waste, we follow strict standards for handling these substances to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
Environmental Grievances
Hormel Foods administers a formal grievance process through the Code of Ethical Business Conduct policy. The policy addresses matters related to environmental responsibility and accommodates grievance reporting via a third-party-staffed phone line and website. Hormel Foods administers a formal grievance process through the Code of Ethical Business Conduct policy and our Supplier Code of Conduct.
We also maintain an informal grievance mechanism through sustainability@hormel.com. Any grievance submitted via this address is routed to the appropriate subject-matter expert for review and response.
Hormel Foods did not receive any formal or informal grievances related to environmental programs during 2020.