2018 CDP Water Disclosure
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Conagra Brands Inc - Water 2018 W0. Introduction W0.1 (W0.1) Give a general description of and introduction to your organization. Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG), headquartered in Chicago, is one of North America's leading branded food companies. Guided by an entrepreneurial spirit, Conagra Brands combines a rich heritage of making great food with a sharpened focus on innovation. The company's portfolio is evolving to satisfy people's changing food preferences. Conagra Brands iconic brands, such as Marie Callender's®, Reddi-wip®, Hunt's®, Healthy Choice®, Slim Jim® and Orville Redenbacher's®, as well as emerging brands, including Alexia®, Blake's® and Frontera®, offer choices for every occasion. At Conagra Brands, corporate social responsibility is a natural extension of our purpose and operating principles. We have identified four strategic focus areas that reflect and articulate our values as a responsible corporate citizen: Good Food, Stronger Communities, Better Planet and Responsible Sourcing. Within each of these areas, we focus on issues that are most material to our business and stakeholders and most meaningful to our role in the industry, the marketplace and our environment. Within the Better Planet focus, our commitment to protecting the environment is deeply rooted in our company values and comes alive through collaboration, imagination and having strong external awareness. We recognize that the company’s long-term success is measured far beyond financial metrics and includes social and environmental performance. Conagra Brands set environmental performance goals for the first time in 2008. In 2013, the company announced a new sustainability vision for 2020 with focus areas remaining largely the same, but with updated, measurable objectives for the next several years. We’re working along two business strategies: first, striving to eliminate waste of all kinds – energy, water, and materials – to improve efficiency in our operations; second, ensuring we have long-term access to the resources required to make our products through sustainable sourcing programs. We are actively working to achieve these goals by 2020: reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% per pound of product produced and reduce water use by 20% per pound of product produced. We also are committed to continuing our zero waste-to-landfill journey while directing materials to the highest and best use. We work to lead the industry in packaging for sustainable systems, with continuous improvement of design and understanding the role packaging plays in preventing food waste. Our Responsible Sourcing pillar includes promotion of sustainable agriculture practices with our contracted farmers; considering environmental, social and economic impacts across our supply chain; and participating in certified sustainable sourcing programs where material to our business. W-FB0.1a (W-FB0.1a) Which activities in the food, beverage, and tobacco sector does your organization engage in? Processing/Manufacturing W0.2 (W0.2) State the start and end date of the year for which you are reporting data. Start date End date Reporting year June 1 2016 May 31 2017 W0.3 CDP Page 1 of 38 (W0.3) Select the countries/regions for which you will be supplying data. Canada Mexico United States of America W0.4 (W0.4) Select the currency used for all financial information disclosed throughout your response. USD W0.5 (W0.5) Select the option that best describes the reporting boundary for companies, entities, or groups for which water impacts on your business are being reported. Companies, entities or groups over which operational control is exercised W0.6 (W0.6) Within this boundary, are there any geographies, facilities, water aspects, or other exclusions from your disclosure? Yes W0.6a (W0.6a) Please report the exclusions. Exclusion Please explain Conagra Brands reported water footprint includes water use Conagra Brands reported water footprint includes water use from all manufacturing locations and from all manufacturing locations and headquarter facilities headquarter facilities where data is available. Exclusions to our reported water use includes a where data is available. Exclusions to our reported water use limited number of locations with unmetered wells. Leased administrative offices, primarily Conagra includes a limited number of locations with unmetered wells. Brands sales offices, are outside of the operational control boundary. Water use at these locations Leased administrative offices, primarily Conagra Brands sales is not material compared to water use at our food production locations. The following joint ventures offices, are outside of the operational control boundary. Water are not within our operational control and are not included in the reporting boundary: Ardent Mills use at these locations is not material compared to water use at LLC (US), Productos de Verde Valle, sa de cv (Mexico), Hunt-Universal Robina Corp. our food production locations. The following joint ventures are (Philippines), and Agro Tech Foods Limited (India). Additionally, Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. and not within our operational control and are not included in the corresponding joint ventures including Lamb-Weston/RDO (US), Lamb Weston BSW, LLC (US) reporting boundary: Ardent Mills LLC (US), Productos de Verde and Lamb Weston Meijer v.o.f. (Netherlands), along with Watts Brothers 100 Circles Farm in Valle, sa de cv (Mexico), Hunt-Universal Robina Corp. Washington state are excluded. Water use from locations with unmetered wells is excluded (Philippines), and Agro Tech Foods Limited (India). Additionally, because data is not available and based on activity at these locations, we do not believe these to Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. and corresponding joint ventures be a material omission. Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates (including including Lamb-Weston/RDO (US), Lamb Weston BSW, LLC joint ventures) were spun off by Conagra Brands (then known as ConAgra Foods, Inc.) pursuant (US) and Lamb Weston Meijer v.o.f. (Netherlands), along with to a tax-free spinoff completed on November 9th, 2016. Because Lamb Weston is no longer part Watts Brothers 100 Circles Farm in Washington state are of Conagra Brands, information about Lamb Weston is not included in this data. excluded. W1. Current state W1.1 CDP Page 2 of 38 (W1.1) Rate the importance (current and future) of water quality and water quantity to the success of your business. Direct use Indirect Please explain importance use rating importance rating Sufficient Vital Important Our manufacturing facilities must have access to clean water to operate. Water is used as an ingredient in many of our amounts products, it is critical for sanitation and food safety, and is often a key part of food preparation through heating, cooling or of good moving food through production steps. The "vital for operations" importance rating was selected because we would not be quality able to produce our products without clean water. Our suppliers and contracted growers also depend on the availability of freshwater water to grow crops and produce the raw materials needed for making our food. Similarly, this dependency provides basis available for selecting the "important" rating for indirect water use. Provided that our network of suppliers and contracted growers for use remains the same, we do not anticipate that our organization’s dependence on good quality freshwater will differ over time. We expect continuing pressure on global water supply which puts pressure on agricultural systems from where we source our ingredients. Sufficient Not very Not very Conagra Brands uses water sourced from recycled, brackish, and/or produced water in select manufacturing locations which amounts important important utilize on-site wastewater treatment. This recycled water allows us to reduce the amount of freshwater used in certain unit of operations where food safety is not a risk and freshwater is not a requirement, such as cleaning wastewater treatment filter recycled, screens. The rating of “not very important” was selected as the number of sites that are able to utilize recycled water is brackish limited. Likewise, it was determined that the use of recycled, brackish, and/or produced water available for our suppliers' and/or indirect use is “not very important” in contrast to the availability of sufficient amounts of good quality freshwater to grow crops produced and produce the raw materials needed for making our food. We do not anticipate that our organizations’ dependency on water sufficient amounts of recycled, brackish and/or produced water will differ over time, consistent with our industry. available for use W-FB1.1a (W-FB1.1a) Which water-intensive agricultural commodities that your organization produces and/or sources are the most significant to your business by revenue? Select up to five. Agricultural % of Produced Please explain commodities revenue and/or dependent sourced on these agricultural commodities Cattle 41-60 Sourced Conagra Brands considers this commodity to have significant revenue impact due to current portfolio use (noted by products percentage of revenue dependent metric), and broader corporate reputation and investor confidence revenue impacts associated with sustainable sourcing of this commodity. Water intensity of this commodity is one of several environmental factors tied to this ingredient. We approach sustainable sourcing holistically. Beef is the primary ingredient in Duke’s®, Slim Jim® meat snacks and Hebrew National® kosher