Hormel Foods 2013 corporate responsibility report released

Hormel Foods Corporation has released its 2013 corporate responsibility report. This is the eighth corporate responsibility report for Hormel Foods, which includes information on the company’s second set of environmental goals that span from 2012 to 2020, using 2011 as a benchmark. The report is self-declared Application Level B as confirmed by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). 
The annual report focuses on the company’s commitment to being a responsible food manufacturer. Highlighted performance and initiatives throughout 2013 include donating a total of $9.1 million in cash and product donations. Donations specific to hunger relief organizations throughout the United States and abroad totaled more than $6.5 million through the company’s On Our Way to Ending Hunger program.
Hormel Foods also achieved outstanding results from the annual Environmental Sustainability Best of the Best competition. In 2013, the competition generated 59 entries throughout all business segments, resulting in annual savings of: 154 million gallons of water; 180,000 million British thermal units of natural gas; 1,000 tons of solid waste; and 7,900,000 kilowatt hours of electricity.
Hormel Foods has also implemented projects that:


• Resulted in a reduction of 17,000 metric tons greenhouse gas emissions (22 percent of goal when combined with 2012 progress). 
• Reduced energy use by 204,000 MMBtu (45 percent of goal when combined with 2012 progress).
• Reduced water use by 0.154 billion gallons (56 percent of goal when combined with 2012 progress).
• Reduced the amount of solid waste sent to landfills by 1,000 tons (81 percent of goal when combined with 2012 progress).
• Reduced product packaging by 4.72 million pounds (35 percent of goal when combined with 2012 progress).
• Reduced sodium levels in select products within branded retail product portfolio.
“We are proud of our results and are excited to share the progress we have made in key areas,” said Jeffrey M. Ettinger, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer. “We are on track to meet or exceed all of our 2020 goals, and made significant strides throughout the past year. Our stakeholders can be assured that we will continue our corporate responsibility efforts in concert with our internal principles platform, Our Way, which helps to emphasize corporate responsibility in the fabric and strategy of our business.”
The Hormel Foods 2013 Corporate Responsibility Report has a refreshed design and features infographics for each area of focus so stakeholders can easily see top-line highlights.
In alignment with the company’s commitment to philanthropy and in honor of the launch of the eighth annual report, Hormel Foods will feature an online trivia sweepstakes. For every person who engages in the sweepstakes or tweets about the release of the 2013 Hormel Foods Corporate Responsibility Report using the hashtag #HormelCR, the company will donate $8 to Feeding America (up to $5,000). Feeding America is the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity.
Hormel Foods plans to continue reporting on its environmental and social performance annually.  The company’s next report will be in accordance with the GRI G4 guidelines and will be released in May 2015 for data spanning from November 2013 to October 2014.