The Kraft Heinz Co: Disclosure of Pesticide Use in Agricultural Supply Chains
WHEREAS: One third of every bite of food we eat is dependent on pollinators; but pollinator species are declining at alarming rates in significant part due to the use of toxic pesticides on farms. Pesticides also cause a number of serious human health effects from cancers to neurological damage.
The use of pesticides threatens biodiversity and climate resiliency due to proliferation of pesticide-resistant weeds, loss of top soil degradation, and harm to species above and below ground. Pesticides can also harm fence line communities, pollute drinking water sources, and impair neighboring farmland.
Consumer advocates have begun testing for pesticides, including glyphosate, in food products, including processed foods, and consumer lawsuits have targeted manufacturers of foods containing pesticide residues.
In its Materiality Assessment, Kraft Heinz acknowledges that sustainable agriculture is highly important to stakeholders and the company; yet, our company does not acknowledge the growing risks of pesticide use, which threatens sustainable agriculture and raises reputational and legal risks. Kraft Heinz has not disclosed if or how it tracks, reports, or reduces the use of synthetic pesticides in its agricultural supply chain, representing an important blind spot.
Other major food companies are taking action to address and report on pesticide risk:
General Mills has disclosed metrics for tracking and reporting pesticide use by suppliers for its regenerative agriculture program, including type and name of input, amount and method used, cost and date of application, and pest or disease being controlled, and pounds of pesticides avoided.
Lamb Weston discloses average pesticide use data across its potato supply chains (reported in pounds of active ingredient use per ton of potatoes grown.)
Sysco reports annually on pesticide use avoided by suppliers using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) -- reporting 8.4 million pounds avoided in 2019.
Kellogg’s collects pesticide use data through an annual Grower Survey and has committed to phase out pre-harvest desiccation with glyphosate for wheat and oats by 2025.
Campbell’s has committed to piloting a pesticide data collection and reporting tool in tomatoes and collecting pesticide use data in potatoes for future reporting.
In a competitive marketplace that is increasingly demanding clean food and reduced stakeholder and environmental harm, understanding and tracking supplier use of pesticides in the supply chain reduces material risk for shareholders and our company, while reducing harm to stakeholders.
BE IT RESOLVED: Shareholders request that Kraft Heinz issue a report, at reasonable cost and omitting proprietary information, explaining if and how the company is measuring the use in its agricultural supply chains of pesticides that can cause material harm to human health and the environment.
SUPPORTING STATEMENT: Shareholders recommend the company measure and disclose the following:
Type and amount of pesticides avoided annually through targeted strategies like regenerative agriculture programs, IPM, or other methods;
Priority pesticides for reduction or elimination;
Targets and timelines, if any, for pesticide use reporting and reduction.
Resolution Details
Company: The Kraft Heinz Co
Lead Filers:
As You Sow
Year: 2022
Filing Date:
November 2021
Initiative(s): Pesticides
Status: Withdrawn