Kellogg's Eclipses General Mills' Sustainability Pledge

By Sam Lewis

In response to an Oxfam report, the Kellogg Company has become the second major food manufacturer promising a face-life to its emissions policies and sustainability practices

Released last May, Oxfam’s Standing on the Sidelines report put the spotlight on the ‘’Big 10” food makers. The report calls on these major food manufacturers to take stronger stances in the fight against climate change, specifically regarding emissions. General Mills was the first of the 10 to respond, but now, just two weeks later, Kellogg’s has made some promises of its own.

Kellogg’s, similar to General Mills, has pledged to release its GHG emissions targets by December of next year. The company will also reveal it top three soy, sugar cane, and palm oil suppliers, reach zero net deforestation in high-risk supply chains over the next five years. But Kellogg’s sustainability pledges inched passed General Mills in two areas: supplier transparency and its strategy for adapting to climate change.

Kellogg’s will ask its suppliers to completely gauge and fully disclose emissions along with reduction targets. Rival General Mills only pledges to “assess supplier practices.” According to Oxfam, “Kellogg has committed to holding its suppliers accountable when it comes to establishing and implementing their emissions reduction targets.” Oxfam’s goal was for this step taken by Kellogg’s to be the standard for all food makers to practice, but was viewed as a second step in the process.

The company will also develop a climate change adaptation plan — a future strategy for Kellogg’s supply chains to adapt as weather conditions evolve. Farms are not immune to changing weather. Changing weather patterns will affect growth of crops, ultimately affecting global supply chains. Kellogg’s is pledging is to put in place measures to adequately prepare for this. The climate change adaptation plan includes smallholder farms in developing countries susceptible to extreme weather events.