Kellogg announces new goals to reduce energy, water and waste

Cornflakes-maker Kellogg is to responsibly source its top 10 ingredients and materials by 2020, and validate compliance across all direct suppliers by 2015. The move is part of a new tranche of social and environmental commitments announced by the American cereals giant.

"This company was founded on the belief that there's an inherent goodness in grains and that continues to hold true today," commented John Bryant, Kellogg Company chairman of the board and chief executive officer. "We are committed to nourishing families so they can flourish and thrive. Our new sustainability goals will help us do this by delivering high-quality grains in a responsible way that enriches the lives of consumers and agricultural growers around the world."

Kellogg is particularly focusing on two areas – responsible sourcing and natural resources. Among its commitments to responsible sourcing it says it will build programmes to help small-scale farmers improve their livelihoods by adapting to climate change and improving their agronomic practices and business skills as well as identify areas within its supply chain with a high prevalence of women farmers and workers and develop programmes to provide targeted resources and education.

On the natural resources front, the company has committed to further reduce energy and GHG emissions by an additional 15% (per metric tonne of food produced) from 2015 performance and expand use of low-carbon energy in plants by 50% by 2020. It also aims to support watershed quality, implement water reuse projects in 25% of plants by 2020, and further reduce water use by an additional 15% (per metric tonne of food produced) from 2015 performance.