TORONTO — McCain Foods Limited has released its 2022 Sustainability Report, which includes results from the past fiscal year, demonstrating how the organization is responding to the challenges faced by climate change, its priority on enhancing soil health and farming partners’ transition to more re-generative practices. This year, the report is reinforced by a strengthened approach aligning to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standard.
McCain has launched its second Farm of the Future in South Africa, achieved its water-efficiency target three years ahead of schedule, marked improvements in CO₂ emissions reductions and enhanced its usage of renewable electricity. The business has also made significant contributions to support the communities where it functions through donations and volunteering.
As part of its Farm of the Future Africa, McCain will test re-generative farming in a southern hemisphere environment. The first crop of potatoes was planted at a farm in Lichtenburg, South Africa. McCain has also implemented its Re-generative Agriculture Framework to support farmers and measure adoption of re-generative practices in priority regions. The organization established financing partnerships in France and Canada, achieved an eight-per-cent-reduction in CO₂ emissions per tonne from potato farming, storage and freight and improved water-use efficiency by 11 per cent in water-stressed regions.
Moreover, McCain’s use of renewable electricity is up to 18.5 per cent of its total use with CO₂ emissions reduced by six per cent from 2017, as well as a 17-per-cent reduction in CO₂ per tonne of product produced. Also, 98 per cent of its paper packaging and 90 per cent of its plastic packaging is now designed for recycling.
Additionally, all of McCain’s facilities are now GFSI certified and over the course of 2022, the organization donated the equivalent of 10.9 million meals to food banks and NGOs, supported more than 1,200 staff in 19 countries in providing 6,432 volunteer hours and reached 2,921 new beneficiaries through community projects and partnerships.
“Environmental and social stewardship are part of our DNA at McCain,” says Max Koeune, president and CEO of McCain Foods. “The escalating climate and nature crises illustrate the fragility of our global food system with wide-reaching impact on consumers, growers, the land and communities. We believe agriculture can and must be transformed to safeguard our future and we are encouraged by the progress we are seeing in our sustainability journey. While much work remains, we are determined to continue to advance on our commitments.”
