TORONTO — McCain Foods has released its global Sustainability Report 2024.
“Agriculture is at the heart of our business, and our commitment to re-generative agriculture is at the core of our sustainability journey,” says Max Koeune, president and CEO of McCain Foods. “In the face of challenges like extreme weather, geopolitical unrest, and inflation, McCain remains dedicated to working with partners and communities to drive meaningful progress toward its targets to achieve a resilient supply chain and a more sustainable future.”
Key 2024 sustainability highlights include:
Smart and Sustainable Farming
- Seventy-one per cent of its farming partners were onboarded to the McCain Re-generative Agriculture Framework, and 24 per cent are engaged.
- Expanded global agriculture financial support partnerships, with nearly half of McCain farming partners eligible for re-generative agriculture loans or incentives.
- Delivered more than 25,600 hours of training to help farming partners transition to re-generative farming methods.
- Twenty-two per cent of its total portfolio used water-stress tolerant potato varieties.
Resource-Efficient Operations
- Twenty-three per cent of total electrical energy consumption is from renewable electricity.
- Twelve-per-cent reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions since 2017.
- Twenty per cent improvement in water use efficiency at priority plants since 2017.
- Approximately nine-per-cent reduction in food waste intensity across operations since 2020.
- Approximately 99 per cent of paper packaging and 92 per cent of plastic packaging is designed to be recycled.
Good Food
- Ninety-seven per cent of eggs came from cage-free hens.
- Acquired vegetable-forward Strong Roots brand, expanding plant-forward product offering.
- Ninety-eight per cent of McCain-owned facilities and tier one ingredient supplier facilities achieved GFSI-recognized certification.
- Reduced the sales-weighted average sodium in McCain-branded appetizer products by 6.5 per cent since 2018.
Thriving Communities
- Donated more than 18 million meals to food banks and NGOs in 2024.
- Contributed more than 24,000 employee volunteer hours in 2024.
- Supported 13,971 vulnerable farmers and families since 2018, achieving McCain’s 2025 target a year ahead of schedule.
- Launched flagship community project, the Eastfield Community Shop, in partnership with Community Shop Group in the U.K., which benefitted 1,262 community members in its first year.
- Through Project Utthan, the company helped farmers increase their income by 25 per cent through transitioning to high-yield, short-term crops.
“It’s through collaboration across the value chain that we are able to drive progress,” adds Koeune. “Our ambition to lead in re-generative agriculture has the potential to drive meaningful progress for farmers, communities, and consumers. As we look to the future, we recognize there is more to do and strive to amplify these efforts, creating a lasting impact on the global food system.”
To view the full report, click here.
