Del Monte Foods, Inc. Publishes 2021 Sustainability Report

Plant-Based Foods Leader Shares Progress to Protect the Planet, Increase Food Access and Expand Nutrition Education

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Oct 04, 2021, 10:00 ET

WALNUT CREEK, Calif., Oct. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Del Monte Foods, Inc. today published its fiscal year 2021 Sustainability Report, highlighting progress toward its sustainability goals and reaffirming the company's mission to nourish families with earth's goodness to create a healthier tomorrow where nutritious foods are more accessible to all.

"At Del Monte, we're growers of good. This past fiscal year, we extended this ethos not only to growing what's good, but also to taking care of what's good: our team members, our growers, our customers and our communities," said Greg Longstreet, President and CEO of Del Monte Foods. "Corporations are being called upon to meet the many challenges facing society today, and we're in a unique position to lead by example through our business operations, prioritizing practices that help nourish our planet and ensure that all people are able to access the nutrition they need to live healthy, happy lives. We've set ambitious goals to reach by 2025, and while there's still work to be done, I'm proud of our progress and resolute in achieving our objectives."

Del Monte Foods' 2021 Sustainability Report shares progress across the company's three sustainability pillars: Cultivating a Healthy Planet; Nurturing People and Communities; and Growing Accessible Nutrition. It was informed by a 2020 Materiality assessment as well as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Index.

Highlights include:

Decreased Scope 1 carbon emissions by 7% and Scope 2 carbon emissions by 32%.
Advanced practices that protect biodiversity including a roughly 18% increase in the number of acres that grow cover crops, resulting in nearly all of the company's vegetable growers adopting this practice.
Started trials on two new plant-based plastic alternatives while expanding recyclable packaging to roughly 96%.
Increased the percentage of women and people of color in Senior Manager and higher roles by 8% for a total of 53% diversity in this segment.
Donated more than 4 million pounds of food to address food insecurity.
Diverted more than 10 million pounds of small peach cuts from going to landfill, packaged and distributed in partnership with Feeding America to those facing food insecurity.
Educated more than 3 million children and parents on the importance of nutrition in partnership with GrowingGreat.

"As we look to the future, setting and achieving ambitious sustainability targets is more important than ever," said Molly Laverty, Del Monte Foods' Senior Manager of Environmental and Social Governance. "From adopting sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices, to working with our communities to provide equitable access to nutrition, to innovating around non-plastic and recyclable packaging, we remain focused on growing good for our planet, our communities and all those who depend on us for healthy, nourishing foods."

Access the Del Monte Foods, Inc. 2021 Sustainability Report on its website.

About Del Monte Foods
For more than 130 years, Del Monte Foods, Inc. has been driven by our mission to nourish families with earth's goodness. As the original plant-based food company, we're always innovating to make nutritious and delicious foods more accessible to consumers across our portfolio of beloved brands, including Del Monte®, Contadina®, College Inn®, and S&W®. We believe that everyone deserves great tasting food they can feel good about, which is why we grow and produce our products using sustainable, and earth-friendly practices for a healthier tomorrow.

Del Monte Foods, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of Del Monte Pacific Limited (Bloomberg: DELM SP, DELM PM) and is not affiliated with certain other Del Monte companies around the world, including Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., Del Monte Canada, or Del Monte Asia Pte. Ltd. For more information about Del Monte Foods and our products, please visit www.delmontefoods.com or www.delmonte.com.

Media Contact:
Courtney Mains
Edelman
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SOURCE Del Monte Foods, Inc.