Del Monte Foods Shares Progress Toward Company Purpose of Growing a Healthier and More Hopeful Tomorrow in 2023 ESG Report

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Apr 10, 2024, 09:30 ET

Company Shares Fiscal Year 2023 Environmental, Social & Governance Report

WALNUT CREEK, Calif., April 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, in celebration of Earth Month, Del Monte Foods, Inc. published its fiscal year 2023 Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Report, highlighting the company's commitment to being Growers of Good and demonstrating progress against the company's ESG goals.

Del Monte Foods demonstrates progress against 2025 ESG goals in 2023 ESG Report.

"At a time when concern over global resources and food insecurity are on the rise, I'm proud to lead a company that is committed to reducing our impact on the environment, championing the diversity of our team members and giving back to the communities in which we live and work," said Greg Longstreet, President and CEO of Del Monte Foods. "Thanks to the efforts of our committed Del Monte Foods team members, we continue to make progress toward our 2025 ESG goals and have already reached many of them. Even as we celebrate these milestones, we continue to push forward and work to make good on our pledges to be a grower of good for our people, our communities and the planet we all share."

In line with Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) industry standards, Del Monte Foods' 2023 ESG Report maps progress across the company's three ESG focus areas: Nourishing the Planet, Nourishing People, and Nourishing Communities. A selection of report highlights within each focus area follows.

Nourishing the Planet – The company is working to build its environmental integrity through eight impact areas, including:

Carbon Footprint Reduction: Since 2021, the company has seen a 6% reduction in Scope 1, 2 and 3 total emissions and set a net-zero target, committing to carbon reduction targets in line with the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) Net Zero Standard.
Regenerative Agriculture: Created a collaborative forum for organic tomato growers, where they can share best practices, learn more about regenerative agriculture processes and collaborate to enrich the collective community and planet.
Sustainable Packaging: Began incorporating post-consumer resin (PCR) in plastic beverage cups, marking progress against the company's goal to include 25% recycled content in plastic packaging. By 2030, the company aims to make 100% of plastic packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable.

Nourishing People – The company is continually working to care for its team members at an individual level, for example:

Creating Inclusive Culture: Earned a top score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index for LGBTQ+ equality and inclusion.
Diversity in Management: Maintained diversity in management with women and people of color filling over 50% of Senior Manager or higher roles; an 8% increase since 2020.
Del Monte Foods Education Scholarship: Awarded ten $5,000 college scholarships to team members' children in a new annual program.

Nourishing Communities – The company continues to find effective ways to make nutritious food accessible and bring nutrition education to families and communities, including:

Nourishing Families by Nourishing Schools Program: Continuing a $5 million commitment, Del Monte Foods reached 1.25 million families and engaged over 4,000 schools in 2023 with its Nourishing Families by Nourishing Schools program in partnership with Alliance for a Healthier Generation. The program strives to improve the physical, mental and social emotional well-being of children. The company continues to make progress toward its goal of reaching 75% of students that represent Black, Indigenous and people of color populations.
Team Member and Company Donations: Team members made donations to nonprofits of their choice through the Donation Matching Program, and Del Monte Foods donated over 4.7 million pounds of food, with a value of more than $3.3 million through partnerships with the American Red Cross and Feeding America.

"We're so excited to showcase the hard work Del Monte Foods has been doing to strengthen our commitments to growing good for the planet and the people on it," said Molly Laverty, Director of Environmental, Social & Governance at Del Monte Foods "Sustainability is not only good for the planet, it's simply good business. This report reflects our dedication to integrating our purpose into every aspect of our operations as we continue to do our part to build a more sustainable future for generations to come."

To download the 2023 ESG Report and for further information on Del Monte Foods' programs, visit this link.

About Del Monte Foods

For more than 135 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®, Kitchen Basics®, JOYBA®, Take Root Organics™ 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 Contacts:

Drew McGowan
Del Monte Foods
[email protected]
415-637-5732

Courtney Mains
Edelman
[email protected]
408-835-5323

SOURCE Del Monte Foods, Inc.