Press Release (cbedit@imaws.org)
In line with its sustainability strategy and alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals, McCain Food (India) launches the second edition of the India Sustainability Report 2021 titled – ‘Together Towards Planet-Friendly Food’. The report showcases McCain’s commitment to celebrating real connections through delicious planet-friendly food while leveraging its ecosystem and partners to encourage sustainability – today, tomorrow and for generations to come.
Commenting on the launch of the Indian Edition of Sustainability Report 2021, Debadatta Baxi, Regional Director, Human Resources, Communications and Sustainability – India, Korea, South East Asia and Taiwan at McCain Foods said, “Being a responsible food manufacturer, our key focus is on preserving the planet, encouraging the use of sustainable practices including the use of renewable sources, maintaining the quality of food in line with nutritional benefits and environmental protection and helping communities thrive to facilitate a sustainable livelihood. We aim to produce delicious food using the best sustainable methods as we are driven by the philosophy – ‘Good Ethics is Good Business’. We believe in working on strong foundations to build a safe, ethical, secure and inclusive work environment for the employees. We want to achieve a sustainable future for all, keeping in line with United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The India Sustainability Report 2021 highlights ways in which we are committed to bringing sustainable growth and how we have managed to bring a positive change with resource-efficient operations, therefore, ensuring transparency among our customers.”
Being one of the largest producers of Potato specialities and French Fries, McCain aims to make food with clear commitments towards the farmers, communities, environment and consumers, thus working towards integrating sustainable business practices across operations- from Farm to Table.
The four key pillars to bring sustainable growth and positive impact:
• Smart & Sustainable Farming
McCain puts a key focus on improving agriculture resource efficiency, with the best use of innovation and technology and mitigating climate change. This includes sourcing potatoes from local farmers to reduce Co2 emissions and minimise pesticide use. The growers work in line with the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to ensure safety, sustainability, soil health and biodiversity. The company’s efforts to shift to sustainable farming include advancing regenerative agriculture to enhance biodiversity and soil health, given the increasingly unpredictable climate.
• Resource Efficient Operations
McCain believes in producing delicious food with efficient use of natural resources such as saving energy and water and targeting zero waste by adopting recycling practices.
• Good Food
Good-quality food is produced by using ingredients recognized by the customers and making healthier choices for future products. To achieve this, McCain continues to work on the elimination of Palm Oil by the year 2025 and switch to environmentally friendly alternatives. The nutritional values are communicated to the customers on the packaging so that they can make informed decisions.
• Thriving Communities
The organisation is committed to partnering with community development projects to bring a change in the lives of farmers and empower women. Project Utthan and Project Shakti are two such projects which have been initiated in the districts of Gujarat-Mehsana and Sabarkatha. The company’s work with communities also includes donating meals to the families of farmers and launching Employee Volunteering Day to devote one day towards working for charity.
