Sustainable Agriculture
We know that our most significant environmental and social impacts occur in our supply chain, in the growing of our agricultural ingredients. According to a new report, agriculture is the single-largest driver of deforestation on Earth, the largest user of water, the biggest user of chemicals and the most significant source of water pollution.1 In recent years, food security – i.e., the question of how to feed the ever-increasing global population going forward – has also emerged as a critical issue facing the agriculture industry.
Nearly all of the foods we make at Kellogg are derived from simple grains, and fortunately, grains have a lower environmental impact than many other foods. They are also a good way to feed the world, as they use fewer resources per calorie to produce than, say, meat or cheese.2
As a responsible food company, we want to do our part to minimize the impacts of agricultural production and help the agricultural sector be more sustainable. It’s the right thing to do, and it’s what our consumers – who are increasingly interested in where and how their food is grown – expect us to do.
As discussed in this section,3 our sustainable agriculture work focuses primarily on the grains we use most – wheat, corn and rice – as well as on palm oil. Our approach involves working with breeders and growers of these products and in partnership with other organizations. We are also beginning to look more closely at our cocoa supply chain; we look forward to reporting on those efforts in the future. (See the Responsible Sourcing section for general information about our efforts to ensure an ethical and transparent supply chain.)
Simple Grains
Most of our foods are derived from the goodness of simple grains. To learn more about how some of our most popular cereals are made – and to meet some of the farmers who grow our grains – visit our website. Be sure to click on “watch the videos” at the bottom of the page.
For a closer look at our work with rice farmers in the U.S., watch this video.
Where Are Our Ingredients Grown?
There’s no question that Kellogg is a global company with a global supply chain. But most of our ingredients are grown and sourced in the same regions as the manufacturing plants where they are made into our popular and delicious foods.
Our foods made in Australia, for example, are made with 100 percent Australian-grown grains. All of the rice and corn we use in our U.S. products is grown in the U.S., as is the majority of the wheat (a small percentage is grown in Canada). All of the wheat for our products made in Europe is grown in Europe. In Colombia, 100 percent of the rice we use and 50 to 60 percent of the corn we use comes from local growers.
While many factors go into determining where we source our ingredients (including cost, quality, availability and so forth), the “localness” of the supply is one important criteria.