McCain India Releases the Second Edition of India Sustainability Report 2021 - Together-Towards Planet-Friendly Food

In line with its sustainable strategy and alignment to 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 celebrate real connections through delicious planet-friendly food while leveraging its ecosystem and partners to encourage sustainability - today, tomorrow and for generations to come.

Key Highlights

• 16% reduction in pesticide use
• 13% reduction in absolute emissions (Scope 1 & 2) | 1% reduction in Scope 3
• 23% electricity from renewable sources
• +1000 direct beneficiaries under Project Shakti
• 400 beneficiaries added since 2020 under Project

Utthan Debadatta Baxi, Regional Director, Human Resources, Communications & Sustainability - India, Korea, South East Asia & Taiwan at McCain Foods:

"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 environment 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 the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The India Sustainability Report 2021 highlights ways in which we are committed towards 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.
 

4 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 minimizing pesticide-use.

The growers work in line with the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to ensure safety, sustainability, soil health and biodiversity. 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 organization is committed towards 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 among the families of farmers and launching Employee Volunteering Day to devote one day towards working for charity.

The Global Sustainability Report 2020 with India-specific data released last year majorly focused on the challenges posed by the pandemic and climate change. From focusing on sustainable packaging to advancing regenerative agriculture, McCain Food keeps sustainability at the heart of the business.
 

Key Highlights (2020-21)
Pillars	Impact
Smart and Sustainable Farming	1.6% reduction in C02 emissions intensity Increase in water use efficiency by 15% as compared to F17 83% of the contracted volume of potatoes certified under Global GAP 16% reduction in pesticide use
Resource Efficient Operations	13% reduction in absolute emissions (Scope 1 & 2) | 1% reduction in Scope 3 23% electricity from renewable sources 5.7% of total waste goes to landfill100% recycled paper in packaging
Good Food	4% sodium reduction in McCain branded potato and appetizer products  Preparations underway to move from palm oil to alternative oils by 2025
Thriving Community	Project Shakti - +1000 direct beneficiaries Project Utthan – 400 beneficiaries added since 2020 Launch of Volunteering Day for all employees at McCain