Supply Chain World - Volume 7, Issue 3 - 118

food & beverage conagra brands inc.

Conagra's Green Pillars
With its proactive focus on modernizing its iconic food brands while adapting
to the changing CPG market, Conagra Brands has not let sustainable initiatives
pass it by. Instead, the company concentrates on providing food that is safely
prepared with responsibly sourced ingredients, while also taking care of its communities and the environment.
Conagra' commitment is reflected through its four citizenship pillars, including its "Better Planet" focus. "The health of our planet and the availability of its
natural resources are deeply linked to every part of our business," the company
explains. "We're committed to taking action in several key areas to ensure that
we make great food in an environmentally responsible way."
Through its "Good Food" focus, Conagra ensures that its food meets high
quality and safety standards. "We follow rigorous food-safety practices, take a
practical and realistic approach to nutrition and health, and provide consumers
the resources they need to make educated food choices," it says.
The company also strives to create shared value with its stakeholders through its
"Stronger Communities" focus, which it says is critical to its success. "We maintain
an ethical, high-integrity culture, fuel a rewarding workplace with our timeless values
and invest in areas where our offices and facilities are located," Conagra says.
Finally, with its "Responsible Sourcing" initiative, the organization holds itself
accountable for how ingredients and materials are sourced. "It begins with the farms
where the ingredients are grown and extends throughout our supply chain with care
and consideration for the people, animals and environment all along the way," it says.
Serious Business
Conagra has created subcommittees for each of its areas of focus, notes Chief
Procurement Officer and Senior Vice President Jim O'Rourke. "Each of those
efforts has a leader, and we've put a team around it," he says, noting that the
company places a high value on employee involvement in these efforts.
Some have volunteered to be part of these teams, which report back to a

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Steering Committee in which O'Rourke
plays a key role. This committee engages Conagra's senior leadership team.
"We take it very seriously," O'Rourke asserts.
"We spend a fair bit of time with activist investors and NGOs answering questions
and helping them understand what we're doing," O'Rourke continues. "We [also]
publish a very thorough corporate social responsibility report every year."
One task for the CSR Steering Committee is to develop goals and strategies
for each pillar, including Responsible Sourcing. The team then leverages a
cross-functional team of procurement, sustainability and social responsibility
experts, whose stewardship of Responsible Sourcing is integrated into their
day-to-day work.
Through the use of science-based tools, supplier assessments and its Supplier Code of Conduct, Conagra identifies, monitors and reduces environmental
and social risks in its supply chain. "We manage the risks by sourcing from
low-risk geographies, implementing commodity-specific procurement policies
that address topics such as animal welfare and deforestation, and by sourcing
certified sustainable ingredients and materials, where most impactful and
meaningful to our stakeholders," the company explains.
One instance when Conagra demonstrated its focus on responsible sourcing concerned a palm oil supplier that was decertified. "That wasn't acceptable," O'Rourke recalls. "We had to go find another supplier at a premium in
order to maintain our sustainable palm oil certification."
Although Conagra Brands temporarily replaced the supplier, it did not rule out
working with it again. "When the incumbent supplier was cleared by the Malaysian
authorities and the powers that be, we reactivated them and went back to them," he
says. "We didn't walk away from them completely, but things weren't right."
O'Rourke notes that the company also works to keep its vendors in compliance by sending reminders about regulations. "[We're] asking them to fill out
a survey and confirm that they intend to be in compliance based upon what we
require in our contracts," he says.

Conagra ensures that its food
meets high quality and safety
standards. It provides consumers
with information to help them
make educated food choices.

also found "disagreement is not
disrespect in the right circumstances," and proper, ongoing communication is necessary in any mission.
In Korea, O'Rourke and the platoon
were on the DMZ, so if anyone went
118

Supply Chain World VOLUME 7, ISSUE 3

the wrong way, they could encounter live mine fields or any number of
other unfortunate circumstances.
Mixed signals and mixed messages
had serious consequences, and he
still believes that today.

"Back then, it was before email
or all of our current devices, so we
had typed or handwritten memos,
the phone or face-to-face communication," O'Rourke says. "I
saw a lot of pretty simple things
get misconstrued because people
wanted to send memos back and
forth and didn't want to go see that
person or just pick up the phone.
We were running out of a relatively
tiny base, so there weren't a lot of
excuses for that. For me and the
teams I've managed since then, I
really want them to think about
communication protocols and be
face to face when possible so they
can understand what the other
person's concerns are.
"You pick up the phone, and you
can hear what the inflection in their

Supply Chain World - Volume 7, Issue 3

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