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

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

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.

Commenting on the launch of the Indian Edition of Sustainability Report 2021, Mr. DebadattaBaxi, Regional Director, Human Resources, Communications & Sustainability – India, Korea, South East Asia & 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 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 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 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 specialties 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. 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.

About McCain Foods (India)

McCain Foods Ltd. is one of the world’s largest producers of French Fries and Potato Specialties. Headquartered in Florenceville, New Brunswick, Canada, McCain has grown to become a global leader in the frozen food industry with 49 production facilities, 22000+ people and its footprints across 160 countries. McCain Foods (India) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of McCain Foods Limited in Canada. Since 1998, McCain has been engaged in agriculture R&D and in development of the frozen food market in India and subcontinent countries. McCain products are used by leading fast food chains, hotels, restaurants, catering companies and are popular for in-home consumption.

Founded on a simple philosophy of good ethics is good business, McCain’s business and its Corporate Responsibility strategy is guided by its purpose of “Be Good. Do Good”. As a responsible entity, McCain believes in celebrating real connections through delicious planet-friendly food while leveraging its ecosystem and partners to bring sustainable growth and positive change – today, tomorrow and for generations to come. Being one of the largest producers of French Fries and Potato Specialties across the world for six decades, McCain Foods’ constant endeavour is to reduce the impact on the planet, by producing delicious food in a sustainable and responsible manner. Company’s CSR strategy focuses on five key areas: Agriculture, Operations, Food, Communities and Employees.