Building Resiliency in our Supply Chains

McCormick’s Grown for Good framework includes our Grown for Good standard, the first sustainability certification of its kind specifically designed for the herbs and spices industry, and incorporates the principle of continuous improvement, including building resiliency in the communities where our iconic herbs and spices are grown. While our 2025 goal is to improve resiliency for 90% of the farmers who grow our top five iconic raw ingredients (black pepper, cinnamon, oregano, red pepper and vanilla), we understand how important it is for that to extend to their wider communities.

Due to the nature of our business, we source approximately 14,000 ingredients from over 85 different countries and, in many cases, multiple regions within those countries. Each community faces their own unique challenges and therefore there is no “one size fits all” solution to building resiliency. Before we begin designing resiliency-building initiatives, it’s important for us to get a deeper understanding of the risks and opportunities that each community faces.

McCormick sources black pepper from the southern provinces of Vietnam, and shortly after the launch our Purpose-Led Performance strategy, we partnered with CARE International to conduct an ESG risk assessment and social needs analysis within our agricultural communities. Access to safe drinking water was identified as one of the key social needs in some villages in which black pepper is grown.

We work closely with our in-country strategic suppliers to implement initiatives that build resilience. After identifying needs, we asked the teams who work directly with farming communities to propose ideas on how best to address gaps. Each year, we provide funding to deliver impactful change, and over the last few years, this has included clean drinking water initiatives in Vietnam.

Phan Thi Hang is the Chair of the Ea Tan Women’s Union and, along with around 200 members of her village, benefitted from a new water filtration system. In addition to the equipment, the local team also worked to educate the community on the importance of hygiene and clean drinking water to influence behavior change. “The program raised our awareness of the crucial role of water in our health and provided a clean water source for daily life,” Thi Hang said.

"The program raised our awareness of the crucial role of water in our health and provided a clean water source for daily life." - Phan Thi Hang

In another region, water filtration systems were installed in four schools, including the Ta Thi Kieu Kindergarten, where Nhu Y works as a teacher: “The school clean water project has had a positive impact on more than 400 students, teachers and nearly 500 households living near the school,” she said. “Using quality water is helping to prevent disease and saves on water costs.”

Since launching our Grown for Good framework, tens of thousands of agricultural household members have been positively impacted by community resiliency programs, from day care facilities in India that help to decrease the burden of unpaid work on women, to income diversification projects in Brazil that enhance economic stability, and the refurbishment of health care centres in Indonesia improving the quality of service for thousands of community members. As one need is addressed, we continue to work with our in-country partners to understand additional ways in which we can build resilient communities now and continue to impact future generations.

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