We are currently fully focused on sustainably sourcing all five of our branded iconic products by 2025. However, as we begin to reach our targets, additional focus will be given to the next seven ingredients on our priority list: turmeric, cumin, celery seed, dill seed, ginger, sage, cardamom, cloves and thyme.
In addition to our five iconic ingredients, palm oil, rice, soy and wheat are four agricultural commodities our organization produces or sources that are most significant to our business by revenue. Thus, we continue to pursue ways to source these raw materials in a less resource-intensive, sustainable manner.
Palm Oil
McCormick does not produce or use significant volumes of palm oil; however, due to our 2017 acquisition of the French’s Food Company, we use palm oil in the production of specific French’s products. Despite the relatively low volumes of palm oil we use, we identified it as a priority raw material due to its potential impact on deforestation. As part of our Purpose-led Performance program, a cross-functional task force on palm oil sustainability carries out an annual palm oil supply chain assessment and reviews progress towards a 2025 commitment roadmap. The roadmap captures McCormick’s global uses of palm oil along with the availability of sustainable palm oil to help prioritize its use.
To mitigate the use of palm oil in our products, McCormick has joined the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) program, an organization that implements global standards for sustainable palm oil. In 2020, we met our 2025 goal to sustainability source 100% of the palm oil within our supply chain through the RSPO. Additionally, we’re working with other organizations, like the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) to establish programs and processes to reduce risk surrounding palm oil and its sustainable production.
Soy
We have named soy a priority ingredient due to its association with deforestation risks. Our risk around deforestation related to soy is very low as a large majority of our soy is sourced in North America. Our Global Supplier Code of Conduct covers our first-tier suppliers and requires our suppliers to be responsible for any deforestation and environmental impacts as well as the impacts of their own suppliers. Additionally, our supplier code of conduct allows us to audit our suppliers and inspect records related to their own upstream suppliers.