In a bid to further its commitment to sustainable, ethical, and responsible production, US-headed Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), one of the world’s largest agricultural processors and food ingredient providers has launched a new Policy to Protect Forests, Biodiversity, and Communities. ADM aims to eliminate deforestation from all of the company’s supply chains by 2030.
According to a statement, ADM’s previous policy was issued in 2015, and the company began the process of reviewing and revising it last year as a step toward building a more resilient and sustainable food system. ADM aims to eliminate deforestation from all of the company’s supply chains by 2030.
ADM is the bridge between the producer on the farm and the consumer-facing brands on our tables, and we are in a unique position to influence sustainable practices across the entire supply chain. As we carry out our mission to unlock the power of nature to enrich lives, we recognize the critical role natural resources play in the future of our planet, said ADM Chairman and CEO Juan Luciano.
The new “policy to protect” includes provisions that promote conservation of water resources and biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, promote solutions to reduce climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and support agriculture as a means to advance sustainable development by reducing poverty and increasing food security.
Additionally, the policy confirms ADM’s commitment to protecting human rights defenders, whistleblowers, complainants, and community spokespersons; ADM’s aspiration to cooperate with all parties necessary to enable access to fair and just remediation; and the company’s non-compliance protocol for suppliers.
We are fully committed to ending deforestation and to preserving biodiversity and water resources in our supply chain. This new policy reaffirms ADM’s commitment to responsible sourcing and will help us further reduce the impact of our operations and supply chain, and continue to hold our suppliers to high standards, said Juan Luciano.
Soy- and palm oil traceability
By the end of 2022, the company expects to achieve full traceability of its direct and indirect sourcing throughout its soy supply chains in Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina.
In the soy supply chain, ADM’s goal is to end native vegetation conversion in the shortest time possible, reconciling production of soy with environmental, economic, and social interests in high-risk areas such as the Cerrado and Chaco biomes in South America.
ADM has also achieved a high level of traceability to the mill in the palm supply chain and is working to increase traceability to plantations. To accelerate the transformation and effective implementation of its commitments, ADM has joined the Palm Oil Collaboration Group (POCG), a multi-stakeholder initiative including companies from every stage of the palm oil supply chain.
ADM is actively participating in collaborative action to implement the Integrated Reporting Framework (IRF) and to address social issues across the palm supply chain.
ADM publishes supply chain-specific action plans and biannual progress reports focused on palm oil and South American soy, which contain specific milestones and data on the company’s continued progress toward meeting ADM’s sustainability goals.
ADM will continue its study of how the company can increase the scale, pace, and rigor of its efforts to eliminate deforestation and native vegetation conversion in its supply chains and issue a report on the subject by the end of the first quarter of 2022.
ADM says that it recognizes the importance of collective action to accelerate sustainable practices in the agriculture value chain.
It is a founding member and signatory to the Amazon Soy Moratorium and the Para Green Protocol of Grains in Brazil, a founding member of the Soft Commodities Forum, a global platform convened by the World Business Council on Sustainable Development, and the ViSeC (Vision Sectorial del Gran Chaco), among others.
