JM Smucker

No leading practices were identified for the company in the governance and strategy measurement area.

No leading practices were identified for the company in the environment measurement area.

No leading practices were identified for the company in the nutrition measurement area.

No leading practices were identified for the company in the social inclusion measurement area.

Sustainable development strategy
As part of its sustainability strategy, JM Smucker has identified focus areas covering topics related to nutrition, social inclusion, and the environment. However, the company has an opportunity to disclose its process for identifying and prioritising the topics on which it has the most impact.

Governance and accountability for sustainable development
JM Smucker demonstrates that the board is ultimately responsible for the sustainability strategy and its execution. In addition, the company discloses having persons and teams to facilitate the strategy’s effective implementation. However, JM Smucker has an opportunity to demonstrate that it is linking remuneration for the board or executives to sustainability performance.

Stakeholder engagement
The company does not disclose stakeholder engagement activities, including how it selects the stakeholders, nor an overview of the topics discussed or their outcomes.

Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions
JM Smucker reports on total scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions and demonstrates a reduction over time. In addition, while the company set a 2020 target to reduce GHG emission intensity by 10%, it is not clear whether this target includes both scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions and reporting on emission intensity includes scope 2 only. JM Smucker thus has an opportunity to set reduction targets for both scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions.

Protection of terrestrial natural ecosystems
JM Smucker demonstrates it has achieved a deforestation and conversion-free (DCF) supply chains for some but not all its high-risk commodities. The company discloses that 100% of its palm oil supply is certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, as well as that 10% of its coffee comes from certified sources. No information on the proportion of its soy supply chain that is DCF was found. JM Smucker can strengthen its commitment by setting DCF targets for all its relevant high-risk commodities and reporting on the percentage of these that are DCF.

Food loss and waste
The company does not disclose that it is addressing food loss and waste in its own operations. The company has an opportunity to disclose a commitment by demonstrating policies and/or activities that tackle food loss and waste.

Plastic use and packaging waste
JM Smucker has set a target to have 100% recyclable, compostable or reusable packaging by 2025 and to use 30% of post-consumer plastic or renewable source materials in plastic packaging by 2030. While it reports it is on track, JM Smucker does not provide quantitative reporting against these targets.

Availability of healthy foods
JM Smucker does not provide evidence of improving the nutritional quality of its products and of proportionally increasing the sales of healthy and nutritious foods.

Accessibility and affordability of healthy foods
JM Smucker does not disclose a commitment and activities to improve the accessibility and affordability of healthy foods for vulnerable groups.

Clear and transparent labelling
While JM Smucker discloses a commitment of compliance with national regulations regarding labelling and commits to providing nutritional information on key relevant nutrients through back-of-pack labels, it has an opportunity to make nutritional information more visible to consumers through the adoption of front-of-pack labels and/or any other consumer-facing nutrition label.

Responsible marketing
While the company has a commitment to market its products responsibly, particularly to children, it has an opportunity to disclose evidence of activities promoting healthy foods.

Food safety
JM Smucker demonstrates a commitment to ensuring safe food for consumers and discloses that all its operations are certified to a food safety scheme recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative. The company has an opportunity to also disclose information on such certifications in its supply chain.

Child labour
JM Smucker commits to prohibiting child labour in its own operations, requires its suppliers to adhere to the same standard, and requires suppliers to have an age-verification mechanism. However, it has an opportunity to disclose a coordinated and consistent monitoring system for its own operations and supply chain.

Forced labour
JM Smucker commits to not using forced labour in its operations and requires its suppliers to adhere to the same standard. While the company requires its suppliers to respect workers’ rights to collective bargaining and freedom of association and to not interfere with workers seeking to exercise these rights, it has an opportunity to disclose the same commitment for its own operations.

Living wage
When minimum wages are not sufficient to cover basic needs, JM Smucker specifies that its suppliers should strive to pay living wages. However, the company does not demonstrate that it requires its suppliers to ensure wages are sufficient to cover basic needs and some discretionary income for a worker and his or her family. In addition, the company has an opportunity to demonstrate it pays its workers a living wage or set targets to do so.

Farmer and fisher productivity and resilience
JM Smucker commits to support the resilience of farmers and producers in its supply chain and discloses evidence of related activities. These include projects to increase yield and profitability for coffee farmers. While JM Smucker reports on the impact of some its activities, it has an opportunity to demonstrate that it is measuring the impact of all its support activities as part of a strategic, holistic approach.

JM Smucker commits to respecting human rights and ILO core labour rights in its operations and expects its suppliers to respect ILO core labour rights. In addition, it provides grievance mechanisms that are accessible for workers and third parties. While demonstrating conducting human rights risks assessments in its supply chain, the company does not disclose how it identified human rights risks in its operations nor how it assesses and integrates salient human rights risks in its operations and supply chain. Lastly, JM Smucker can improve disclosure on its engagement with affected and potentially affected stakeholders by disclosing examples of engagement activities and key stakeholder groups.

JM Smucker commits to respect the health and safety of its workers and expects its supply chain partners to adhere to the same standards. However, the company does not disclose how it monitors health and safety in it supply chain nor disclose quantitative health and safety information. JM Smucker demonstrates that over 40% of its board members are female, but lacks to disclose a commitment or target towards gender equality and women’s empowerment. In relation to workforce diversity, JM Smucker discloses on several markers of diversity and can further improve by disaggregating this data for each employee category. No commitments or reporting on collective bargaining and working hours were found.

JM Smucker commits to protecting personal data but does not specify whether it allows users to retrieve a copy of user information collected by the company. It also commits to prohibiting bribery and corruption in its operations and supply chain and provides a related grievance mechanism. However, JM Smucker does not disclose its process to identify its bribery and corruption risks and impacts. The company discloses a policy that details its approach to political engagement and reports on its lobbying expenditures, but can improve disclosure on how it ensures third-party lobbyists comply with its lobbying and political engagement policies. No relevant disclosure on tax was found in the public domain.