BAKERSFIELD, CA – Grimmway Farms, the largest producer of USA-grown organic fruits and vegetables and the world’s largest producer of carrots, has released its first official Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Report. Grimmway’s Responsible Growth for a Healthier World signals a CEO-led commitment to measure, quantify, and share its ESG progress year-over-year and across its multi-state operations.
Presenting Grimmway’s ESG actions and accomplishments over an 18-month period (January 2020-June 2021), the report measures the company’s impact against relevant categories outlined in the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Universal Standards. These areas include carbon mitigation, water conservation, soil health, biodiversity, energy conservation, waste reduction, food safety, employee health, and diversity and social equity, among others.
“At the core of our business is our role as protectors and caretakers of the farmland that has supported our growth for more than 50 years,” said Grimmway Farms President and CEO Jeff Huckaby. “Long before climate change and ESG became part of everyday conversations, Grimmway was committed to enterprise-wide sustainability and diversity initiatives. We are making strategic, long-term investments to reduce our carbon footprint, conserve and replenish vital water and soil resources, apply new technologies and efficiencies across our operations and supply chain, and bring advanced training and career opportunities to our diverse workforce.”
Among the report’s highlights:
- Leadership in Organics: Grimmway’s organics footprint spans more than 45,000 acres and 65 different crops, all grown free of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, preservatives and GMOs.
- Soil Health: In 2020, Grimmway put 65 million pounds of carbon into the soil using carrot top green waste, and 86 million pounds of carbon into the soil from applied compost and animal waste.
- Clean Energy: Grimmway owns and operates five solar arrays at four different facilities that generate enough electricity to power more than 1,100 California households every year.
- Water Conservation: In 2020 Grimmway reduced water usage on its three largest California ranches by more than 7 million gallons. A new large-scale water banking project in the San Joaquin Valley is projected to recharge over 20,000 acre-feet of high flows – or more than 6.5 billion gallons of water – by 2028.
- Waste Management: More than 92 percent of Grimmway’s primary active packaging is made from recyclable material.
- Carbon Emissions: Grimmway has pledged to become a Net Zero carbon business by 2050 or sooner, in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Grimmway is committed to inclusivity, professional growth opportunities, and anti-bias education for all employees. In 2021, the company named its first Chief People Officer to advance and measure DEI initiatives across the enterprise.
Grimmway formalized a data-driven ESG reporting structure beginning in 2019 across all of its operations and geographies. The company has established a dedicated internal ESG Task Force to oversee the company’s ongoing reporting activities and manage the data capture process from farm to table.
In committing to work toward full reporting against approved GRI Standards, subsequent annual Grimmway ESG reports will enable the company to further identify and advance its sustainability goals, measure and compare progress against global industry peers, and foster greater transparency and accountability. The report is available on the company’s website and has been distributed to stakeholders, including customers, supply chain and industry partners, and employees.
About Grimmway Farms
Grimmway Farms is the largest producer of USA-grown organic fruits and vegetables and the world’s largest producer of carrots. More than 8,000 employees enable Grimmway to grow, pack and ship more than 1.3 million tons of fresh carrots and 385,000 tons of organic produce to customers in all 50 states and more than 20 countries each year. Headquartered in Bakersfield, California, Grimmway’s operations span seven states and encompass more than 50,000 acres of certified organic produce and 45,000 acres of carrots. For more information, please visit grimmway.com.
