Ardent Mills Releases Third Annual Corporate Social Responsibility Report

The FY22 report outlines progress against the company's sustainability, people and nutrition goals

DENVER, Oct. 17, 2022 /CNW/ -- Ardent Mills, the premier flour-milling and ingredient company, today announced the release of its Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report. The report outlines the company's progress toward transforming how the world is nourished, including advancement against commitments aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

"Despite another year of challenges for our industry, we remained resolute in our commitments to our people, customers, suppliers, consumers, communities, and the planet," said Dan Dye, CEO of Ardent Mills. "By continuing to invest in our shared future, we are living out our mission to nourish what's next – each and every day."

The report reflects the company's goals, initiatives and progress across three core pillars: Sustainability, People and Nutrition. Ardent Mills' initiatives aim to protect the long-term viability of the food system, propel employees and communities forward, and improve access to nutritious ingredient solutions on local, national and global scales.

FY22 highlights include:

Sustainability:

• Enrolled 250,913 acres in regenerative agriculture initiatives intended to help ensure productive and profitable farmland by improving soil health and conserving water. This year, the company expanded on its 2025 goal to work towards 750,000 acres enrolled.
• Measured 145,129 program acres utilizing no-till farming practices.
• Achieved 30 percent of total operations powered by renewable energy, up 7 percentage points over FY21.*
• Added eight additional facilities to the organic material waste diversion program, totaling 15 locations, one-third of the way toward the company's goal to have all 45 facilities participating.
• Saved 4.8 million gallons of water through wash cycle maximization.

People:

• Created the People Plant Promise initiative which enhances the work experience for front-line team members.
• Expanded employee resource groups (ERGs) participation and bolstered representation and visibility of underrepresented groups, including ERGs celebrating Black excellence, LGBTQ+ employees, women in ag, women in tech and military veterans.
• Exceeded access to nutrition goals set for 2025, including 171,000 pounds of food donated and more than $300,000 raised for food banks.
• Relaunched the Ardent Mills Cultivate initiative and embedded 40 university students across the business to gain technical and leadership skills.

Nutrition:

• Launched Emerging Nutrition, a center of expertise dedicated to innovation in alternative grains.
• Developed new products in the areas of keto-friendly, gluten-free, chickpea and Certified Organic Ultragrain flours.
• Partnered with Partners in Food Solutions where Ardent Mills employees remotely shared their expertise with entrepreneurial agri-biz companies in 11 African countries, contributing more than 4,200 hours to 100+ businesses.

"At Ardent Mills, our values – trust, serving, simplicity and safety – propel us to embrace opportunities for growth, innovation and acceleration. Our CSR efforts are a critical part of this continued journey," said Heather Dumas, chief people officer, Ardent Mills. "We believe that impact is best realized when we work together – spanning our people, customers, industry peers and beyond. It's with this spirit of collaboration and entrepreneurship that we can further drive tangible impact."

To learn more about the company's CSR initiatives, visit the Ardent Mills CSR page.

* Percentage calculation reflects directly sourcing of renewable energy and retaining related renewable energy credits (RECs), participation in community solar projects and purchase of replacement RECs.

About Ardent Mills

Ardent Mills is committed to transforming how the world is nourished. As the premier flour-milling and ingredient company, we cultivate the future of plant-based solutions to help our customers and communities thrive. We operate in more than 40 locations that specialize in flour, quinoa, pulses, and organic and gluten-free products that drive emerging nutrition and innovation across plant-based ingredients. Our holistic portfolio empowers us to meet the complex needs of customers today while focusing on the growing needs of tomorrow's consumer. Deeply rooted in communities throughout North America, we operate in Canada, the US and Puerto Rico with company headquarters in Denver, Colorado. We employ more than 100 certified millers and support thousands of local jobs that contribute billions of dollars to local economies -- helping our people, our customers, and families everywhere flourish. To learn more about our mission and our solutions, visit ardentmills.com.

MEDIA CONTACT
Kelley Kaiser
External Communications Manager, Ardent Mills
[email protected]

SOURCE Ardent Mills