On a biennial basis, we use a third party to help research, analyze and assess the key topics affecting Hormel Foods and the food industry.
To inform our reporting and corporate responsibility objectives, Hormel Foods engaged with BSR in 2017, a nonprofit sustainability consultancy and business network, to help us identify, prioritize and understand the topics most relevant to our business and our stakeholders. Topics were identified based on our prior assessment, industry trends and global corporate responsibility megatrends. The topics were then prioritized based on input from senior executives, our Corporate Responsibility Council and key external stakeholders, whom offer a broad and diverse perspective on Hormel Foods. We engaged senior executives representing key business functions and members of our Corporate Responsibility Council to validate our assessment and key topics.
| Key Topics | Location |
| Business ethics | Ethics, Governance & Risk |
| Corporate responsibility governance | About Hormel Foods – Governance & Financials |
| Lobbying, disclosure and political contributions | About Hormel Foods – Public Policy |
| Responsible marketing | About Hormel Foods – Responsible Marketing |
| Transparency, reporting and stakeholder engagement | About This Report – Stakeholder Feedback |
| key topics | location |
| Consumer education and information | Products – Consumer Education & Information |
| Consumer health and safety | Products – Nutrition & Wellness Products – Food Safety & Quality Products – Consumer Education & Information |
| Food safety and quality | Products – Food Safety & Quality |
| Food access and affordability | Products – Food Access & Affordability |
| GMOs | Products – Ingredients |
| Nutrition and wellness | Products – Nutrition & Wellness |
| Safe packaging | Products – Food Safety & Quality |
| Key Topics | location |
| Animal care | Supply Chain – Animal Care |
| Antibiotics | Supply Chain – Antibiotic Stewardship |
| Farmer livelihoods | Supply Chain – Farmer Livelihoods |
| Responsible sourcing and supply chain management | Supply Chain |
| Sustainable agriculture | Supply Chain – Sustainable Agriculture |
| Key Topics | Location |
| Air emissions | Environment – Greenhouse Gas Emissions |
| Climate change | Environment |
| Energy use and efficiency | Environment – Energy |
| Environmental compliance | About This Report – Data Summary Environment |
| Food waste and loss | Environment – Waste |
| Packaging footprint | Environment – Packaging |
| Renewable energy | Environment – Energy |
| Sustainable agriculture | Environment – Water |
| Waste management | Environment – Waste |
| Wastewater management | Environment – Water |
| Water use | Environment – Water |
| key topics | location |
| Employee health and wellness | People – Safety, Health & Wellness |
| Employee recruitment and retention | People – About Our Employees |
| Human Rights | People – Human Rights |
| Inclusion and diversity | People – Inclusion & Diversity |
| Occupational health and safety | People – Safety, Health & Wellness |
| key topics | location |
| Community impacts | Environment People Community |
| Distribution of profits | Community 2018 Annual Report |
| Food relief | Community – Hunger |
| Philanthropy | Community – Philanthropy |