CHICAGO -- With health and sustainability as two of today’s hottest foodservice trends, snack and candy brands worldwide are working to improve their consumers’ quality of life.
Nestle, General Mills, Hershey and other familiar brands recently unveiled programs aimed at making the world a better place. Here's a look at five of those initiatives ...
On May 15, Nestle launched its Nestle for Healthier Kids initiative. The program aims to help 50 million children lead healthy lives by 2030 through providing clean products and advice regarding nutrition and exercise.
The Vevey, Switzerland-based company’s immediate goals by 2020 with this approach include:
In April, General Mills released its 2018 Global Responsibility Report, detailing the company’s long-term approach to creating environmental, social and economic value in its operating countries.
General Mills’ key areas of focus in 2017 included protecting and restoring natural resources, sourcing sustainable ingredients, increasing organic acreage and strengthening its communities. According to the report, the Minneapolis-based company became the second-largest U.S. organic food producer, invested more than $3.25 million in healthy soil initiatives and donated 30 million meals to malnourished children and families last year.
The Hershey Co. introduced its Cocoa for Good strategy in early April. The program addresses issues such as poverty and poor nutrition in cocoa-growing communities.
The Hershey, Pa.-based company looks to invest $500 million in this project by 2030 through various programs and partnerships in four key areas: nourishing children, elevating youth, prospering communities and preserving ecosystems. Hershey said it foresees Cocoa for Good affecting thousands of farmers in cocoa-growing regions with a focus on West Africa, where about 70% of the world’s cocoa is grown.
In March, Unilever partnered with Growing Roots, an organic, plant-based-food brand that donates half its profits to farming initiatives, to enhance its own U.S. urban farming efforts.
Unilever has launched urban farming programs in previous years as part of its Sustainable Living Plan, providing fresh food and nutrition education in communities nationwide. In 2015, the London and Rotterdam, Netherlands-based company created urban farms in New York. Three years later, those farms have generated about 32,000 pounds of organic produce. Unilever plans to help more than a billion people improve their health and wellness by 2020 through its Sustainable Living Plan, the company said.
In December, Kind Healthy Snacks reinforced its motto to “to make the world a little kinder one snack and one act at a time” by launching a video campaign discussing the courage it takes to be kind toward strangers. Through the video and a nationwide contest, Kind explored the difference between being nice and kind—an “often overlooked distinction that has tangible implications on how we act toward one another,” as said in the video. To get people discussing the topic, the New York-based company encouraged fans to submit their opinions on the differences via a written essay, photo or video for the chance to win $25,000.
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