Lactalis Canada Releases 2021 ESG Report

Lactalis Canada, the Canadian dairy leader behind iconic brands like Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, Balderson, Astro and Lactantia and a subsidiary of France-based Lactalis Group, today released Lactalis Canada's 2021 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report which highlights the company's ongoing efforts to drive meaningful change for its people and the communities in which it operates as well as some of the planet's most pressing environmental challenges.

"Lactalis Canada's 2021 ESG Report serves as a clear roadmap; one that embraces our key stakeholders, including our people, consumers, customers, suppliers, dairy farmers, government and industry partners to join us on this important journey and make a positive impact on the wellbeing of our communities and the planet," said Mark Taylor, President & CEO, Lactalis Canada. "This is the first step in a multi-year transformation plan that we expect will manage future risks and reflect the growth, evolution and innovation of our business. It will enable us to take proactive, sustainable and responsible action towards the ESG challenges and opportunities ahead of us."

Lactalis Canada's report is directly aligned with the company's global ESG framework set by Lactalis Group, focusing on three key pillars of impact: 1) People & Communities; 2) Authentic Products & Heritage; and 3) Land & Resources.

2021 highlights include:

People & Communities:
Increased focus and investments in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and mental health supports for employees.
Investment of $2.9 million in more than 50 charitable organizations across the country, including ongoing support for the company's 33-year partnership with Kids Help Phone and partnership with Grocery Foundation.
Partnership with the David Suzuki Foundation's Butterflyway Project at the company's Winchester, Ontario facility to create native pollinator gardens and help restore vital habitats for bees and butterflies.
Authentic Products & Heritage:
Optimization of milk supply during the height of the pandemic, procuring and processing milk surplus available in the provinces in which Lactalis Canada operates, helping ensure consistent supply for Canadians and reducing milk waste on farms.
Doubling the intake and processing of organic milk from Canadian farms.
Advancing "clean label" initiatives to simplify ingredient declarations on products, including the removal of artificial colours and flavours across a variety of products.

Land & Resources
Doubling the use of the Canadian rail network in less than two years, resulting in a 70 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions in transport activities in British Columbia and Alberta.
Implementing 12 corrugate cardboard projects, eliminating almost 52,000 kgs of corrugate cardboard from use as packaging, saving approximately 900 trees annually.