Ardent Mills announces new environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy

The company’s fiscal year 2023 ESG Report summarises new strategy and goals across four key pillars: communities, people, planet and ingredients

Ardent Mills, the premier flour-milling and Ingredient Company, announced the release of its fiscal year 2023 (FY23) ESG report. Aligned to Ardent Mills’ ESG framework, Nourish: Intention & Impact, the report outlines new time-bound goals that cover all aspects of the business, as well as achievements and new programs from the last fiscal year.

“At Ardent Mills, our core values of trust, serving, simplicity and safety guide our commitment to nourish what’s next. We progress towards this when we enact people-centred business practices,” said Dan Dye, CEO, of Ardent Mills. “Our new ESG strategy underscores our continued dedication to intentional and impactful change – both within Ardent Mills and our surrounding communities. I am humbled by the progress demonstrated in our FY23 ESG Report and I am reminded of our commitment to create a more sustainable and prosperous future for all.”

The communities pillar has two goals, to expand agricultural education and the number of students engaged in agriculture through Ardent Mills’ ‘Growing a Better Future’ programme and to help ensure access to nutrition through partnerships with organisations that serve specific needs.

The planet pillar focuses on the responsible management of natural resources across energy, water, waste and overall opportunities for operational efficiencies. Some of the company’s efforts towards this include sourcing energy from renewable sources, ensuring its facilities partake in recycling and composting, and saving water through optimisation efforts, including regenerative agriculture collaboration, facility-level assessments and extended trailer wash cycles.

The ingredients pillar supports the company’s work to responsibly source ingredients from its suppliers. FY23 accomplishments include forming the supplier diversity lead as a new leadership role and the establishment of a goal to bring 50 new diverse suppliers into the company’s supplier portfolio by May 2024. It has also enrolled nearly 350,000 acres into Ardent Mills’ regenerative agriculture program across the US and Canada and has achieved a milestone in FY23 by sourcing 100 per cent RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil. The company has also expanded its product portfolio to introduce more gluten-free, alternative grain options that meet emerging demand.