2026 Pesticides in the Pantry:
Transparency & risk in food supply chains
Major food companies, again, fail to address pesticide risk and protect human health.
Summary and Methodology
This year, major food companies continued to fail to address pesticide risk in their supply chains. Notably many companies are turning their backs on previous pesticide reduction commitments, disclosures, and practices. Meanwhile, chronic health conditions associated with pesticide exposure, like Parkinson’s and cancer, are on the rise.
Current failing federal pesticide regulations and policies also contribute to the increase in pesticide-related health impacts. As pesticide regulations continue weakening, investors, consumers, and stakeholders look to major food companies to fill the gaps and support pesticide reduction practices that protect human and environmental health.
This scorecard benchmarks major food manufacturers and suppliers on their adoption of practices to measure and mitigate harm and risks related to the use of synthetic pesticides in agricultural supply chains. In scoring a set of questions related to pesticide-related company strategies and disclosures, the report provides a picture of the industry’s overall performance, distinguishes leaders from laggards, and highlights notable practices.
For this report, 17 major food companies were scored on a total of 9 multitiered key performance indicators. Company scores are based on a thorough review of publicly available information, including companies’ published reports, webpages, and press statements. In the case of international companies, U.S.-specific information was used where available; if the company did not clearly differentiate between U.S. and global policies, the latter were reported.
Companies’ scores reflect an industry-wide shift away from the promotion of pesticide reduction practices and reporting. The majority of companies’ scores decreased, and only one company, Lamb Weston, received a higher score than previous years. The median company grade was, again, an F.
Results
The following 17 companies are included in this review (listed alphabetically): Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Bloch & Guggenheimer (B&G) Foods Inc., Campbell Soup Company, Cargill, Conagra Brands Inc., Danone S. A., Del Monte Pacific Limited Foods Inc., General Mills Inc., Kellanova, The Kraft Heinz Company, Lamb Weston Holdings Inc., Mars Incorporated, Mondelēz International Inc., Nestlé, PepsiCo Inc., Post Holdings, Inc., and The J. M. Smucker Company.
Each company was given the opportunity to review the information compiled in this report and provide additional information or clarification.
Questions were written to elicit key information about supply chain pesticide use. Questions focus on transparency around pesticides, whether companies have conducted assessments to understand the risks associated with use of pesticides in their supply chain, and whether companies have adopted strategies or policies to reduce the use of pesticides in their supply chain. This deliberate recognition of pesticide use as an issue to be addressed is a critical first step on a company’s path toward identifying solutions.
