Conagra: Disclosure of Pesticide Use in Agricultural Supply Chains
Resolved: Shareholders request that Conagra Brands issue a report, at reasonable cost and omitting proprietary information, explaining if and how the company is measuring the use, in its agricultural supply chains, of pesticides that cause harm to human health, pollinators, and the environment.
Supporting Statement: While specific metrics are left to management discretion, shareholders recommend that the company measure and disclose the following information:
Type and amount of pesticides avoided annually through targeted strategies
Priority pesticides for reduction or elimination
Company targets and timelines, if any, for pesticide reduction.
Whereas: The use of pesticides in food production is leading to significant harm. One third of every bite of food is dependent on pollinators; but pollinator species are declining at alarming rates in significant part due to the use of toxic pesticides on farms. Scientists point to neonicotinoid-coated seeds as a major culprit of pollinator decline, and consumer advocates have specifically pointed out that Conagra’s Orville Redenbacher brand of popcorn is grown from these toxic seeds.
Pesticides also cause a number of serious health effects in humans from cancers to developmental defects in infants and children (citation 1, 2, 3, 4). Health advocates have sounded the alarm to consumers about residues of glyphosate in food products, and consumer lawsuits have targeted manufacturers of foods containing such residues.
Increasing use of pesticides causes suppliers to be less resilient and less productive due to proliferation of pesticide-resistant weeds and insects, loss of biodiversity, and soil degradation.
Conagra does not currently gather or disclose data to assess the types and quantities of pesticides used by its suppliers and how they might impact human health, pollinators, and the environment. Conagra reports that it “supports healthy pollinator populations” by educating farmers in its Birds Eye supply chain about pollinator habitat. Yet, the company does not disclose whether and to what extent this actually reduces harm to pollinators.
Resolution Details
Company: Conagra
Lead Filers:
As You Sow
Year: 2021
Filing Date:
April 2021
Initiative(s): Pesticides
Status: Resolution Withdrawn, Agreement Reached