Palm oil supply chain

This agribusiness giant buys palm oil sourced from pristine forests which are clear-cut and burned to accommodate the expansion of palm oil plantations, contributing heavily to global climate change, species extinction, and the displacement of Indigenous and local communities. [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: RAN (2008)

Palm Oil Deforestation and Child Labor

ADM's major forays into new markets, including cocoa and palm oil, are raising concerns. They center on the impacts of the global food conglomerate's supply chain, and on charges of complicity in forced child labor and massive deforestation. [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: CorpWatch (2010)

Child slavery

Anti-Slavery International is calling on cocoa traders Cargill, ADM and Barry Callebaut to increase their efforts to end child slavery in the industry, particularly in the Ivory Coast. These big multinational commodity trading companies buy cocoa sourced from Ivorian cocoa farms where children in slavery are frequently found, and export it to the global brands which make and sell chocolate worldwide. [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: Anti-Slavery International (2010)

Excessive CEO pay

As You Sow's 2022 report, 'The 100 Most Overpaid CEOs', reveals the 100 most overpaid CEOs from USA's 500 largest public companies (as determined by the S&P 500 list). This company's CEO, Juan Luciano came in at number 41 on the list, having been paid US$21,994,433 in 2021. According to the report, "Most CEOs have come to be grossly overpaid, and that overpayment is harmful to the companies, the shareholders, the customers, the other employees, the economy, and society as a whole."

Source: As You Sow (2022)

Sustainability claims

This company has sustainability claims on its website in the areas of responsible sourcing, compliance and ethics, innovating sustainable materials and progress tracking.

Source: company website (2020)

Sustainable Agriculture Initiative member

This company is a member of the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform, the main food industry initiative supporting the development of sustainable agriculture worldwide. Created by Nestle, Unilever and Danone in 2002, the SAI Platform is a non-profit organization to facilitate sharing, at precompetitive level, of knowledge and initiatives to support the development and implementation of sustainable agriculture practices involving the different stakeholders of the food chain.

Source: SAI Platform (2023)

Modern Slavery statement

California, the UK and Australia have all enacted legislation requiring companies operating within their borders to disclose their efforts to eradicate modern slavery from their operations and supply chains. Follow the link to see this company's disclosure statement.

Source: company website (2017)

8/20 in Social Benchmark

The 2024 Social Benchmark assesses the world's 2,000 most influential companies on their responsibility in meeting society's fundamental expectations towards three measurement areas: respecting human rights, providing decent work, and acting ethically. This company was assessed in 2023 and received a score of 8/20. The average score was an alarmingly low 4.6/20 and the highest score was 15.5/20.

Source: World Benchmarking Alliance (2024)

OpenSecrets.org profile

OpenSecrets.org tracks the influence of money on U.S. politics, and how that money affects policy and citizens' lives. Follow link to see this company's record of political donations, lobbying, outside spending and more.

Source: Open Secrets (2020)

59/100 S&P Global ESG Score

This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 59/100 in the Food Products category of the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices (last updated 23 Sep 2022). The rankings are based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.

Source: S&P Global (2022)

JUST Capital ranking

JUST Capital polls Americans every year to identify the issues that matter most in defining just business behaviour. For their 2024 rankings the public identified 20 issues, which are organised under the headings Workers, Communities, Customers, Shareholders and Environment. JUST Capital then define metrics that map to those issues and track and analyse the largest, publicly traded U.S. companies. This analysis powers their rankings, in which this company ranked 426th of 937 companies, and 16th of 32 Food, Beverage & Tobacco companies.

Source: JUST Capital (2024)

33.1% in Food and Agriculture Benchmark

The 2023 Food and Agriculture Benchmark assessed 350 keystone companies across the entirety of the food system, from farm to fork. It covers three dimensions where transformation is needed: nutrition, environment and social inclusion. This company ranked #44/350, with a total score of 33.1/100.

Source: World Benchmarking Alliance (2023)

27.9% in Nature Benchmark

The Nature Benchmark ranks 816 companies across 20 industries on their efforts to protect our environment and its biodiversity. Companies were assessed in three phases between 2022 and 2024 using three measurement areas: governance and strategy; social inclusion and community impact; and ecosystems and biodiversity. This company was assessed in 2023 and is ranked #106/816, with a total score of 27.9/100.

Source: World Benchmarking Alliance (2023)