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Which Soup Companies make a difference in the world

Is it possible for a company to become environmentally responsible and profitable at the same time? The answer to that question is a resounding YES! It’s entirely possible. These four companies provide nourishing food and also can make a difference to the greater good! They`re providing customers quality nutritious ingredients by sourcing them from local organic farms which support local producers.

Pacific Foods

This company has taken corporate responsibility to another level. Their goal is to deliver a product without creating waste! An American company with a mission and a vision to be energy efficient, and they’re using profits to support projects that facilitate alternative energy.

For the past thirty years Pacific Foods an Oregan based company has taken customer service to the next level. They’ve introduced a forthcoming business model that could make a difference in the world. It’s a straightforward approach to business that won’t compromise the environment. They mean business and if it means eliminating the trash compactor then so be it!

The process starts at the beginning of production. First, the discarded fats and solids are sent to the manufacturing plant to break them down by using bacteria. Then the energy is harnessed to generate electricity. The farm animals eat one hundred percent of the food scraps and the leftovers are sent to compost. Lastly, the waste from the Farm animals fertilizes the farmer`s crops. Simple!

The goal to be energy efficient is a priority and it turns out not surprisingly the result is profitable! They supply the North West with products like plant-based beverages such as Hemp Milk, Oat Milk, and Almond Milk. They`re serving up beans, soups, and sauces and kicking their carbon foot print’s butt!

Within five years they’ve realized the energy savings equal to the annual electrical consumption of three hundred and thirty homes or the gas emissions of five hundred cars. If this one company can make it happen then what about a huge company that has been around for years. Do they get it?

Campbells Company

Campbells Company soup has been around for one hundred and fifty years and they`re the king of the soup aisle! They’ve taken corporate responsibility public by dedicating a portion of their web page to show how they make a difference in the world. Statistics show the progress of set goals such as responsible sourcing, reduction of greenhouse gases, and reduction of landfill waste.

Their goal is not necessarily to become a zero-waste facility but to decrease waste in the percentile. They’re dedicated to sourcing farm animals that are cage or pen free. However, they still have a long way to go before they reach this goal. In their report, they’ve given themselves five to ten years to reduce water, greenhouse gases, and waste between twenty to twenty-five percent. The results so far are a long ways off from achieving their target and it makes me wonder if its a priority.

There are a few wins! Number one they have shown that they’re plants are safe. Secondly, fifty percent of their tomatoes are from a sustainable agricultural program. Lastly, they’ve reduced their water consumption by twenty percent from 2012 levels.

Knorr Foods

Knorr foods have been around for over sixty years and this company has developed a standard that other companies can model! The name of this standard practice is the Unilever Sustainable Agriculture Code. It has funded over seventy projects to support farmers and they pride themselves on their class of farmers.

Knorr farmers use environmentally friendly techniques to take care of pests, save water, encourage biodiversity and healthy soils. Their pest management system includes ladybugs, camera monitors and insect attracting perfumes. Furthermore, they`re taught to manage beehives and drip irrigation installations which save thousands of Liters of water a year. They’re working to make a difference in the world.

The goal of the Unilever agricultural code is to source one hundred percent of their ingredients from sustainable sources by 2020. If you see a sustainable partnership logo on any canned soup it means the soup ingredients have fifty percent sustainably sourced food.

The Unilever agricultural code reduces environmental impact by using organic ingredients, products from the rainforest alliance certification and Palm oil from Roundtable. It also has one hundred different companies that feed over two and a half billion people every day!

Imagine Foods

Imagine Foods has been doing business in California for almost forty years. This food company has taken a commitment to the environment seriously. They not only support Organic ingredients but also makes recyclable packaging.

Their soups, sauces, and broths are free from artificial ingredients, synthetic pesticides, preservatives,  and Genetically modified organisms. The packages are environmentally friendly because they use less material than other aseptic cartons. (glossy plastic-coated cartons) Minimizing conventional packaging reduces the overall carbon footprint for Imagine Foods. These are the facts that set this Brand apart from traditional soup manufacturers.

We live in a time where there are so many options and the choices can be overwhelming. Consumers find it difficult to make a choice that involves ethical standards and corporate environmental responsibility. The packaging and marketing often do not go into depth in regards to these matters. Overall, I studied 11 different companies and found four common brands which make a difference in the world. So the next time you buy Soup the decision to shop ethically will be easier!

Aseptic cartons can be recycled in the blue bins in Vancouver B.C.

www.pacificfoods.com

www.imaginefoods.com