Sara Lee’s Commitment to Sustainability
As a global company, we have a responsibility to conduct business in a manner that supports the well-being of people and our planet. Our consumers increasingly expect us to think beyond today’s needs and take into account future generations. For many years, Sara Lee has undertaken efforts to sustain and improve the world in which we live. Our many corporate social responsibility initiatives and our commitment to double our purchase of sustainable coffee are excellent examples of the work we are doing now in the area of sustainability. Now, we are proud to bring these best practices in sustainability together in a unified approach and framework that will guide and communicate our efforts as one global company.
Our Commitment
Sara Lee’s global approach to sustainability reflects the many great activities and efforts already underway in our businesses, and renews our focus to do even more to promote a better world in which to live. We are gathering our sustainability efforts under one umbrella, with this guiding principle:
“Sara Lee is committed to promoting wellness and nutrition, supporting our communities, and protecting our planet, in a manner consistent with our core values.”
This statement embodies the spirit and energy around everything we do, as individuals and as a company, to enhance the lives of the people and places we touch. Consistent with this pledge, we also recognize the need to establish clear principles to guide our daily work and the decisions we make every day. Our sustainability efforts will be driven by three simple commitments:
- to offer a spectrum of products while keeping in mind the well-being of our consumers and delighting them with great products.
- to support sustainable, economic, environmental and social improvements in the global communities where we do business.
- to consider the interests of future generations when making today’s business decisions in a manner consistent with our core values.
Why We’re Focusing on Sustainability
By focusing on three key areas: wellness and nutrition, the environment and social responsibility, we are bringing greater focus to our ongoing sustainability efforts and clearly defining our priorities for our customers and consumers. As our customers increasingly focus on sustainability as a factor in their decision to do business with us, we will be able to demonstrate to all of our stakeholders our commitment to these principles.
We also recognize that continuous improvement in sustainability is a journey. We’ll look to identify and set new goals, while continuing to support and develop the many initiatives that already are underway. Particularly in our European businesses, sustainability principles have guided how we approach our business decisions for many years. By sharing best practices and making a global commitment to these principles, we’ll become an even better citizen of the world community.
Our employees take pride in our company’s commitment to being a responsible global citizen. Through our collective efforts, Sara Lee can have a positive impact on our consumers, customers, communities and indeed, our world.
Sincerely,
Brenda Barnes
Chairman and CEO
Sara Lee Corporation
