Deforestation Statement
As a company based in the North American agricultural supply chain, The Andersons, Inc. recognizes the importance of responsible stewardship of land, which balances the global demand for food, feed and other products derived from agriculture with the essential need to protect forests and other natural habitats. Our Statement of Principles reflects our desire to ensure that, “Business activities reflect a proper concern for the health and safety of our employees, customers, and neighbors and for the quality of our environment.” Deforestation and unsustainable farming practices can lessen biodiversity and disrupt the natural process of carbon sequestration, impacting climate change and precipitation patterns. Deforestation also negatively impacts the lives of people who live in or near forests, and depend upon them for food, shelter and their livelihood, including indigenous populations.
Although The Andersons does not own or manage the land that is used for the cultivation of agricultural commodities, we strive to work with farmer growers and other stakeholders to promote continuous improvement in environmentally sustainable growing practices. We will partner with other members of our supply chains on the following:
- Promote stewardship of forests and natural resources, including responsible use of water, and biodiversity through sustainable land use;
- Respect Human Rights, as set forth in our Human Rights Policy;
- Respect the laws applicable to our business, as those laws have been authoritatively interpreted;
- Identify and promote solutions to reduce GHG emissions or sequester carbon; and
- Support farmer growers as a means to promote social and economic development and increase global food security.
We are committed to supporting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as Goal 15, Life on Land, ”Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.”
The Andersons is working hard to answer the call for an accelerated approach to address GHG mitigation and implement climate-smart technologies through strategic partnerships with organizations committed to environmentally sound practices.
Our sourcing approach supports our commitment of Life on Land as we continue to build relationships from our grower suppliers to the end use customers. Working together, we can help to make the world more sustainable.
January 2023