Our 2023 Integrated Report: Highlighting our steadfast commitment to environmental sustainability

Learn more about how our evolved strategic Blueprint shines a spotlight on our core strategies for continued success.

We are delighted to share our second annual Integrated Report, reflecting on our financial and sustainability performance in 2023. As a purpose-driven and brand-led CPG company, we operate with the Vision to be the most sustainable protein company on Earth. And we’re not just saying that — we mean it!

Earlier this year, we released our evolved Blueprint which acts as a strategic compass for the organization. The Blueprint outlines the Company’s five core strategies in its pursuit of delivering value for its stakeholders:

Our vision as an organization is based on five pillars:

These pillars are incredibly important to us, and that’s how our 2023 Integrated Report is organized and presented. We use these pillars to track our progress towards achieving our Vision and the goals and milestones we set along the way.

We’re proud of the progress we’ve made and the impact we’re having, and we’re excited to share our journey with you. Read on for key insights from our 2023 Integrated Report to learn more about our sustainability efforts and how we’re working towards a better future for all.

Making better food for Canadians

Did you know that in 2023, we launched a new Maple Leaf Natural Selections® offering of deli meats?

Made with only premium meat and real, simple, and natural ingredients, our Natural Selections® deli meats show our commitment to lead the real food movement. We’re also making our packaging easier to read and understand, with claims on the front of the pack so that you know exactly what you’re purchasing and feeding to your family.

We’re thrilled to share that multiple products under our Family of Brands ranked #1 in Canada! These include:

And Maple Leaf is the #2 brand in Packaged Meats in Canada, and in the U.S. for Refrigerated Plant Protein, Maple Leaf Foods is #1 in Tempeh, #1 in Hot Dogs, and #1 in Bacon. Our consumers — people just like you — are an integral part of this accomplishment and we’re delighted that you continue to love and purchase our delicious protein products.

Workplace safety for our people

At Maple Leaf Foods, we care for our people — a lot! This includes protecting their safety and well-being at work. In 2023, we completed social compliance audits at our five biggest facilities and advanced an improved social compliance program. We also announced that we would initiate an independent third-party human rights impact assessment that focuses on migrant workers that we employ — an incredibly important part of our team. We believe that progressing our social compliance programs, like doing social audits and human rights impact assessments, are essential parts of enhancing our social responsibility, compliance, and human rights within our organization.

Also in 2023, we reached a Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) of 0.40* which is a 93.6% improvement from our 2012 baseline year. That means that 32 of our sites had zero recordable injuries*. This reflects our unwavering commitment to workplace safety, our Safety Promise, and our ongoing improvement in safety protocols. Last year, we had zero fatalities — a trend that has lasted for more than a decade.

Did you know that in addition to our strategic Blueprint, we also follow a Diversity and Inclusion Blueprint? We are proud to continually evolve new, impactful goals to advance our diversity, support equity, and keep a steady focus on creating an inclusive culture within our organization — it’s just the right thing to do!

Volunteering to build stronger communities

We’re committed to improving the well-being of communities, both inside and outside of our four walls. In 2016, we created the Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security (AKA “the Centre”) and since then, it has donated more $12.4 million to 33 projects that aim to tackle the root causes of food insecurity across Canada. The Centre has also advocated for government policies and led awareness-raising campaigns to involve Canadians and drive systemic change.

We also host the Raise the Good in the Neighbourhood volunteer program, where our Team Members get two paid days off per year to volunteer at the cause of their choice. Our Team Members volunteered their time in more than 40 communities across the country in places like local food banks, healthcare institutions and hospitals, local community centres, newcomer services, and more. We’re proud that our people are contributing to a better understanding of the issues and needs that groups are facing while building connections within their communities.

Fostering our animal care practices

We are deeply committed to reduce the use of antibiotics in our animals while ensuring animals get treatment when needed. In 2023, antibiotic use in the pigs we raise continued to decline. Since 2014, we’ve reduced antibiotic usage by 99.3% across our own hog production operations.

As of the end of 2021, we’ve reached our goal of converting all owned sow spaces (69,850 sow spaces) to our Advanced Open Sow Housing system — which now represents 93% of our sow spaces after acquiring more sow barns.

Joining forces to nurture a better planet

Back in 2015, we set a goal to lower our environmental impact by 50% by 2025 (2014 baseline) in five key areas:

While we have made some improvements in these areas, we acknowledge that the speed of improvement has been slowed by various factors, like the effect of the global pandemic which postponed some initiatives, and the timing of starting up our new facilities and the delay in closing down related older plants. We know that there are some difficulties in setting ambitious science-based goals and we are dedicated to providing clear updates on our progress towards these sustainability objectives!

We do what we can today to create a better future for tomorrow. That’s why we’re proud members of the Canadian Alliance for Net-Zero Agri-Food (CANZA), a national, industry-led, multi-stakeholder alliance that was created in 2023. Founded by The Natural Step Canada and the Smart Prosperity Institute, and in collaboration with the Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph, Maple Leaf Foods participates in CANZA alongside RBC, Nutrien, McCain Foods, Loblaw, and BCG.

The agri-food sector is a vital part of Canada’s economy, but it also produces a lot of greenhouse gas. CANZA works to support sustainable solutions in this sector, by encouraging farmers to use regenerative agriculture and carbon farming practices. These practices can help the sector become circular and net-zero, meaning that it does not create more emissions than it can remove. The alliance works with farmers to help them improve their natural environment, and to create a more sustainable future for agriculture.

Join us on our sustainability journey and let’s Raise the Good in Food together! Click here to learn more about sustainability at Maple Leaf Foods.