McCormick Advances Sustainability Standards for Suppliers
McCormick & Company, Incorporated, details the advancement of its Grown for Good third-party verified sustainability standard for suppliers in the herbs and spices industry. This standard includes metrics that aim to drive community resilience, including economic stability for farmers, gender equality and women's empowerment, as well as biodiversity conservation and regenerative farming practices. McCormick's Grown for Good standard is currently being leveraged in Vietnam, Indonesia, India and Brazil, and will soon be available in other countries.
Grown for Good was designed to impact three key areas: Ethical and Safe Supply Chains, Regenerative Production Systems and Resilient Communities. In addition to meeting environmental standards around water and waste management, biodiversity and traceability, McCormick's Grown for Good sustainability standard goes above and beyond the criteria set by other farm-level sustainability certifications to take a holistic approach. This farm-to-facility program includes additional requirements to increase resilience and empower women in the communities from which the company sources its raw materials, beginning with its top five iconic ingredients – black pepper, red pepper, vanilla, oregano and cinnamon. The Grown for Good standard will extend to the rest of its herbs and spices portfolio and other ingredients over time.
McCormick's framework helps to ensure an ethical and sustainable supply chain at every level, including supplier factories, by mandating all suppliers follow the Company's Supplier Code of Conduct, become members of the Supplier Ethical Data Exchange (SEDEX), and undergo a third-party verified social compliance audit. Grown for Good also equips farming communities with regenerative production systems intended to ensure long lasting supply while safeguarding farm resources through education on soil health, water management and biodiversity. Suppliers are evaluated annually to ensure they are continually meeting the requirements.
"At McCormick, we're committed to Purpose-led Performance which means doing what's right for people, communities and the planet we share. Sustainable sourcing is a top priority and a 2025 commitment for McCormick. Our teams have been actively working to advance our McCormick Grown for Good sustainability standard and I'm excited about our progress to date. We are working with our suppliers and partners to showcase our shared dedication to advancing industry-wide accountability and performance in sustainability sourcing," said Lawrence E. Kurzius, chairman, president and CEO of McCormick & Company."
McCormick's Grown for Good standard is extensively vetted and has been verified by leading third parties within the industry and leverages a global network of auditors to independently confirm the application of the standard at the farm and supplier levels. The standard has also been benchmarked by the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform.