Associated British Foods: Best ESG Grocery & Retail Sector UK 2021

Associated British Foods (ABF) is a diversified food, ingredients and retail group with operations in 53 countries. ABF grocery brands are consumer favourites in nine out of 10 UK households. ABF Sugar is one of the largest sugar producers in the world and the sole processor of UK sugar beet. The group works with all stakeholders — clients, consumers, communities, suppliers, employees, shareholders and the planet — to create value responsibly together. ABF structures commitments around a value system of respecting people’s dignity, acting with integrity, delivering with rigour and progressing through collaboration. The global workforce comprises 128,000 professionals, many of whom have built enduring careers with the group. A low turnover rate, especially at the executive level, lends to a strong sense of continuity. ABF made substantial investments in safety risk management in 2021 — £39m — 24 percent of which went to Covid safety measures. The group put another £34m towards environmental risk management and achieved an 11 percent annual reduction in scope one and two greenhouse gas emissions. It recycled, recovered or made use of 79 percent of waste generated and reused 25 percent of water abstracted. More than half of its energy usage in 2021 came from renewables. The group is making progress on goals to source only cage-free eggs and switch completely to reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging. The CFI.co judging panel presents Associated British Foods with the 2021 award for Best ESG Grocery & Retail Sector (UK).