UNFI Commits to Aggressive 10-Year Targets in Waste Reduction, Climate Action and Food Access through the Introduction of Better for All

United Natural Foods, Inc., today released its 2020 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report which showcases the Company’s bold commitments to building a brighter future, transforming today’s foodscape by delivering greater freedom of food choice and by taking innovative action on global social and environmental issues. In the report, UNFI not only highlights the substantial progress made in 2020, including the creation of a CEO-led executive steering committee and completion of a full materiality assessment, but also outlines its strategic and data-driven 2030 goals which will accelerate positive and critical change throughout the next decade.

“As pioneers in our industry since 1976, leading by example on pressing social and environmental issues is both part of our DNA and our inherent responsibility,” said Steven L. Spinner, UNFI Chairman and CEO. “UNFI made great strides in building our wholesale, services brands business in 2020 while putting a heightened focus on issues such as the safety and wellbeing of our associates and the communities we serve. As we look to the future, we now have an exciting plan to pursue real solutions for climate change, food justice and insecurity as well as diversity and inclusion. We view ourselves as a force for positive change, helping to define the future of food.”

UNFI’s 10th annual edition of the report, which can be read at BetterForAll.UNFI.com, is guided by leading frameworks, including GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) and SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board). The report also includes the Company’s first disclosure aligned to recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-Related Disclosures (TCFD).

2030 Vision: BETTER FOR ALL

UNFI’s 2030 agenda is centered on the theme “Better for All,” aligned to three pillars: Building Better for Our World, Our Communities Our People. Better for All will act as a unifying message to inspire pride across UNFI and as an umbrella platform to share updates on its ESG progress in the months and years ahead.

Better for All focuses on six key priorities: climate action, waste reduction, food safety, food access, safety and wellbeing diversity and inclusion. To ensure progress against each of these areas, UNFI has established several consequential goals and commitments, including:

• Establish science-based emissions reduction targets covering operational and value chain emissions (scopes 1, 2 and  3) by 2022
• 20 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2023
• 50 percent reduction in food waste by 2025
• Zero waste to landfill from distribution center operations by 2030
• 30 percent reduction in distribution center energy intensity by 2030
• Donate 250 million pounds of food–equivalent to approximately 208 million meals by 2030
• Log 200,000 associate volunteer hours by 2030

For more information visit the company’s official press release.