Land O'Lakes Issues Third Corporate Social Responsibility Report

ST. PAUL, Minn., Oct. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2012 Land O'Lakes Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report highlights the cooperative's commitment to feeding more people with less environmental impact and its work to move corporate social responsibility from a set of initiatives to hands-on commitments that advance global food security. The report was issued this week.

"In the last 50 years, U.S. farm productivity has increased by about 250 percent. In 1930, the average U.S. farmer fed 10 people. Today, the average American farmer feeds more than 150," said Chris Policinski, president and CEO of Land O'Lakes. "Since 1960, corn and wheat yields have tripled while soybean yields are up 70 percent. In that same timeframe, milk production per cow has tripled, pork production per sow has more than doubled, and beef production per head of cattle is up 50 percent. We're feeding more people with less impact on the environment and using fewer resources.

"As a farmer-owned cooperative, Land O'Lakes is committed to operating openly, honestly and responsibly," Policinski continued. "We make quality and safety our priorities, we follow a clear code of ethical conduct, we operate with strong financial integrity, we are transparent in our dealings, and we build enduring relationships with customers, members, employees and communities."

This third CSR Report covers the progress Land O'Lakes has achieved throughout the organization and in partnership with its members and customers. The report demonstrates how Land O'Lakes carries out its commitment to community and family, protecting natural resources and achieving goals through cooperation and highly responsible business practices.

Among the highlights in the report:

• In 2008, Land O'Lakes set a goal to cut energy and water consumption at its facilities by 25 percent in 10 years. By the end of 2011, the company had cut more than 9 percent of energy consumption
• Land O'Lakes plants have developed ways to reuse byproduct water in production, in some cases as much as a half million gallons of water a day.
• Land O'Lakes used more rail cars to transport products, saving 319 tons of greenhouse gas emissions by taking 157 trucks off the road.
• Land O'Lakes Diary Foods Foodservice division reduced sodium and fat in many products by 25 to 50 percent.
• The Land O'Lakes Foundation donated $2.8 million in cash and more than $1 million in product to communities in which Land O'Lakes members and employees live and work.
• By the end of 2011, 80 percent of Land O'Lakes membership had finished the evaluations and were certified by the FARM program. FARM—Farmers Assuring Responsible Management^TM—was created by the National Milk Producers Federation to verify U.S. milk producers are committed to providing the highest quality animal care.
• In 2011, Land O'Lakes managed 33 agricultural development projects in 28 countries, mostly in Africa and Asia. This work helped address the food insecurity of and increased the self reliance of 428,000 people.

"As we continue to focus on significant growth, we also increase our focus on sustainability efforts, increasing productivity and being good stewards of the land. In the past, CSR was a series of initiatives," Policinski said. "Today CSR is becoming far more fundamental. It's authentically sustainable corporate social responsibility: helping people move up the value chain, providing real opportunities for public-private partnerships and feeding more people while using fewer natural resources and reducing the impact on the environment."

Land O'Lakes, Inc. (www.landolakesinc.com) is a national, farmer-owned food and agricultural cooperative with annual sales of nearly $13 billion. The nation's second-largest cooperative and number 210 on the Fortune 500, Land O'Lakes does business in all 50 states and more than 60 countries. Operating as a not-for-profit division of the cooperative, since 1981, Land O'Lakes International Development has improved the quality of life for millions of people in 76 nations through more than 275 projects worldwide that are generating economic growth, improving health and nutrition, and alleviate poverty by facilitating market-driven business solutions.

SOURCE Land O’Lakes