World Grain - February 2024 - 32

FEED INDUSTRY
must build own ESG journey
Speakers say it goes beyond carbon and DEI to
issues important to individual organizations
by Susan Reidy
T
oo often companies limit their view of environmental,
social and corporate governance (ESG) to
carbon footprint and diversity, equity and inclusion
(DEI). It can be so much more than that, said speakers
during the " Feed Your ESG: How Feed Will Help Hit
Sustainability Targets " conference sponsored by the
American Feed Industry Association (AFIA).
" ESG is your journey, " said Mike Gauss, president of
Kent Nutrition. " You've got to make it your journey and
not listen to what everyone else tells you it should be. It's
far more than carbon and DEI, and quite honestly, that
may be lower on your priority list. "
Gauss spoke during the conference, which was held at
the International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE)
in late January in Atlanta, Georgia, US. About 120 people
attended the event, which focused on the relationship between
sustainability and animal feed production.
" Our goal with this educational program is to bring
understanding to the complexities of sustainability and
ESG metrics within the animal feed industry, " said Paul
Davis, PhD, director of quality, animal food safety and
education at the AFIA. " The heart of the animal feed industry
lies in its commitment to sustainability, extending
beyond environmental factors. This commitment reflects
the industry's dedication to not only nourishing animals
but also enriching the lives of employees and the communities
they support, which has an important place when it
comes to overall sustainability. "
32
Defining ESG
When it comes to ESG, many people are going to try to
tell a company what it should care about, Gauss said,
but you have to make it your own. For Kent, that meant
building its ESG pillars on its core values of honesty,
quality, safety and timeliness.
" What is your goal as you think through ESG? What
do you want to accomplish and how are you measuring
and monitoring to see if you are actually getting it
done? " Gauss asked. " It is important for us to monitor,
measure and improve, but we have to be careful as this
space does continue to evolve. It's got a lot of different
perspectives. It's complex and it's quite ripe for unintended
consequences. "
He noted that New Jersey enacted a ban on single-use
plastic bags. As a result, the state's use of plastics tripled
as people searched for alternatives.
" That was something somebody put into place because
they thought it would be a great benefit and help the environment,
but it had some strong unintended consequences, "
he said.
Gauss said ESG risks and opportunities cannot be put
in a box and be a separate topic or discussion because
they really go hand in hand with business opportunities
and risks.
" It has to be integrated into how you function as an
overall business because there's tons of stakeholders and
tons of implications, " he said.
February 2024 / World Grain / World-Grain.com
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World Grain - February 2024

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