2019 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT

In cocoa growing regions in West Africa, deforestation and the loss of biodiversity due to encroachment into protected areas is a manifestation of a complex set of root causes: poverty, the absence of land titles, a lack of clarity on land tenure arrangements, no knowledge of sustainable farming practices and poor law enforcement.

Furthermore, due to the loss of biodiversity in the growing ecosystem, farms are more at risk of shocks from extreme weather events. For cocoa, the stress on forest ecosystems has never been greater. To combat this risk, Hershey has committed to zero deforestation and is increasing agroforestry and shade-grown cocoa practices within our supply chain.

Hershey is a founding member of the Cocoa & Forests Initiative (CFI), which was launched in 2017 to focus on cocoa communities in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. CFI is a framework for industry, governments and NGOs to work together to take action and protect the delicate ecosystems where cocoa is produced. Hershey has made significant progress toward attaining key results with CFI. Some highlights include:

• In 2019, we publicly shared our CFI Action Plans (2018–2022).

• Between 2018–2019, Hershey has mapped 91 percent of the farms we directly source from in Côte d’Ivoire and 86 percent in Ghana and increased the distribution of shade trees (approximately 240 percent).

• In 2019, we expanded our partnership with USAID through Supporting Deforestation-Free Cocoa in Ghana, which promotes affordable land documentation, landscape management and rehabilitation.

Read more in Hershey's 2019 Sustainability Report

The Hershey Company

The Hershey Company

The Hershey Company is headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania and is an industry-leading snacks company known for making more moments of goodness through its iconic brands, remarkable people and enduring commitment to doing the right thing for its people, planet and communities. Hershey has nearly 20,000 employees in the U.S. and around the world who work every day to deliver delicious, high-quality products. The company has more than 100 brand names in approximately 80 countries worldwide that drive more than $10.4 billion in annual revenues, including Hershey's, Reese's, Kit Kat®, Jolly Rancher and Ice Breakers, and fast-growing salty snacks including SkinnyPop, Pirate's Booty and Dot's Homestyle Pretzels.  

For more than 125 years, Hershey has been committed to operating fairly, ethically and sustainably. The candy and snack maker’s founder, Milton Hershey, created Milton Hershey School in 1909 and since then the company has focused on helping children succeed through equitable access to education. 

To learn more visit www.thehersheycompany.com.

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