As a bakery company, we are very aware of our impact on the environment. Our work to provide the best quality flour and ingredients is deeply dependent on farmers and the health of our agricultural system.
But our interest in sustainability goes beyond flour – it extends to every cog in our company's wheel. This includes the material we use for packaging in the carbon footprint of transport, the energy sources for our office buildings, the way we treat waste in our country. cafe and bakeryand more: We look at every part of our impact on the world around us.
A commitment to environmental stewardship has long been a key part of King Arthur's company mission. As a certified B Corporation, we've transparently measured our environmental impact against rigorous standards since 2007. And as the world evolves, so does our approach.
This is a great topic! It requires smart, thoughtful people to ask tough questions and constantly strive to do more.
In late 2019, we were fortunate to welcome Suzanne McDowell to the (newly created) role of Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability. Susan's job is to ask those tough questions and gather the resources to answer them. Her work pushes us to rise to challenges and dream bigger about the positive impact we can have on our environment.
Prior to this role, Suzanne stayed at the helm, serving for five years as one of three co-CEOs of King Arthur. She has been with the company for two decades, and her keen interest in being a better company—in every sense of the word—is a great asset in our ongoing work to address weighty questions about our responsibility to the planet. ours.
Suzanne works to structure our vision and plan for the future, with a holistic approach to sustainability that focuses on social, environmental and economic stewardship. This includes:
- Balancing purpose and profit
- Protecting and regenerating our natural resources
- Source responsibly
- Building agricultural systems that are better for the planet and farmers
- Creating equity for our communities
From farms to kitchens, we're on a mission to use the power of baking to restore nature and build a more equitable world.
In honor of Earth Day, I sat down with Suzanne to talk more about what excites her about King Arthur's sustainability strategy now, our goals for the near future, and what this work means to her ( plus some personal baking related questions! ).
What motivates you?
Suzanne McDowell: At King Arthur, we are always looking forward and we also care to look to the past for lessons and motivation. I see us as custodians of the tradition and education of baking, and how it leads to a better world. This is my motivation. That's what gets me up every morning: knowing that I'm part of an effort focused on creating a brighter future for current and future generations of bakers.
Why create a dedicated persistence role now?
SM: Attitudes toward issues affecting people and our planet are not a question of “why now.” It's always been a “why not?” question for us – and more than ever, we're putting dedicated resources behind it. Why? Because we are at a critical point in the health of our world; Climate change is real, it's here now, and we have little time to change course. My role helps to bring clarity, focus and energy to our contribution to changing our current direction.
There's an opportunity for us here: We're a company with one voice and one platform, which means we have an obligation to enter this space and be part of the solution.
While we are a long way from being a truly sustainable business, we are working to educate the King Arthur community and our employee owners about the responsibility each of us has in reducing our impact on the earth. The creation of this role of a vice president of sustainability is an important representation of King Arthur's long-term commitment and attention to this crisis. We are a company with one voice and one platform, which means we have an obligation to enter this space and be part of the solution.
While this past year's global COVID-19 pandemic has been heartbreaking for so many, we've seen our current and new customers turn to baking for comfort. This brings energy to our work! Eyes are on King Arthur now more than ever and we welcome this attention, speaking up on our environmental and social platforms with boldness and loudness.
So where to focus?
SM: The very nature of our business – growing something in the ground – is a long-term investment; and we're in it for the long haul! This gives us the opportunity to think creatively about how to protect that investment. And it has to be a balanced approach between doing the right thing for the earth and doing what makes sense for our business. To have a positive impact on the world, we must be profitable. We mostly intersect with agricultural practices.
I look at it this way: We are bakers. We are not agronomists or farmers, so my job is to think about how we can continue to educate ourselves so that farmers welcome us into the conversation about change, especially how we can support them in their efforts to change their practices in one more. stable direction. If we do not take care of the seeds that are planted in the soil and the soil itself, we will see consequences.
How far should we go?
SM: Is sustainability enough? Is that all we're looking for – to keep? No. We must evolve and regenerate with an honest understanding of where we are today.
Sustainability is one of the five pillars of our company's mission.
We need to understand our total footprint: not just our carbon footprint, but a clear assessment of the entire impact we have on the planet. I want to reimagine, reinvent, commit to doing less harm in our business practices, with the ultimate, very long-term goal of doing no harm at all!
What are you most proud of in this role so far?
SM: I am very proud of the launch of our regenerative agriculture project, about which we will share many more details in the coming months. I am not a farmer, agronomist or miller, and my career has been focused on building gainful jobs for people to thrive. To shift the focus to the environment, which has always been a passion of mine, is an honor and a privilege. I couldn't be more proud and excited to lead us into this space of purpose.
Why do you bake?
SM: For me, baking has always been an expression of pure love and affection for the generations that have baked before me and those currently in my life. Baking together aligns beautifully with one of my core values, that of connection. It helps me in the present—as I mix or bake by hand, I'm aware of each one, my progress, and the souls I may never meet, but still feel connected to through the experience of baking. Baking can feel like being with an old friend: deep, familiar, and comforting, which is so powerful.
For fun, what are your favorite King Arthur recipes?
SM: Right now, I'm spending a lot of time in the kitchen with Martin's Bagel's recipe (like a proud New Yorker!), though my family and I love it Hard chocolate cake also.
To read more about our mission and impact, including our annual Benefit Corporation Impact Assessment report, visit our About Us Page.
Cover photo by Julia A. Reed
