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Food Emissions 50

The Food Emissions 50 initiative supports investors in engaging 50 of the largest food companies operating in North America to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the sector and capitalize on opportunities in the transition to a more resilient food system.

Learn how to join

of the largest public food companies operating in North America make up the initiative's focus list.

%

of food companies’ emissions come from the supply chain on average.

%

of global greenhouse gas emissions are produced by the food sector.

More erratic weather patterns caused by a warming planet pose enormous threats and significant costs across the food sector – impacting farmers, companies, investors, and the price consumers pay in the grocery store. In 2023, weather-related disasters caused $21.9 billion in crop losses in the United States alone. 

At the same time, the food sector contributes 33% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Most of these emissions are embedded in the production of key agricultural commodities and fall under scope 3, or indirect, emissions from the supply chains of companies that source, manufacture, distribute, and sell agricultural products.   

In line with their fiduciary duty, investors call on companies to take action that reduces climate risk in their portfolios while unlocking new business opportunities in the food sector. Recognizing the need for sector-wide action, these investors engage companies to improve their greenhouse gas emissions disclosures, set ambitious emission reduction targets, and implement robust transition plans detailing how they will achieve their goals.   

Specifically, investor participants are asking for commitments to:   

  • Disclose emissions across their entire value chain and set science-based emission reduction targets.  

  • Develop and disclose comprehensive climate transition action plans.  

  • Implement the actions identified in those plans and disclose progress. 

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Explore the company benchmark

Companies engaged in the initiative include 50 of the largest public companies in the food and agriculture sector in North America. Companies were selected based on their revenue in North America and exposure to specific high-emitting agricultural commodities. 

The Food Emissions 50 Company Benchmark measures corporate progress toward tackling climate risk and accelerating the transition to a lower-emissions economy. Companies are assessed based on the quality of their emissions disclosures, reduction goals, and climate transition action plans. 

When Food Emissions 50 launched in 2021, few companies comprehensively included value-chain emissions, which represent 80% or more of food companies’ total emissions, in their disclosures and targets. In 2024, a third of the initial companies disclosed these emissions and nearly half have set or committed to setting comprehensive science-based emission reduction targets.

Building on this success, the Food Emissions 50 initiative is entering a new phase that will focus on supporting food companies in the implementation of climate transition action plans.

See the latest results

Explore our food and beverage reports


We produce cutting-edge research and analysis to help investors and companies drive large-scale changes in the way food is produced and sourced.

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Unlocking Opportunity: Addressing Livestock Methane to Build Resilient Food Systems
Sep 17, 2024
Taking Stock: The State of Climate Action and Disclosure in the Food Sector
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From Commitment to Implementation: An Analysis of Corporate Climate Actions from the 2021 Proxy Season
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With regard to participants who are investors or asset managers, Ceres does not require or seek collective decision-making or action with respect to acquiring, holding, disposing and/or voting of securities. Participants are independent fiduciaries responsible for their own investment decisions and must always act completely independently to set their own strategies, policies and practices based on their own best interests. The use of particular engagement tools and tactics is at the discretion of individual participants and subject to all relevant laws, including competition and antitrust laws. Any decision by participants to take action with respect to acquiring, holding, and/or disposing of securities shall be at their sole discretion and made in their individual capacities.

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