What is Hershey's 10-Year Sustainability Roadmap?

Whitney Mayer, Head of Global Sustainability at The Hershey Company, has detailed a refreshed sustainability approach at the company. She explains how the confectionery manufacturer plans to integrate environmental and social priorities with commercial expansion across the next 10 years.

The company is working to align growth targets with operational resilience and supply chain stability. Hershey operates across multiple geographies and sources ingredients from regions exposed to different climate and ecosystem pressures.

These pressures include shifting weather patterns, soil degradation and resource availability challenges that could affect long-term ingredient security. The company has acknowledged that maintaining consistent supply requires investment in the agricultural communities and ecosystems where raw materials originate.

Supply chain and farming investment

Hershey sources cocoa from West Africa and dairy and peanuts from the United Kingdom and United States. Each commodity faces distinct environmental conditions that could affect yields and farmer livelihoods.

The company has identified climate variability, water stress, deforestation and biodiversity loss as interconnected challenges in growing regions. Cocoa production is sensitive to rainfall patterns and plant health factors that could reduce crop quality.

Smallholder farmers, who produce the majority of the world's cocoa, often lack access to resources needed to adapt to changing conditions. This creates vulnerability in the supply chain that could affect availability and pricing.

According to Hershey, its strategy focuses on farm-level resilience and broader ecosystem health. The Hershey Income Accelerator Program is a US$40m initiative in Côte d'Ivoire targeting 20,000 farming households.

The programme offers training, financial incentives and productivity tools. Hershey has set a target to cover one million hectares with regenerative, restorative or protective practices by 2035.

The company states that these practices could improve soil health, increase carbon sequestration and support biodiversity whilst maintaining or improving crop yields. Implementation involves partnerships with agricultural organisations and local community groups.

Operational targets and emissions

Hershey is working to reduce waste across manufacturing sites and logistics networks. The company has set a 50% absolute reduction target for Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030.

Additional commitments include sourcing 100% of electricity from renewable and zero-emissions sources by 2030. The firm plans to eliminate 25m pounds of packaging material.

Investment in water recycling systems and logistics optimisation could reduce fuel consumption and transportation distances. These changes are part of a broader operational efficiency programme.

The company states that waste elimination is central to manufacturing processes for its products. Hershey has indicated that reducing material waste and energy consumption could also contribute to cost management whilst addressing environmental impact.

Consumer expectations and product design

Hershey has been manufacturing confectionery for more than 130 years. The company notes that consumer priorities now include health, sustainability and transparency alongside taste and value.

This shift could require changes to how sustainability factors are incorporated into product development. Hershey is working to integrate these considerations into design processes.

The updated strategy uses three pillars labelled Source, Make and Delight. These guide current operations and future expansion plans across ingredient sourcing, production methods and consumer engagement.

According to Mayer, businesses face greater expectations from communities, consumers, customers and stakeholders. The company views sustainability efforts and business performance as pursuits that can create tension but could lead to stronger outcomes when addressed with intention.

Mayer has emphasised that the approach requires coordination across departments and geographies to ensure consistency in implementation and measurement of progress against stated targets.