Sprouts Farmers Market Releases 2021 ESG Report

PHOENIX, May 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (Nasdaq: SFM) today published its 2021 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report, highlighting the healthy grocer’s ongoing progress in growing its business sustainably and responsibly.

"I’m very pleased with the meaningful achievements we made on our ESG initiatives in 2021,” said Jack Sinclair, chief executive officer of Sprouts Farmers Market. “Our accomplishments reinforce the commitment of our 31,000 purpose-driven team members in caring for each other, our customers, communities, and the planet. We look forward to continuing our progress in the years ahead as we execute on our long-term growth strategy that is rooted in ESG.”

Highlights from the 2021 ESG Report include:

Environment

Climate

• Reduced carbon emissions per square foot by nearly 10% from 2019
• Averted 49,000 MTCO₂e through food recovery programs

Waste

• Achieved an overall landfill diversion rate of 60% by repurposing and recycling 79,000 tons of food and other recyclables
• Recovered 78% of food waste generated and donated the equivalent of 26 million meals to help those struggling with hunger
• Recycled 500 tons of plastic film from customer and in-store use

Sourcing

• Sold $2.7 billion of products with a social or environmental attribute
• Committed to improving chicken welfare by providing environmental enrichments by 2024, reduced stocking density by 2025, and more humane processing through controlled-atmosphere stunning by 2026

Social

Team Member Development and Wellness

• Created 1,300 new jobs and promoted 22% of our team members of which 54% are female and 49% are racially/ethnically diverse
• Delivered 585,000 hours of in-store training
• Reduced worker safety claims by 22% from the prior year

Community

• Awarded $3 million to programs supporting youth nutrition education and food systems equity through the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation
• 70,000 children enrolled in Sprouts-funded nutrition education programs

Governance

Corporate Governance

• 86% of Sprouts’ board members are independent
• 29% of Sprouts’ board members are female and 14% are ethnically diverse

Risk Management and Cybersecurity

• Formed a board-level Risk Committee to monitor enterprise risk management program and provide oversight of risks related to cybersecurity, critical systems, and environmental and social matters, among others
• Experienced no cybersecurity or data privacy events in 2021

Sprouts has again published a table summary that aligns with the Food Retailers & Distributors industry standards of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) on its Investor Relations page located at investors.sprouts.com.

Corporate Profile

Sprouts is the place where goodness grows. True to its farm-stand heritage, Sprouts offers a unique grocery experience featuring an open layout with fresh produce at the heart of the store. Sprouts inspires wellness naturally with a carefully curated assortment of better-for-you products paired with purpose-driven people. The healthy grocer continues to bring the latest in wholesome, innovative products made with lifestyle-friendly ingredients such as organic, plant-based and gluten-free. Headquartered in Phoenix, and one of the largest and fastest growing specialty retailers of fresh, natural and organic food in the United States, Sprouts employs approximately 31,000 team members and operates approximately 380 stores in 23 states nationwide. To learn more about Sprouts, and the good it brings communities, visit about.sprouts.com.

Source: Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc
Phoenix, AZ
5/4/22