U.S. Food Companies Trapped on Pesticide Treadmill, New Scorecard Finds

Global Food companies fail to address pesticide risk, reliance, and growing harm

As You Sow released its third “Pesticides in the Pantry “ report today, ranking 17 major food manufacturing companies on their progress in pesticide reduction and the adoption of regenerative agricultural practices.

Compared to As You Sow’s 2021 report, the overall average scores dropped from a “D” to an “F” due to continued heavy pesticide use in major food supply chains and a lack of progress in reducing harm to farmworkers, fenceline communities, ecosystems, pollinators, farm resiliency, and climate health.

While overall and individual scores were low, General Mills achieved the highest score of “C.” ADM’s overall grade jumped from an “F” in 2021 to a “C-” in 2023 and received the highest score for pesticide risk reduction strategies. ADM was also the only company that has effectively banned glyphosate as a pre-harvest desiccant across its supply chain. General Mills and Conagra adopted, maintained, or improved their pesticide reduction practices, with Conagra also significantly improving its pesticide risk-reduction strategies from 2021 to 2023. Kellanova, previously Kellogg, lost ground this year as it eliminated its goal of phasing out glyphosate as a pre-harvest desiccant by 2025.