Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

SunOpta, Inc. is a plant-based foods and beverages company, not a financial institution. Therefore, all KPIs related to lending, deposit services, APRs, fees, debt products, and customer financial data are not applicable. The company does not offer consumer credit products, nor does it generate or manage customer finance data. While SunOpta engages in internal diversity and inclusion efforts for its employees and board, and provides some employee benefits like a 401(k) program and access to financial advisors, these do not constitute financial inclusion programs or direct wealth-building outcomes for external customers as defined by the rubric for financial services.

The company's charitable food donations are not related to financial services for underserved clients. The company's investments in facility expansion are operational and not classified as community finance reinvestment.

No War, No Weapons

SunOpta's core business is plant-based foods and beverages, with no evidence of involvement in arms, defense, or dual-use technologies. The company requires suppliers to adhere to ethical standards, including human rights and workplace safety, via its Supplier Partner Code of Conduct.

By February 2025, 83% of Tier 1 suppliers were onboarded to Sedex, and 100% of ingredients are sourced from GFSI-certified suppliers. SunOpta adopted a Human Rights Policy Statement in 2023, aligning with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The company conducts bi-annual supplier risk assessments and annual employee trainings on its Code of Conduct. Officers, directors, and senior leaders reaffirm compliance with the Code and related policies annually. Suppliers are required to sign a declaration attesting to their adherence with human trafficking and slavery laws, and the company's Supplier Partner Code of Conduct establishes ethical red lines related to bribery, corruption, child labor, forced labor, human trafficking, and discrimination. SunOpta tracks Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification for palm oil derivative products, though it does not use palm oil in its products. The company reported a 100% compliance rate for corrective actions related to GFSI audit non-conformances in 2023, but reclaimed over 90% of the cost of quality from supplier non-conformances.

Planet-Friendly Business

SunOpta's total Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions for 2024 were 71,413 tCO2e, an increase of 13.9% from 2023.

While Scope 3 emissions were calculated in 2024, the company plans to improve data gathering and accuracy in 2025, indicating that full Scope 3 reporting is not yet established. The company has a goal to reduce Scope 1 and 2 GHG emission intensity by 25% by 2030 from a 2023 baseline, but no SBTi-validated targets are mentioned. In 2024, 100% of electricity in manufacturing facilities was purchased from the grid, while the corporate headquarters generated 47% of its annual energy needs from solar. As of December 31, 2024, all but two of SunOpta's plant facilities operate as Zero Waste to Landfill sites, defined as 90% diversion of waste from landfill. For packaging, 20% by weight of all sourced material is from recycled content. The company joined the Sedex community in 2022 and expanded this effort to include all Tier 1 suppliers in 2024. SunOpta is developing an Environmental Policy with a Biodiversity section. For palm oil derivative products, all suppliers are Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certified, and the company does not use palm oil in its products. In 2012, SunOpta was fined $19,049 by the EPA for failing to properly report a hazardous chemical release of at least 450 pounds of anhydrous ammonia. The company conducted a waste audit in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and assessed waste streams at its Midlothian facility. It completed a Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures Analysis and a Climate Scenario Analysis in 2024. In 2024, 28% of water withdrawn and consumed in manufacturing facilities was from high or extremely high baseline water stress areas. A Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) was completed for West Life Soymilk in 2024, with a goal to complete PCFs and Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) for its own brands by 2030.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

The company reports no cultural appropriation incidents.

It provides a variety of reporting options, including a Confidence Hotline, email, phone, web, mail, or in-person to departments or supervisors, and an ethics reporting policy. The Supplier Partner Code of Conduct has been translated into Spanish. Inclusion training was provided to all employees in 2024. However, the company engages only one supplier, Sambazon, which sources wild-harvested açaí berries from the Brazilian Amazon, and there is no evidence of other indigenous or minority-owned suppliers.

Safe & Smart Tech

SunOpta's systems have withstood directed attacks without material interruptions to business operations.

The company states it utilizes appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to guard personal information and does not sell personal information. SunOpta conducts regular cybersecurity assessments based on national and international standards with internal and external parties. For user data control, the company offers options to unsubscribe from promotional emails and text messages, and California residents have CCPA rights to access, delete, or correct personal information. However, in 2023, the company received zero access, deletion, or correction requests, which may indicate limited awareness or friction in exercising these rights. The company collects a broad range of personal and non-personal information, including how users use the site, photographs, and video/media content. Data is retained as long as relevant to business purposes or as permitted by law, without specific, limited retention periods, indicating limited data minimization practices. While the company states it complies with various laws and regulations, including the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act and CCPA, the lack of specific details on compliance effectiveness beyond general statements, and the zero CCPA requests, suggest a basic rather than exemplary compliance program.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

As of 2024, 99% by weight of SunOpta's own branded consumer packaging is recyclable.

The company sources 80.0% renewable material and 18.2% recycled material for its packaging. For recycled content, corrugated cases contain 45% recycled content, and folding cartons contain 99.8% recycled content. In 2024, the R&D team saved over 25,000 plastic weigh boats and tasting cups and diverted 150 pounds of plastic from landfill by replacing disposable with reusable options. As of December 31, 2024, all but two of SunOpta's plant facilities operate as Zero Waste to Landfill sites, with zero waste defined as 90% diversion from landfills. The company has a goal to achieve zero waste at all plant facilities by the end of 2022, and specifically for the Midlothian facility by the end of 2025. Waste audits were completed at Midlothian in 2023 and Allentown in 2024, with an internal audit program for all facilities annually. There were zero product recalls and zero incidents of noncompliance with industry or regulatory labeling and/or marketing codes in 2024. The company expects suppliers to comply with its Supplier Partner Code of Conduct and expanded efforts to include all Tier 1 suppliers in the Sedex platform in 2024. The packaging team is dedicated to educating consumers on how to handle packaging at end of use.