Universal Corporation.
UVV.US | Wholesale of agricultural raw materials and live animals
Universal Corporation is a global leaf tobacco supplier. The company procures, processes, and stores leaf tobacco for sale to manufacturers of consumer tobacco products. It operates in two segments: leaf tobacco operations and ingredients operations. The leaf tobacco operations segment is involved i...Show More
Better Health for All
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Universal Corporation's principal business is leaf tobacco, which causes severe, widespread health damage with no redeeming health benefits. The vast majority of the company's revenue comes from this product, which inherently generates severe negative health externalities, including addiction. No evidence is provided regarding efforts to mitigate the addiction potential of tobacco or to support recovery. The company does not hold healthcare-related patents or intellectual property, nor does it conduct or sponsor clinical trials or health research.
Fair Money & Economic Opportunity
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Universal Corporation's primary business is as a global leaf tobacco supplier, with its leaf tobacco operations segment involved in financing leaf tobacco. However, the provided articles do not contain evidence that the company offers lending or deposit services to consumers, which is the focus of the 'Fair Money & Economic Opportunity' value and its associated KPIs. The company's initiatives, such as training over 175,000 contracted farmers on agricultural practices
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and ensuring fair labor payments, relate to its supply chain and employee well-being rather than consumer financial inclusion programs or financial literacy initiatives. Community contributions, including over $800,000 through the Universal Leaf Foundation
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and $2,814,000 in other community investments
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, are noted, but no percentage of pre-tax profit reinvested in community finance or profit-sharing with underserved communities is specified. Therefore, the specific metrics designed for financial institutions providing consumer-facing financial products and services are not applicable to Universal Corporation based on the available evidence.
Fair Pay & Worker Respect
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Universal Corporation's CEO, George C. Freeman III, received $4,832,074 in compensation in 2022.
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The median employee salary for the same year was $2,004, resulting in a CEO to median employee pay ratio of 2,411:1.
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Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing
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In the last reporting period, the company had 1,131 substantiated child labor findings.
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While 1,129 of these were resolved during the season and 16 contracts were canceled due to child labor issues, the high number of initial findings indicates significant issues.
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The median time to close corrective action plans for ingredient segment suppliers with minor non-conformities is 21 days.
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Honest & Fair Business
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The company incurred a $5.0 million charge in Fiscal Year 2024 related to a voluntary government-sponsored value-added tax program in Brazil to settle a previously contested assessment.
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Its recent financial statements do not reflect the correction of errors to previously issued financial statements, nor were there any restatements requiring recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation.
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The company has a formal whistleblowing policy, including an anonymous 24/7 compliance hotline available to all employees and interested parties via internet or phone, and a non-retaliation policy; however, there is no evidence regarding independent investigation processes for these reports.
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A comprehensive Anti-Corruption Compliance Manual and Code of Conduct, translated into 16 languages, applies to all officers, directors, and non-seasonal employees across its global operations; however, details on training frequency and effectiveness metrics are not provided.
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Kind to Animals
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No data is provided in the articles regarding Universal Corporation's performance on any of the 'Kind to Animals' metrics.
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The provided texts explicitly state the absence of information related to cruelty-free certifications, animal testing practices, humane certifications for operations, wildlife conservation impact, ethical input substitution, supplier audits for welfare, cage-free sourcing, animal agriculture ethics, or engagement in animal welfare policy and R&D collaborations.
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No War, No Weapons
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The provided articles, including Universal Corporation's 2024 Sustainability Report, explicitly state that no data is available regarding the company's involvement in arms or defense contracts, or any metrics related to the 'No War, No Weapons' ethical value.
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The company's core business is leaf tobacco and ingredients, and the articles do not contain any information about military-related activities, dual-use technologies, sales to embargoed regimes, peacebuilding investments, or any other conflict-related metrics.
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Planet-Friendly Business
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Universal Corporation has secured Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) approval for its near-term, long-term, and net-zero targets
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, which include a 45% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions
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and a 25% reduction in Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, both compared to 2024 levels
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. The company sources 17.8% of its global electricity from renewables
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. Universal Corporation has a formal zero-deforestation policy
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and has achieved 69% traceability for curing fuel in its supply chain
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. The company publishes a Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) Report
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.
Respect for Cultures & Communities
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The company has no reported cultural appropriation incidents in the provided articles. No evidence was found for the existence of a robust preventative framework or external verification.
Safe & Smart Tech
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The company states its products meet stringent quality and regulatory specifications
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and that its business is subject to governmental regulation in the United States and foreign jurisdictions
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. It operates a 24/7 Compliance Line with anonymous reporting
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and has a Chief Compliance Officer
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. The company provides a Privacy and Personal Data Protection Notice for Germany
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and a Data Privacy Portal for Brazil
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. Furthermore, it conducted a double materiality assessment aligned with the European Union Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)
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and considers CSRD in its reporting
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.
Zero Waste & Sustainable Products
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Universal Corporation reported a waste recovery rate of 47% in 2023, which includes materials recovered through recycling, reuse, or composting.
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The company has also established a target to reduce absolute Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions from waste generated in operations by 25% by 2030, using a 2024 baseline.
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