Thinking about Responsible Sourcing

Kellogg’s to Improve Productivity of 15,000 Smallholder Farmers Worldwide 

 

After our discussion about strategic sourcing last week, I came across this article that announced that Kellogg plans to improve its productivity not just through strategic sourcing but through responsible sourcing.  I have never considered the nature-related implications of sourcing a particular resource or material.  Depending on what it is that you are sourcing and the methods of production used, supply chain can have largely negative impacts on our earth. I was really impressed with Kellogg for making moves to decrease their ecological footprint by making their supply chain more environment friendly and more beneficial to our environment.  

Kellogg plans to do this by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, focusing on other resources that they can use to make their products, and providing more resources and education to their suppliers that will allow them make their processes more environment friendly. After reading this, I am curious about whether other companies like Kellogg will replicate this transformation.  Given the positive effects of this change, should the new practices of Kellogg become standard across the U.S? Additionally, I wondered whether this sort of organizational change could be replicated outside of food production and agricultural supply chains.