Sourcing
General Mills is committed to protecting human rights in our workplaces and throughout our supply chain.
We are signatories to the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and are guided by the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) 1998 Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.
Our Code of Conduct and Workplace Standard and Ethical Sourcing Policy help our employees understand these issues, and act in accordance with company policies addressing employee health and safety, labor standards, environmental protection, and anti-corruption.
Our Supplier Code of Conduct details our expectations of our suppliers in these areas. Together, our Workplace Standards and Ethical Sourcing Policy and our Supplier Code of Conduct set standards for ourselves, as well as for our suppliers, vendors and other business partners, regarding the protection of human rights. These standards are based in part on the (ILO) 1998 Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Guided by the 1998 Declaration, General Mills respects the principles of collective bargaining and freedom of association, and prohibition of discrimination, child labor and forced labor – including that associated with human trafficking. A third party auditing program helps ensure – should we find or become aware of violations of our standards – required remediation.
In addition, we take an active approach to current issues:
- General Mills has committed to 100 percent sustainable palm oil "to help ensure our purchases are not associated in any way with deforestation of the world's rainforests." Our statement on this important issue can be found here.
- We acknowledge the discussion currently taking place about egg production and the impact of production conditions on egg-laying hens. To encourage the development of alternative methods of production, General Mills is buying one million cage-free eggs for our U.S. portfolio in fiscal 2012.
