One employee supports marketing by counseling on legal matters and the other is a logistics service provider. By day, neither of them are sustainability experts.
Which is exactly why these Kellogg Europe employees were chosen to visit rice farmers in Spain and Italy as part of the Kellogg’s Origins™ Program in Southern Europe. Kellogg’s Origins™ supports the special people and natural places where Kellogg’s ingredients are grown. In the U.S., Kellogg also partners with the Louisiana Rice Mille and Louisiana State University Agriculture Center to implement Kellogg’s Master Rice Grower Program.
Nacho Y. from Spain and Marina C. from Italy were chosen as Kellogg’s Origins™ Program Ambassadors to see firsthand how rice is grown, to speak with the farmers and to learn more about Kellogg’s commitment to using grains that are sustainably grown and responsibly sourced. Origins Ambassadors help increase awareness of Kellogg’s sustainable agriculture and responsible sourcing efforts.
Encouraging employees to see the company’s environmental sustainability program in action helps build their knowledge, passion and advocacy for Kellogg’s foods and brands. More on how the company is inspiring internal ambassadors and reminding consumers of its seed to spoon journey is captured below in an interview with Nacho and Marina:
Q: Can you describe the Kellogg’s Origins™ program?
A: Nacho: The commitment from Kellogg to provide consumers the best ingredients in our foods and to be respectful to the environment is part of who we are. Today consumers are very concerned about how their foods are made, and with this program we communicate transparently the responsible practices we encourage in the sustainable growing of our cereals, showing the consumer where and how their favorite products are made. This helps build trust between the consumers and our company, and that is vitally important.
Q: What does being a Kellogg’s Origins™ Program Ambassador mean to you?
A: Marina: Being a Kellogg’s Origins™ Program Ambassador is to be a trustworthy and reliable spokesperson that transmits to others the importance of this program and help them appreciate it. I’m honored to have been chosen for this role.
Q: Why do you think it’s important for Kellogg to involve local farmers from Spain and Italy?
A: Nacho: The first step in creating our cereals is the growing of the grains. We have to be there, working with the people who nurture those ingredients in each of our key regions. If we help to improve this stage of the process, and take care for our ingredients from the very start, we will improve our foods as well.
Q: You recently visited a rice farm as part of the Ambassador Program, what did you learn from that trip?
Nacho: It was the best experience during my time at Kellogg. The participants explained to us the details of the program and the real impact that it has in the region, including the fragility of the environment. The initiatives promoted by Kellogg have important benefits, not only from an economic perspective, but also from a social and environmental standpoint.
Kellogg promotes knowledge and best-practice sharing, in collaboration with the Research Institute owned by Spanish Department of Agriculture (IRTA), between the farmers in order to find the best ways to grow our grains. The program even has changed the ways of working for the farmers. For example in the Delta del Ebro, they have created a virtual group to share opinions and experiences about the sustainable practices they are applying.
Q: Why does Kellogg do this kind of work with employees and farmers?
Marina: Because it’s part of our DNA and it will be our legacy. It’s useful and gratifying for every employee, no matter which role they have, to know that Kellogg cares about the quality of our grains. We can all be proud that our company pays particular attention to the foods we produce and to the environment we live in.
