Walmart Unveils Global Sustainable Agriculture Goals

Walmart has unveiled it's Global Sustainable Agriculture Goals, and they include:

• Selling $1 billion in food sourced from 1 million small and medium farmers;
  
• Providing training to 1 million farmers and farm workers in such areas as crop selection and sustainable farming practices -- the company expects half of those trained to be women; and
• Increasing the income of the small and medium farmers it sources from by 10 to 15 percent.
• Doubling its sale of locally sourced produce and increase its purchase of select U.S. crops.
• Accelerating the agricultural focus of the Sustainability Index, beginning with a Sustainable Produce Assessment for top producers in its Global Food Sourcing network in 2011;
• investing more than $1 billion in its global fresh supply chain in the next five years; and,
• Reducing food waste in its emerging market stores and clubs by 15 percent and by 10 percent in stores and clubs in its other markets by the end of 2015.
• Requiring sustainably sourced palm oil for all Walmart private brand products globally by the end of 2015. Sourcing sustainable palm oil for our U.K. and U.S. private brand products alone will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5 million metric tons by the end of 2015.
• It is estimated that 60 percent of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is related to cattle ranching expansion.
• In India, sourcing 50 percent of its fresh produce through its Direct Farm Program;
• In China, upgrading 15 percent of Direct Farm products from Green to Organic certified;
• In Japan, reducing in-store produce waste by 35 percent and increase the number of produce farmers it sources from directly from 15,000 to 17,000; and
• In Canada, purchasing 30 percent of the produce assortment locally on an annual basis.