Sustainability at The Hershey Company

TBD Media Group

12 Sept 201907:33

Summary

TLDRThe Hershey Company, founded over 125 years ago, emphasizes sustainability and community investment as integral to its success. Originating from Milton Hershey's vision, the company supports cocoa farmers, children's education, and gender equality in West Africa. It also champions social-emotional development through programs like 'Cocoa for Good' and 'Hart Norman Project', aiming to foster inclusive communities and combat youth loneliness. The Milton Hershey School exemplifies the company's commitment to children's welfare, providing education and support to over 2,000 kids annually from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Takeaways

🏭 The Hershey Company has been in business for over 125 years, with a foundational principle of 'doing well while doing good'.
🌱 Sustainability is integral to the company's operations, recognizing its role as a corporate citizen and the importance of community and environmental impact.
💼 Milton Hershey's legacy is deeply rooted in the company's DNA, with a focus on community investment and employee well-being, which is believed to benefit the business.
🌍 'Cocoa for Good' is Hershey's strategy for sustainable cocoa, aiming for a world where cocoa farmers and their families lead healthy and prosperous lives.
🍼 The company supports nutrition programs like 'Energized Learning' in West Africa, providing peanut-based nutrition to school children to improve their focus and life prospects.
👥 Hershey is committed to SDG 5, focusing on gender equality, and works with partners to ensure thriving cocoa communities.
🤝 The 'Shared Goodness Promise' is Hershey's four-pronged approach to social responsibility, including business's role in society, environmental preservation, community investment, and supporting children's success.
👶 The 'Hart Norman Project' is Hershey's latest social impact program, aimed at fostering meaningful connections and inclusive communities among young people.
🏫 Milton Hershey School, founded by the company's namesake, provides education and support to over 2,000 children from disadvantaged backgrounds annually.
🍫 Hershey's chocolate is positioned as an affordable, accessible product that creates connections and spreads joy, a vision held since its creation.
🔗 The company emphasizes the interconnectedness of its success with the well-being of the school, community, and the planet, and the importance of perseverance.

Q & A

How long has the Hershey company been in business?
-The Hershey company has been in business for over a hundred and 25 years.
What principle has the Hershey company operated under since its founding?
-The Hershey company has operated under the principle of 'doing well while doing good,' emphasizing sustainability.
What does the Hershey company consider as part of its sustainability commitment?
-The company's sustainability commitment includes being a part of the world around them, considering their communities, the planet, and the people on this earth.
What is the connection between operating sustainably and business results according to the Hershey company?
-The Hershey company believes that operating in a sustainable way not only does the right thing but also delivers better business results and an engaged employee workforce.
Who was Milton Hershey and what was his vision for the company?
-Milton Hershey was the founder of the Hershey company, and his vision was to build a company that was heavily invested in the community and the well-being of his employees.
What is the 'Cocoa for Good' strategy and what does it aim to achieve?
-'Cocoa for Good' is a strategy for sustainable cocoa at Hershey, with a vision of a world where cocoa farmers and their families can lead healthy and prosperous lives, and where communities and ecosystems thrive for generations to come.
What is the 'Energized for Learning' program and how does it benefit children in West Africa?
-The 'Energized for Learning' program is a nutrition initiative for kids in West Africa that delivers TV (a peanut-based nutritionist) to school children daily, produced locally by a partner project, which is supported by the Hershey company.
What is the significance of SDG 5 for the Hershey company and its operations in West Africa?
-SDG 5, which focuses on gender equality, is significant for the Hershey company as they strive to achieve gender equality within the communities they work in and collaborate with various partners to support cocoa communities.
What is the 'Shared Goodness Promise' and its four focus areas?
-The 'Shared Goodness Promise' is Hershey's commitment to sustainability, focusing on four areas: the role of their business in society, preserving the planet, investing in the places where their employees live and work, and continuing Milton Hershey's legacy of helping children succeed.
What is the 'Hartman Project' and its purpose?
-The 'Hartman Project' is Hershey's newest social impact program aimed at helping kids and teens build meaningful connections with one another and create more inclusive, empathetic communities, addressing issues of loneliness and social isolation.
How does the Hershey company carry forward Milton Hershey's legacy through the Milton Hershey School?
-The Milton Hershey School, founded by the company's founder, serves over 2,000 kids a year from disadvantaged homes, providing them with education and support to lead fulfilling and productive lives.
What is the significance of chocolate in the Hershey company's philosophy and its 125th anniversary?
-Chocolate has always been a symbol of connection between people for the Hershey company, and as they celebrate their 125th anniversary, they reflect on what makes them unique and special, emphasizing the role of chocolate in creating moments of goodness in people's lives.
How does the Hershey company approach partnerships to implement children's programming?
-The Hershey company partners with organizations like Boys and Girls Clubs of America and Harvard University, leveraging their expertise in children's programming and using Hershey's platform to take a stand on important issues and make a significant impact.
What is the Hershey company's stance on sustainability challenges and the role of stakeholders?
-The Hershey company acknowledges the increasing challenges in sustainability and the importance of all stakeholders coming together to solve them, emphasizing the need for collective action to move the sustainability agenda forward.
How does the Hershey company view its role in society beyond being a commercial success?
-The Hershey company sees itself as not just a force for commercial success but also as a force for good in society, with a commitment to sustainable practices and a legacy of doing the right thing for people, communities, and the planet.

Outlines

00:00

🌱 Sustainability and Social Responsibility at Hershey

The Hershey Company, with over 125 years in business, has been built on the principle of sustainability and 'doing well while doing good.' Founded by Milton Hershey, the company is deeply committed to its community and the environment. Hershey's sustainability efforts are seen as part of the company's DNA, with a focus on investing in employees, communities, and cocoa farming communities. The company's 'Cocoa for Good' strategy aims to improve the lives of cocoa farmers and their families, ensuring healthy and prosperous lives. Hershey also supports nutrition programs, such as 'Energized Learning,' providing peanut-based nutrition to school children in West Africa. The company is dedicated to achieving the UN's SDG 5, focusing on gender equality, and carries forward Milton Hershey's legacy through various programs, including the 'Hart Norman Project,' which helps children succeed. The 'Shared Goodness Promise' outlines four areas of focus: societal role, environmental preservation, community investment, and supporting children's success. The 'Heartwarming Project' is a new social impact program aimed at reducing loneliness and social isolation among the digitally connected youth by fostering meaningful connections and inclusive communities.

05:01

🎉 Celebrating 125 Years of Hershey and its Commitment to Goodness

As Hershey celebrates its 125th anniversary, the company reflects on its unique and special connection with people, emphasizing the importance of community and the legacy of its founder, Milton Hershey. The company's success is tied to the well-being of the school, community, and the interconnectedness of all stakeholders. Hershey's perseverance is highlighted as a key value, encouraging students to believe in their ability to change and succeed regardless of their beginnings. The company is proud of its iconic brands and delicious products but acknowledges it is not an expert in implementing children's programs, which is why it partners with organizations like Boys and Girls Clubs of America and Harvard University. The 'Harbor Main Project' is a partnership that leverages Hershey's platform to advocate for important social issues. Sustainability is a growing concern, and Hershey is committed to increasing its efforts to ensure it continues to do the right thing for the next 125 years. The company is recognized as a leader in sustainability, striving to be a force for good in society, not just a commercial success.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Sustainability

Sustainability refers to the practice of meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In the context of the video, it is the core principle that guides the Hershey company's operations, emphasizing the balance between business success and environmental and social responsibility. The script mentions that sustainability is not just the right thing to do but also delivers better business results, such as an engaged employee workforce.

💡Corporate Citizen

A corporate citizen is a company that takes responsibility for its impact on the community, environment, and stakeholders. The video script highlights the Hershey company's role as a corporate citizen by emphasizing its commitment to sustainability and the well-being of the communities and the planet it operates within.

💡Cocoa for Good

Cocoa for Good is a strategy mentioned in the script that represents Hershey's vision for a sustainable cocoa industry. It aims to ensure that cocoa farmers and their families can lead healthy and prosperous lives and that communities and ecosystems thrive for generations to come. The script provides an example of a nutrition program for kids in West Africa, which is part of this strategy.

💡SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)

SDGs are a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations to address major social, economic, and environmental challenges. The script specifically mentions SDG 5, which focuses on gender equality. Hershey's commitment to achieving these goals within the cocoa communities they work with demonstrates their dedication to sustainable practices and social impact.

💡Energized Learning

Energized Learning is a program created by Hershey to deliver nutrition to school children on a daily basis. The script describes a peanut-based nutritionist product called TV, produced locally by a partner, which is an example of how Hershey is addressing child nutrition and education through its sustainability initiatives.

💡Shared Goodness Promise

The Shared Goodness Promise is Hershey's commitment to focus on four areas: the role of business in society, preserving the planet, investing in employee communities, and continuing Milton Hershey's legacy of helping children succeed. The script explains that this promise is a continuation of the company's founder's vision and values.

💡Milton Hershey School

The Milton Hershey School is a school for orphans founded by the Hershey company's founder, Milton Hershey. The script describes how the school has grown to serve over 2,000 kids a year from disadvantaged homes, providing them with education and support to lead fulfilling and productive lives.

💡Social-Emotional Development

Social-emotional development refers to the process of acquiring the skills to recognize and manage emotions, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain relationships, and make responsible decisions. The script discusses Hershey's investment in programs that provide young people with social-emotional development and learning, which is crucial for building meaningful connections and inclusive communities.

💡Digital Connection

Digital connection refers to the ability to communicate and interact through digital means, such as the internet and social media. The script notes that despite being the most digitally connected generation, young people also experience the highest levels of loneliness and social isolation, highlighting the need for Hershey's programs that address these issues.

💡Stakeholders

Stakeholders are individuals or groups that have an interest or concern in the actions of a company. The script mentions that stakeholders, especially the investor community, are increasingly looking for sustainable practices, emphasizing the importance of Hershey's continued efforts in sustainability to meet these expectations.

💡Harbor Main Project

The Harbor Main Project is a social impact program by Hershey aimed at helping kids and teens build meaningful connections and create more inclusive, empathetic communities. The script explains that the project partners with organizations like Boys and Girls Clubs of America and Harvard University to leverage their expertise in social-emotional development.

Highlights

The Hershey Company has been in business for over 125 years, operating under the principle of 'doing well while doing good'.

Sustainability is integral to the company's DNA, with a focus on being a responsible corporate citizen.

Milton Hershey's legacy includes building a town for his employees and investing in their communities.

The company's sustainability efforts are linked to better business results and an engaged workforce.

Cocoa for Good is a strategy aimed at creating a world where cocoa farmers and their families can lead healthy, prosperous lives.

Energized Learning is a nutrition program for West African children, providing daily peanut-based nutrition.

SDG 5 focuses on gender equality, with Hershey striving to achieve gender balance in cocoa communities.

The Hershey Company carries forward Milton Hershey's legacy through its Shared Goodness Promise.

The Heartwarming Project is a social impact program aimed at building meaningful connections among children and teens.

The project addresses the paradox of the most digitally connected generation experiencing high levels of loneliness.

Hershey is hosting a national summit for young people to discuss social isolation and share solutions.

Milton Hershey School serves over 2,000 kids a year from disadvantaged homes, providing education and support.

The school's mission is to help children find their passion and lead a fulfilling and productive life.

Hershey's chocolate was created to be affordable for the masses, fostering a sense of connection between people.

The company emphasizes the importance of perseverance and changing one's story for a successful future.

Hershey partners with organizations like Boys and Girls Clubs of America and Harvard University for social impact.

Stakeholders are increasingly seeking sustainable practices, with investors showing a growing interest.

Hershey aims to continue its sustainability efforts for the next 125 years, building on its history of doing good.

The company believes in being a force for good in society, not just for commercial success.