General Mills, Kellogg, Nestlé USA, Other Major Food Companies Call On World Leaders To Act Swiftly Against Climate Change

In a joint letter that has also been published to the Washington Post and the Financial Times, the CEOs of 10 of the world's biggest food companies have urged for swift and purposeful action against climate change from both U.S. and world leaders.

"Climate change is bad for farmers and agriculture. Drought, flooding, and hotter growing conditions threaten the world's food supply and contribute to food insecurity," the letter begins.

"By 2050, it is estimated that the world's population will exceed nine billion, with two-thirds of all people living in urban areas. This increase in population and urbanization will require more water, energy and food, all of which are compromised by warming temperatures. The challenge presented by climate change will require all of us— government, civil society, and business — to do more with less. For companies like ours, that means producing more food on less land using fewer natural resources."

For their part, each of the CEOs — including Grant Reid of Mars, Incorporated; Paul Grimwood of Nestlé USA, Jostein Solheim of Ben & Jerry's, and John Bryant of the Kellogg Company, among others — has pledged to use their own influence to advocate for "achievable, measurable, and enforceable science-based targets for carbon emissions reductions" and collaborate with governments to establish targets for supply chain sustainability within their respective companies.

"If we don't take action now, we risk not only today's livelihoods, but also those of future generations," the group cautioned. "As corporate leaders, we have been working hard toward these ends, but we can and must do more."