The Sustainable Shelf: Unlocking Value Across Frozen, Snack and Beyond

As eating patterns evolve, CPG manufacturers are working to differentiate, and research shows sustainability initiatives like regenerative agriculture, sustainable packaging and corporate emissions goals can help you stand out on crowded shelves. In fact, 77% of consumers believe sustainability is important to their purchase decisions.

It’s clear that sustainability isn't just a trend – it's fundamentally reshaping how consumers shop.

We’re examining how investments in sustainability can set your brand up for long-term success – featuring case studies from the frozen food and snacking categories, where innovation moves quickly and differentiation is key.

Long-Term Value of Sustainability Investments
55% of CPG market growth is currently delivered by sustainability-marketed products^. In addition, there is a positive correlation between the depth of a brand’s ESG-related claims and customer loyalty. These insights highlight sustainability as an increasingly smart investment that can drive long-term growth.

Achieving sustainability in grain-based products requires consideration for how the grains are grown, the milling process, transportation and all the steps manufacturers and retailers take to bring the finished product to the consumer. At Ardent Mills, our priority is helping you integrate ingredients that support your sustainability goals into your grain-forward products. Our partnerships with CPG manufacturers cover the process from seed to shelf, helping you to reformulate, with confidence, while meeting sustainability targets through our regenerative agriculture program and responsible practices at our milling facilities.

Sustainability as a Competitive Advantage in Snacking
Today, the snacking space is anything but bite-sized. With a 4.2% CAGR, the market for snacks is highly competitive among brands looking to win long term. This growth in snacking is driven, in part, by increasingly busy lifestyles that make on-the-go snacking a necessity. Once relegated to in-between meals, nearly three-quarters of all consumers say they now replace a meal with a snack at least once per week

While sustainability and care for the environment are important values across all age groups, our research shows 70% of snackers 18+ participate in the “desire to do good” trend. This means they want their food choices to have a positive impact on the world around them.

At the same time, young consumers are playing an increasingly important role in snack purchasing. These 18- to 34-year-old buyers snack more often (11.2 times per week) and more frequently (42% more often than one year ago) than their older counterparts. More than half of these young snackers agree that “snacks should be made in a way that is good for planetary health.” 

Brands that embrace sustainability will be well-positioned to appeal to snackers of every age group. One company focusing on its snack ingredient sourcing is Campbell’s, which partnered with Ardent Mills to expand its sustainability efforts.

The Campbell's Company & Ardent Mills' partnership for sustainability
The Campbell's Company has several products that use wheat ingredients, including Goldfish crackers. In 2021, the company partnered with Ardent Mills to increase the acreage enrolled in its wheat sustainability program, which supports growers in tracking sustainable farm practices and outcomes. This partnership helped Campbell's to complete and surpass (ahead of schedule) a commitment to extend its sustainability program to cover 50% of its flour volumes.

Regenerative Agriculture – A Closer Look
Agriculture accounts for 37% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and uses 70% of our water resources, making it an important variable when it comes to achieving your sustainability goals. Regenerative agriculture practices can enhance soil health and biodiversity while stewarding water resources, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and sequestering carbon in the soil.

And, what’s good for the environment can also be good for the grower. Regenerative agriculture has been shown to have the following benefits:

1. Improved soil health – Healthier soil can lead to higher crop yields and profits over time.
2. Reduced grower costs – Cover crops and no-till farming allow nutrients to spread throughout the soil, saving farmers money by reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers.
3. Greater climate resilience – Regenerative methods pull carbon from the air into the soil and make crops more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

While the potential of any regenerative agriculture program is high, it’s important to acknowledge that not all agricultural practices will work for all growers. The best path forward for each grower must be determined by region and crop.

Beyond the environmental and agricultural outcomes, regenerative agriculture practices are also impacting food innovation and consumer preferences:

• New Snack product launches featuring regenerative agriculture claims/positioning grew iwth a 20.5% CAGR from 2021 to 2024.
• New Food (All) product launches featuring regenerative agriculture claims/positioning grew with a 46.5% CAGR from 2021 to 2024.
• 49% of consumers report that "foods grown using sustainable regeneratice agriculture practices" are important to their dietary goals and priorities.
• 74% of consumers have a positve perception of food companies and brands that participate in regenerative agriculture.
  
  And regenerative agriculture contributes to more than just corporate initiatives. It also helps brands feature compelling farmer and sourcing stories on packaging that can resonate with consumers.
  
  Ardent Mills began its regenerative agriculture program in 2021 with 37,480 acres. Today, 598,064 acres are enrolled in 13 growing regions across the United States and Canada, and our goal is to support our customers in enrolling 2.5 million acres by 2030. As more companies explore regenerative agriculture across ingredient categories, partnerships like the one between Ardent Mills and Nestlé USA show that collaboration can help to significantly reduce environmental impact.

Read the full report from Ardent Mills here.