Value-Driven Sourcing

Greg Metschke's Story

“Sometimes you have to look backwards at where you were to feel good about where you are going. This gives you the confidence that you can get to where you want to go.”
“We owe it to our employees, the communities we work in to be a force for good.”

Enhancing Internal and Supply Chain Capabilities 

Greg Metschke, Vice President of Purchasing and Sustainable Sourcing at Griffith Foods, leverages 16 years with the company. His focus on sustainability goes beyond compliance, creating positive impact through responsible sourcing and aligning business goals with environmental and social progress.

Griffith Foods is a global product development partner supporting food companies to meet the needs of consumers with high-quality, customized products. As a family business founded in 1919, the company is known for collaborative innovation guided by its purpose to “blend care and creativity to nourish the world.”

 

Sector: Food product development

 

Employees: 4,000

 

Geography: Headquartered in Illinois, USA, with operations across 40 countries globally.

 

Website: griffithfoods.com

Challenges
faced

When Greg first embarked on his mission to integrate ESG principles into Griffith Foods’ supply chain, he was faced with several challenges that required strategic thinking and perseverance.

 

One of the primary issues was balancing supply and demand in the unpredictable agricultural sector – where weather conditions, pest infestations and market fluctuations play a key role.

 

Ensuring a steady supply of raw materials while meeting customer demand was a constant balancing act.

“It’s agriculture, and mother nature doesn’t always cooperate – especially when we’re not nice to her.”
“We really started down this path of better understanding our supply chains and doing some of this stuff primarily out of need from a risk management standpoint.”

Greg and his team were also hindered by a lack of information in the supply chain. They had to rely on suppliers who had vested interests, leading to frustrations over pricing and market data. This lack of transparency made it challenging to make informed decisions and manage risks effectively.

 

Another challenge was collaborating across different teams within the company to align priorities, assess the risks of various initiatives and find the right way to communicate the benefits to their customers. Each team had its own priorities and concerns, and aligning them towards a common goal of sustainability required effort and strategic planning.

Actions
taken

To address these challenges, Greg and his team undertook several key actions.

 

They performed a Material Change Assessment to identify key areas for improvement and risk management. This assessment helped make sustainability more accessible and demonstrated that Griffith Foods could be more competitive with sustainable practices. It showed that minimizing risks and improving yields could lead to long-term benefits. The assessment provided a clear roadmap for the company, highlighting areas where sustainable practices could be implemented to achieve the greatest impact.

 

Balancing supply and demand required a diversified approach. Greg and his team focused on diversifying the areas where certain products were grown. For example, they started programs in India then shared the learnings with farmers in Vietnam, Albania, and recently, East Africa. By diversifying their sourcing locations, Griffith Foods was able to mitigate the risks associated with relying on a single region for raw materials.

“We are showing that we can still be competitive while doing all these things, and in some cases even be more competitive, because as you grow these programs, you reduce risk, and you also improve yields."
”It's about formalizing what we're doing across the business for consistent implementation. Not just in these three or four locations, but across our own manufacturing locations, across our supply chain."

This global approach also resulted in initiatives to improve the quality and safety of their products, while giving back to communities. They implemented sustainable practices at the ground level – reducing the use of pesticides and improving access to water, while working directly with farmers and communities on these initiatives. In Albania, Griffith Foods started cultivating improved practices for sage growers, so they could reduce the risk to those who were harvesting the crop in the wild (often on risky terrains like hillsides), but also ensure the quality and cleanliness of their produce, while supporting communities with long-term agreements between the farmers and suppliers in the area. This direct engagement also allowed the company to bypass intermediaries and obtain more accurate information about their supply chain.

 

Developing new organizational capabilities was also essential. The procurement team at Griffith Foods underwent extensive training to understand sustainability requirements and lead suppliers through the EcoVadis assessment process. This internal capacity building enabled the company to drive sustainability initiatives more effectively and ensure that their suppliers met high standards of ethical and sustainable practices.

Resonance
of impact

The actions taken by Greg and his team have had a profound impact on Griffith Foods and beyond. The sustainable sourcing programs led to significant improvements in the livelihoods of farmers and the health of communities. Initiatives like reducing pesticide use, providing clean water, and supporting local economies have created tangible benefits for thousands of people.

 

By diversifying supply sources and building strong relationships with farmers, Griffith Foods has created a more resilient supply chain. This resilience has helped the company navigate market fluctuations and environmental challenges more effectively. Griffith Foods has positioned itself as a leader in sustainable sourcing. The company’s commitment to regenerative agriculture and its proactive approach to ESG have set a benchmark for others in the industry.

"It's been a really good way for the business to, if not gain more customers, at least very securely be able to say, 'This is what we're able to do for you’ to our customers"
“Especially when you look at regenerative agriculture…that’s really when you’re going to start to see the things that are going to have a significant impact on the environment.”

Greg’s journey would not have been possible without cross-departmental collaboration. By working closely with the finance team, Greg demonstrated that adding a small premium to sustainably sourced products could ensure financial viability without affecting revenue or customer satisfaction. Meanwhile, his efforts with the commercial and marketing teams brought Griffith Foods’ impact stories to life, showing customers the tangible benefits of their choices. 

 

Looking ahead, Greg aims to continue driving positive change through regenerative agriculture and sustainable sourcing programs. He envisions scaling these initiatives to create even greater impact, both environmentally and socially. By partnering with organizations like WBCSD and leveraging innovative funding models, Greg and his team plan to further their mission of being a force for good.

What Greg found useful during his ESG journey

Rainforest Alliance as proxy for certifying all the farms and farmers they are working with.

Relevant resources to Greg’s work

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