TORONTO, June 25, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SunOpta Inc. ("SunOpta" or the "Company") (Nasdaq:STKL) (TSX:SOY), a leading global company focused on natural and organic foods, today announced the release of its 2013 Corporate Social Responsibility Report. The report provides an update on progress towards the Company's 2013 sustainability goals covering social, environmental and economic objectives, and further reinforces SunOpta's commitment to becoming an increasingly sustainable organization.
"We have made substantial strides on many fronts and in doing so have created measurable targets to track improvements on each of our sustainability priorities," said Steve Bromley, Chief Executive Officer at SunOpta. "The progress we are making towards building on our position as a sustainable global leader in natural and organic foods is important because it minimizes our impact on the environment, improves employee engagement and helps deliver shareholder value."
Highlights of SunOpta's progress in 2013 include:
- Reduced CO2e Intensity 8.8 percent in Liquids Manufacturing Operations
- Reduced Water Intensity 11.7 percent in Solids Manufacturing Operations
- Reduced Lost Work Days by 91 percent
SunOpta was also recently recognized by Corporate Knights in its inaugural Future 40 Responsible Corporate Leaders in Canada. The list recognizes up and coming Canadian companies which demonstrate sustainable operations as it relates to investors, customers, suppliers, consumers and citizens.
SunOpta's commitment to building a progressively sustainable organization is consistent with its core focus on natural and organic foods and core strategies of growing SunOpta's value-added packaged foods and ingredients portfolio in hand with leveraging its integrated platform in a cost-effective and responsible manner.
The 2013 Corporate Social Responsibility Report covers the operations of SunOpta Inc., including wholly-owned subsidiaries and joint venture operations, excluding Opta Minerals Inc. The report is available on the Company's website (www.sunopta.com) and complements other information available about the Company.
About SunOpta Inc.
SunOpta Inc. is a leading global company focused on natural, organic and specialty foods products. The Company specializes in sourcing, processing and packaging of natural and organic food products, integrated from seed through packaged products; with a focus on strategically vertically integrated business models. The Company's core natural and organic food operations focus on value-added grains, fiber and fruit based product offerings, supported by a global infrastructure. The Company has two non-core holdings, a 66.0% ownership position in Opta Minerals Inc., listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, a producer, distributor, and recycler of environmentally friendly industrial materials; and a minority ownership position in Mascoma Corporation, an innovative biofuels company.
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