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Maple Leaf Foods wins awards for diversity, workplace safety from NAMI

Maple Leaf Foods has won the inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award from the North American Meat Institute (NAMI). The award was presented during the Institute’s Environmental, Labor and Safety+ Conference in Carlsbad, California.

In addition, Maple Leaf Foods received 2022 Worker Safety Awards for four processing facilities in Canada and a 2022 Tier 3 Environmental Recognition Award.

“We are humbled to receive the Institute’s awards because they directly connect to our vision to be the most sustainable protein company on earth,” said Curtis Frank, president and chief operating officer of Maple Leaf Foods. “Creating an inclusive, safe work environment where all of our teammates can deliver their personal best all while protecting our planet reflects Maple Leaf’s Leadership Values, and that makes these awards deeply meaningful to us.”

Diversity, equity and inclusion

Maple Leaf Foods achieved NAMI’s inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award for the organization’s comprehensive diversity, equity and inclusion vision and strategic roadmap, it said. The organization defined its way of measuring progress, increased the diversity of its workforce, and measured the satisfaction of its people through comprehensive engagement survey questions.

“Receiving the inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award is an incredible honour,” said Jumoke Fagbemi, senior vice-president of people. “This recognition is a testament to our culture and our people who, through their dedication, curiosity and commitment, make our company an inclusive place to work. We know we’re stronger when people feel accepted and valued for who they are and what they bring to the workplace.”

Worker safety

Maple Leaf Foods said it is committed to being a global leader in workplace safety and claimed the company’s safety record is among the best in the industry.

It received NAMI’s highest-Award of Honor for worker safety achievements at three facilities: its pork processing facility in Brandon, Manitoba, its meat canning operation in Mississauga, Ontario and its Courtney Park manufacturing operation in Mississauga, Ontario. Maple Leaf Foods was also recognized with an Award of Merit for its Parma prepared meats facility in Laval, Quebec.

Environmental

Maple Leaf Foods also achieved NAMI’s Tier 3 Environmental Recognition Award for the Heritage prepared meats facility in Hamilton, Ontario. The second highest tier of recognition, this award recognizes Maple Leaf’s dedication to continuous environmental improvement, evidenced by the development and implementation of its Environmental Management Systems (EMS), it said.