JBT Marel releases 2024 sustainability report, sets out global food system strategy

USA – JBT Marel Corporation has published its 2024 Sustainability Report under the title Shaping the Future of Food Together.

The document presents the company’s strategy for tackling challenges such as food insecurity, environmental stress, and resource shortages, while also focusing on operational efficiency and community impact.

Its publication comes months after JBT Corporation completed a merger with Marel, a move that expanded the combined firm’s presence in global markets and added to its technological portfolio.

Through this integration, JBT Marel now operates across protein, beverage, and fruit and vegetable processing, offering both machinery and digital solutions.

Five Areas of Focus

The report frames sustainability goals around five main areas that the company says are central to shaping its long-term impact.

Under the customer category, JBT Marel highlights its push to deliver technology that improves production efficiency while cutting environmental impacts across the supply chain.

In relation to people and communities, the company says it began in 2024 to design a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging governance structure, placing executive oversight over a workforce of 3,500 employees in more than 50 countries.

For its own operations, the company is standardizing internal practices and exploring new environmental targets that it says will help conserve resources and reduce exposure to climate-related risks.

Supply partners have also been singled out, with the company issuing a Supplier Code of Conduct and starting engagements to monitor ethical practices and assess suppliers’ environmental footprints.

The fifth pillar covers governance, where the firm is merging legacy materiality assessments in an effort to identify key sustainability issues and ensure its strategy reflects both business goals and wider global impact.

CEO Statement

Chief Executive Officer Brian Deck said that sustainability is viewed internally as a responsibility and that the actions taken today will shape the company’s future identity.

The report positions itself as a communication tool for investors, employees, and other stakeholders, connecting business priorities with a stated purpose of reshaping the food sector.

By setting out this five-pillar framework, JBT Marel indicates it intends to build resilience in the global food system while continuing to operate in line with its combined scale and technical capabilities.

Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.