At the center of our human rights policy is a belief in the principles of equality, equity and non-discrimination and a commitment to treating all individuals with respect, dignity and kindness. On Human Rights Day we want to take a moment to look back at the progress we’ve made in 2020 and what’s to come in the year ahead.
While it has been a challenging year for all of us, in recent years teens have reported increasing levels of stress, anxiety and other mental health challenges, which have only been exacerbated by the events of 2020. However, research has shown that increasing social and emotional competencies such as empathy and inclusion, as well as fostering meaningful connections with peers, adults and their community, can improve youth outcomes and wellbeing.
We’ve long known that our business relies on ingredients that come from a healthy earth. That is why we are strengthening our environmental efforts and moving toward science-based targets to reduce our impact on the planet.
At The Hershey Company, Sustainability is an idea as simple as it is big: our business, our planet, our communities, our children — they’ve always mattered. It’s a promise delivered by all of us at Hershey—to see every day as a chance to be successful in a way that makes a difference.
Bringing goodness to the world is in our character. We have a long legacy of sharing our goodness. As one of America’s first companies built with purpose, Hershey has always focused on doing well by doing good.
Every day millions of farmers in West Africa support their families and communities by growing the cocoa that goes into delicious Hershey products. They are the people behind some of our most iconic treats, so we want to help them overcome the biggest issues they face. And the pressure isn’t just on people—farming is placing strain on local environments where cocoa is grown.
Every year Merriam-Webster, the word authority, expands its dictionary. The addition of new words not only reflects the evolution of the English language, but also signals when a topic has become mainstream or recognizable to the general public.
We’ve seen firsthand that children learn best when they have the energy and nourishment to help them focus on their studies, rather than their stomachs. Today, 16 million children in the United States don’t have access to the basic nutrition they need each day to learn and grow. Across the developing world, 66 million primary school-age children come to school hungry, with 23 million in Africa alone.
