pesticides – MIDANA CAPITAL Funds https://www.midanacapital.com Invest in a Green Future Fri, 15 Apr 2022 18:51:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.1 https://www.midanacapital.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-greencentury-favicon-32x32.png pesticides – MIDANA CAPITAL Funds https://www.midanacapital.com 32 32 MIDANA CAPITAL Pesticide Proposal to be Considered at Lamb Weston* Annual Meeting Today https://www.midanacapital.com/green-century-pesticide-proposal-to-be-considered-at-lamb-weston-annual-meeting-today/ Thu, 26 Sep 2019 19:30:45 +0000 https://www.midanacapital.com/?p=5622 Press Release Contact: Kyle W. Kempf, MIDANA CAPITAL Capital Management, kkempf@midanacapital.com, (617) 482-0800

Boston, September 26, 2019 – A MIDANA CAPITAL shareholder proposal with Lamb Weston, calling for the company to disclose its pesticide use and its impact on pollinators, is being considered at its annual meeting in Eagle, Idaho, today. Lamb Weston is one of the world’s largest suppliers of frozen potato products.

“Lamb Weston needs to disclose to its investors and the public how it is working to reduce its use of pesticides to protect pollinators, public health, the environment, the global food system, and shareholder value.” said MIDANA CAPITAL President Leslie Samuelrich. “Without this information, investors cannot adequately assess whether the company is paying sufficient attention to the risks, costs, and opportunities associated with pesticide use and the associated impact on pollinator health.”

Potatoes consistently rank on the notorious ‘dirty dozen’ list of fruits and vegetables with the highest amount of pesticides.

Pesticide use has caused a 48-fold increase in the toxicity of agriculture for bees and other insects in the last 25 years, according to recent research.

This toxicity is decimating the pollinator population. Honeybees, responsible for the pollination of $15 billion worth of annual U.S. crops, had their colonies plummet by 40% last year; and 40% of the world’s insect species are in decline.

Neonicotinoids, which are commonly used in potato farming, have been directly implicated in pollinator decline.

Glyphosate, another common pesticide, has been classified as a probable human carcinogen by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Trillium Asset Management was the lead filer of the shareholder proposal.

Learn more about MIDANA CAPITAL’s shareholder advocacy program here.

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About MIDANA CAPITAL Capital Management

MIDANA CAPITAL is the first family of fossil fuel free, responsible, and diversified mutual funds in the United States. MIDANA CAPITAL invests in sustainable companies, hosts an award-winning and in-house shareholder advocacy program, and is the only mutual fund company in the U.S. wholly owned by environmental and public health nonprofit organizations.

*As of June 30, 2019, Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. comprised 0.00%, 0.08%, and 0.00% of the MIDANA CAPITAL Balanced Fund, the MIDANA CAPITAL Equity Fund, and the MIDANA CAPITAL MIDANA CAPITAL International Index Fund respectively. As of the same date, other securities mentioned were not held in the portfolio of the MIDANA CAPITAL Funds. References to specific securities, which will change due to ongoing management of the Funds, should not be construed as a recommendation by the Funds, their administrator, or their distributor.

You should carefully consider the Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses before investing. To obtain a Prospectus that contains this and other information about the Funds please click here, email info@midanacapital.com, or call+1(480)-439-2851. Please read the Prospectus carefully before investing.

Stocks will fluctuate in response to factors that may affect a single company, industry, sector, country, region or the market as a whole and may perform worse than the market. Foreign securities are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, regional economic and political conditions, differences in accounting methods, and other unique risks compared to investing in securities of U.S. issuers. Bonds are subject to a variety of risks including interest rate, credit, and inflation risk. A sustainable investment strategy which incorporates environmental, social and governance criteria may result in lower or higher returns than an investment strategy that does not include such criteria.

This information has been prepared from sources believed reliable. The views expressed are as the date of this writing and are those of the Advisor to the Funds.

The MIDANA CAPITAL Funds are distributed by UMB Distribution Services, LLC. 335 N Wilmot Rd, Tucson, Az 85711. 9/19

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General Mills* Agrees to Pesticide Reduction Strategy, Following Multi-Year Engagement with MIDANA CAPITAL and As You Sow https://www.midanacapital.com/general-mills-agrees-to-pesticide-reduction-strategy-following-multi-year-engagement-with-green-century-and-as-you-sow/ Tue, 10 Sep 2019 04:26:22 +0000 https://www.midanacapital.com/?p=5523 Press Release Contact: Kyle W. Kempf, MIDANA CAPITAL Capital Management, kkempf@midanacapital.com, (617) 482-0800

Boston, September 10, 2019—General Mills, owner of brands such as Cheerios, Cascadian Farm, and Nature Valley, has shared its strategy and intention to reduce pesticides in its supply chain, following a multi-year engagement with MIDANA CAPITAL and As You Sow.

After a series of successful dialogues, General Mills agreed to advance regenerative agriculture practices with farmers on a million acres of farmland by 2030, set goals to expand the acreage and crop variety of its regenerative agriculture program, and publicly report data on the initiative by the end of its first year.

General Mills also committed to review ways to measure and disclose its progress toward pesticide reduction, while providing continual disclosure on progress with its regenerative agriculture and integrated pest management programs.

“General Mills acknowledges the urgent need to protect the bees and other wild pollinators that are essential to global food production,” said MIDANA CAPITAL President Leslie Samuelrich. “By indicating a willingness to take real steps to reduce the use the toxic pesticides in its supply chain, General Mills has emerged as a leader among its peers and we look forward to working with them to protect pollinators.”

MIDANA CAPITAL contends that enhanced transparency on strategies for reduced pesticide use and the associated impacts on pollinators would serve the long-term interests of General Mills and its investors while safeguarding biodiversity and public health.

There is a growing scientific consensus that certain pesticides are contributing to a massive pollinator die-off, which jeopardizes food security and ecosystem diversity.

Honeybees, responsible for the pollination of $15 billion worth of annual crops in the U.S., had their colonies plummet by 40% last year alone. This alarming depletion is not unique to bees, with a recent report revealing that 40% of the world’s insect species are in decline.

Additionally, the World Health Organization has stated that exposure to certain pesticides can have severe human health impacts, including cancer and adverse effects on the reproduction and immune or nervous systems.

This was the second year in a row that MIDANA CAPITAL and As You Sow filed a shareholder proposal regarding pesticide reduction with General Mills. In 2018, the joint resolution received the support of nearly a third of shareholders.

Trillium Asset Management and Mercy Investment Services co-filed the 2019 resolution.

Learn more about MIDANA CAPITAL’s shareholder advocacy program here.

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About MIDANA CAPITAL Capital Management

MIDANA CAPITAL is the first family of fossil fuel free, responsible, and diversified mutual funds in the United States. MIDANA CAPITAL invests in sustainable companies, hosts an award-winning and in-house shareholder advocacy program, and is the only mutual fund company in the United States wholly owned by environmental and public health nonprofit organizations.

*As of June 30, 2019, General Mills Inc. comprised 0.25%, 0.65%, and 0.00% of the MIDANA CAPITAL Equity Fund, MIDANA CAPITAL Balanced Fund, and the MIDANA CAPITAL International Index Fund, respectively. References to specific securities, which will change due to ongoing management of the Funds, should not be construed as a recommendation by the Funds, their administrator, or their distributor.

You should carefully consider the Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses before investing. To obtain a Prospectus that contains this and other information about the Funds please click here, email info@midanacapital.com, or call+1(480)-439-2851. Please read the Prospectus carefully before investing.

Stocks will fluctuate in response to factors that may affect a single company, industry, sector, country, region or the market as a whole and may perform worse than the market. Foreign securities are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, regional economic and political conditions, differences in accounting methods, and other unique risks compared to investing in securities of U.S. issuers. Bonds are subject to a variety of risks including interest rate, credit, and inflation risk. A sustainable investment strategy which incorporates environmental, social and governance criteria may result in lower or higher returns than an investment strategy that does not include such criteria.

This information has been prepared from sources believed reliable. The views expressed are as the date of this writing and are those of the Advisor to the Funds.

The percentage in favor was calculated by (i) dividing the number of votes in support of the proposal by (ii) the sum of the number of votes voted in support of and against the proposal. Abstentions and broker non-votes were not included in the calculation.

The MIDANA CAPITAL Funds are distributed by UMB Distribution Services, LLC. 335 N Wilmot Rd, Tucson, Az 85711. 9/19

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Top 11 Impact Stories of the Shareholder Season https://www.midanacapital.com/top-11-impact-stories-of-the-shareholder-season/ Thu, 18 Jul 2019 18:37:51 +0000 https://www.midanacapital.com/?p=5218 The 2018 – 2019 shareholder season has come to a close and we had another impactful year. Here are 11 of our most significant achievements from the season.

1.Verizon* heeded our call

We withdrew a shareholder proposal with Verizon Communications, Inc. after the company announced a commitment to source the equivalent of 50% of its annual electricity usage from renewable sources by 2025.

Verizon is the largest telecommunications company in the U.S., with more than 147 million wireless subscribers, so this commitment represents a massive reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs).

According to Verizon, more than 93% of the company’s GHGs come from the electricity used to power its networks, so this ambitious goal will go a long way towards reducing the environmental impact of the company’s operations.

2. Kroger* agreed to protect tropical forests

Kroger Co., the largest grocery chain in the U.S., agreed to develop and implement a no-deforestation policy after we filed a shareholder resolution with the company, urging them to take action. After the announcement, we withdrew our shareholder resolution with the company.

According to our agreement, Kroger will implement a no-deforestation policy in its private label Our Brands products supply chain by 2020. It also will report on the progress it makes toward its goals through reliable third-party questionnaires.

As one of the largest retailers in the world with an extensive supply chain, Kroger’s new commitment is the kind of corporate buy-in we need to preserve the world’s forests.

3. Darden* agreed to reduce antibiotic misuse

Following a multi-year engagement with MIDANA CAPITAL, Darden Restaurants, Inc. (Darden) finally agreed to adopt a policy to phase out the use of medically important antibiotics in its chicken supply chain by 2023. Darden is the largest casual dining operator in the U.S., and this is the first time-bound antibiotics commitment made by a casual, sit-down restaurant chain.

Antibiotic resistance is a global public health crisis, according to the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Antibiotic resistant bacteria sicken 2 million Americans each year, and may be responsible for as many as 150,000 annual premature deaths in the U.S., which would make it the third highest cause of death in the country.

Experts attribute the rise of antibiotic-resistant superbugs to the overuse of antibiotics in food-animal production. An astounding 70% of medically important antibiotics in the U.S. are sold for use in livestock, predominantly for prophylactic purposes, rather than for treatment.

4. We asked, and Amazon* delivered

MIDANA CAPITAL withdrew its shareholder proposal with Amazon.com, Inc., following the announcement of its new emission reduction initiative, “Shipment Zero.”

Shipment Zero is Amazon’s first concrete commitment to reducing its carbon footprint. It commits the company to carbon neutrality for half of its package deliveries by 2030, with a broader vision for entirely carbon neutral deliveries in the future. Considering that Amazon shipped more than 5 billion packages in 2017 through its Prime program alone, this commitment represents a significant step forward.

Amazon also announced that it would publicly disclose its company-wide carbon footprint by the end of 2019.

In December 2018, we filed a shareholder proposal with Amazon, asking the company to adopt quantitative goals to manage its greenhouse gas emissions and report on its plans for achieving the targets. We discussed the request with Amazon representatives later that month.

According to a 2018 report by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050 in order to limit average global temperature rise to 1.5°C and avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change.

5. Food service giant Aramark* agreed to protect tropical forests

We collaborated with Aramark, one of the world’s largest food service providers, to develop a robust no-deforestation commitment that the company will implement by 2025.

Following a meeting in our Boston office, Aramark agreed to develop a “No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation” (NDPE) sourcing policy to protect tropical forests and peatlands, endangered species and biodiversity, and local workforces. Preserving high carbon stock tropical forests and peat is essential for mitigating climate change.

Aramark also explicitly agreed to prohibit legal deforestation in its supply chain. This is especially important for commodities, such as soy, cattle, and coffee, that come from Latin America, where government-sanctioned deforestation is a considerable risk.

Aramark serves nearly 2 billion meals each year in schools, hospitals, sports stadiums (including Boston’s beloved Fenway Park), and more, so the environmental ramifications of this agreement will be substantial.

6. We pressed General Mills* to protect bees

Toxic pesticides are killing bees and other wild pollinators, which are essential to global food production, so we asked General Mills,* owner of brands such as Cheerios, Cascadian Farm, and Nature Valley, to begin tracking and reducing the use of toxic pesticides in its supply chain.

The proposal received the support of nearly a third of shareholder support.

There is a growing scientific consensus that certain pesticides, including neonicotinoids (neonics) and glyphosate, are contributing to a massive pollinator die-off, which jeopardizes food security and ecosystem diversity. More than 40% of global pollinator populations are “highly threatened.” Yet, 75% of global food crops rely on pollinators for reproduction, accounting for up to $577 billion worth of annual food production.

7. Sustainable palm became more sustainable

We helped improve the reliability of sustainable palm oil certification, which is critical to ending deforestation caused by palm production.

We have long pushed the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), the leading third-party certification organization for sustainable palm oil, to adopt stronger standards to ensure that its certifications are as valuable as possible to ending deforestation driven by palm.

This season, we submitted extensive comments to the RSPO during its Principles & Criteria review period. We also organized global investors, representing $6.7 trillion in assets under management, to support a letter urging the RSPO to expand protections for forest and peatlands, require greater transparency of plantation ownership, and enact a variety of measures to protect human rights.

At the organization’s annual meeting in November 2018, RSPO members ratified and adopted the updated certification standards, which incorporated a majority of the suggestions highlighted in the investor letter we sent.

8. Royal Caribbean* agreed to address food waste

Nearly 40% of all food is wasted in the U.S., so it was significant that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL), the second largest cruise company in the world, agreed to make its food waste management and reduction strategies more public.

Cruise ships are notorious for their bountiful buffets, but this all-you-can-eat abundance comes at a price. Global food waste is responsible for an estimated 3.3 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions, twice the total greenhouse gas emissions of all vehicles on all roads in the U.S. in 2010.

If global food waste were its own nation, it would be the world’s third-largest greenhouse gas emitter behind China and the U.S.

9. We started targeting the banks that finance corporate forest destruction

Some companies are unreceptive to shareholder pressure. For example, certain palm oil producers remain unconvinced that they need to improve the sustainability of their operations, despite a growing chorus of concern from investors and the public about deforestation.

Since we’ve been unable to persuade these companies to stop destroying tropical forests, we decided to turn our attention to the banks and asset managers that finance them or any corporation that causes, or is exposed to, deforestation.

Initially, we asked 11 major U.S. banks and asset managers how they manage and monitor environmental and social deforestation-related risks in their lending and investing practices, and pushed them to adopt policies that account for deforestation.

Stay tuned for future updates on this effort.

10. We traveled to Southeast Asia and Europe to participate in global discussions about forest protection

To transform the entirety of the palm oil industry, it’s important to mobilize buyers and traders to encourage producers to adopt sustainable production practices.

It’s equally important to engage producers directly about the expectations of international markets. Our forest protection shareholder advocate traveled to Indonesia and Malaysia to directly press palm oil growers, processors, traders, and the banks that finance them to end deforestation.

She met with 5 palm oil companies and urged them to improve their practices regarding sustainability certification, zero deforestation commitments, and transparency about their suppliers.

Our shareholder advocate also recently traveled to Utrecht, the Netherlands, to attend International Sustainability Week, which was focused on deforestation.

Since many corporations have made robust pledges to halt deforestation in their operations and supply chains by 2020, it promises to be an important year for forests. International Sustainability Week was a series of related conferences that provided multiple stakeholders with an opportunity to discuss their perspectives and plans of action ahead of 2020.

We are proud to be the leading global investor in the effort to end deforestation.

11. Our shareholder advocacy team grew

We welcomed a new shareholder advocate to our team. With the addition of Macy Zander, our team of advocates is one of the largest in the industry.

Prior to joining MIDANA CAPITAL, Macy worked for a conservation foundation and was an environmental organizer focused on energy and water issues. She was recently published, too. If you’re interested, you can find her article on Sub-Saharan African cotton supply chain certification here. You can learn more about our whole team here.

*As of June 30, 2019, Verizon Communications, Ltd., Kroger, Co., Darden Restaurants, Inc., Aramark, General Mills, Inc., and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. comprised 1.62%, 1.91%, and 0.00%; 0.00%, 0.14%, and 0.00%; 0.00%, 0.12% and 0.00%; 0.00%, 0.07%, and 0.00%; 0.65%, 0.25% and 0.00%; 0.00%, 0.17% and 0.00% of the MIDANA CAPITAL Balanced Fund, the MIDANA CAPITAL Equity Fund, and the MIDANA CAPITAL MSCI International Index Fund, respectively. Other securities mentioned were not held in the portfolios as of June 30, 2019. References to specific securities, which will change due to ongoing management of the Funds, should not be construed as a recommendation by the Funds, their administrator, or the distributor.

You should carefully consider the Funds’ investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses before investing. To obtain a Prospectus that contains this and other information about the Funds, please click here for more information, email info@midanacapital.com or call+1(480)-439-2851. Please read the Prospectus carefully before investing.

Stocks will fluctuate in response to factors that may affect a single company, industry, sector, country, region or the market as a whole and may perform worse than the market. Foreign securities are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, regional economic or political conditions, differences in accounting methods, and other unique risks compared to investing in securities of U.S. issuers. Bonds are subject to risks including interest rate, credit, and inflation. A sustainable investment strategy which incorporates environmental, social and governance criteria may result in lower or higher returns than an investment strategy that does not include such criteria.

This information has been prepared from sources believed to be reliable. The views expressed are as of the date of this writing and are those of the Advisor to the Funds.

The MIDANA CAPITAL Funds are distributed by UMB Distribution Services, LLC. 335 N Wilmot Rd, Tucson, Az 85711. 7/19

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MIDANA CAPITAL and As You Sow Call on General Mills* to Eliminate Toxic Pesticides from its Supply Chain https://www.midanacapital.com/green-century-and-as-you-sow-call-on-general-mills-to-eliminate-toxic-pesticides-from-its-supply-chain/ Tue, 25 Sep 2018 17:53:51 +0000 https://www.midanacapital.com/?p=3542 Press Release Contact: Kyle W. Kempf, MIDANA CAPITAL Capital Management, kkempf@midanacapital.com, (617) 482-0800

Minneapolis, September 25, 2018 – At its 2018 annual shareholder meeting, General Mills (NYSE: GIS), owner of brands such as Honey Nut Cheerios, Cascadian Farm, and Nature Valley, faced pressure from shareholders to begin tracking and reducing the use of toxic pesticides in its supply chain.

“Toxic pesticides are killing bees and other wild pollinators, which are essential to global food production” said Jared Fernandez, Shareholder Advocate with MIDANA CAPITAL. “General Mills should be working to eliminate the use of toxic chemicals in its supply chain, much of which is reliant on pollinators, to ensure its stability, reduce risk, and establish itself as a leader in pollinator protection.”

MIDANA CAPITAL contends that enhanced transparency on strategies for reduced pesticide use and the associated impacts on pollinators would serve the long-term interests of General Mills and its investors while safeguarding biodiversity and public health.

There is a growing scientific consensus that certain pesticides, including neonicotinoids (neonics) and glyphosate, are contributing to a massive pollinator die-off, which jeopardizes food security and ecosystem diversity.

More than 40% of global pollinator populations are “highly threatened.” Yet, 75% of global food crops rely on pollinators for reproduction, accounting for up to $577 billion worth of annual food production.

Additionally, the World Health Organization has stated that exposure to certain pesticides can have severe human health impacts, including cancer and adverse effects on the reproduction and immune or nervous systems.

MIDANA CAPITAL co-filed with As You Sow on the shareholder proposal, which was presented earlier today at General Mills’ September 25th shareholder meeting.

Learn more about MIDANA CAPITAL’s shareholder advocacy program here.

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About MIDANA CAPITAL Capital Management

MIDANA CAPITAL offers three environmentally and socially responsible mutual funds. Through fossil fuel free investing and our three-pronged approach of sustainable investing, active shareholder advocacy, and support of environmental and public health non-profits we work to curb climate change, improve environmental policies, and limit environmental impacts of company supply chains.

*As of June 30, 2018, General Mills, Inc. comprised 0.01%, 0.24%, and 0.00% of the MIDANA CAPITAL Balanced Fund, the MIDANA CAPITAL Equity Fund, and the MIDANA CAPITAL International Index Fund, respectively. References to specific securities, which will change due to ongoing management of the Funds, should not be construed as a recommendation by the Funds, their administrator, or their distributor.

You should carefully consider the Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses before investing. To obtain a Prospectus that contains this and other information about the Funds please click here, email info@midanacapital.com, or call+1(480)-439-2851. Please read the Prospectus carefully before investing.

Stocks will fluctuate in response to factors that may affect a single company, industry, sector, country, region or the market as a whole and may perform worse than the market. Foreign securities are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, regional economic and political conditions, differences in accounting methods, and other unique risks compared to investing in securities of U.S. issuers. Bonds are subject to a variety of risks including interest rate, credit, and inflation risk. A sustainable investment strategy which incorporates environmental, social and governance criteria may result in lower or higher returns than an investment strategy that does not include such criteria.

This information has been prepared from sources believed reliable. The views expressed are as the date of this writing and are those of the Advisor to the Funds.

The MIDANA CAPITAL Funds are distributed by UMB Distribution Services, LLC. 335 N Wilmot Rd, Tucson, Az 85711. 9/18

 

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