Jack & Annie’s, a leader in the alternative meat category, knows that fulfilling their mission of making a big positive impact for the world includes measuring their own. Within their first Impact Report they evaluate contributions towards regenerative agriculture through the jackfruit tree itself, building up their community in the US and India, supporting their farming family partners, and further understanding and improving their carbon footprint.
“We have always known that our environmental impact is strong. Jackfruit is one of the most sustainable crops, and we partner with our farmers on regenerative practices,” said Annie Ryu, CEO and founder of Jack & Annie’s . “This past year, we took it one step further, performing our first LCA (Life Cycle Assessment). We discovered that jackfruit as an input is 94% better than beef, 60% better than chicken, and 87% better than pork for Global Warming Potential.”
Jack & Annie’s is truly a global company, with teams in India and the US working together to make a positive impact. In the US, the team participates in community programs to lessen food waste, and is committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Additionally, Jack & Annie’s is proud to partner with over 1,700 farming families in India to help harvest the jackfruit. It has always been important to work with the farmers so they can better understand the value of jackfruit on their land: selling jackfruit to Jack & Annie’s enables farmers to increase their income by 10-40%. By building these relationships over the past decade, Jack & Annie’s has been able to study and calculate the carbon sequestration of the jackfruit tree – 28,000 metric tons of CO2 per year!
“The novel supply chains we've built have helped create a food system that offers both a healthy diet and a lower carbon footprint and provides an opportunity for small-holder farmers to earn incremental income. As we make jackfruit part of mainstream consumption, this food system will play an important role in solving this century's critical problems – public health, climate change and economic empowerment,” says VP of International Operations and Managing Director - India, Rahul Shrikant Palange.
Jack & Annie’s says this report is only the beginning, as the company has big goals to further grow and quantify its impact. This includes planting 50,000 jackfruit trees per year to sequester more carbon, continuing to provide education and assistance to farmers, bolstering diversity through unconscious bias training, performing an ESG Materiality Assessment, and taking inventory of Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon emissions.
ABOUT JACK & ANNIE’S
Jack & Annie’s, made by The Jackfruit Company and founded by Annie Ryu, is on a mission to create delicious and wholesome foods that feature jackfruit, an underutilized crop that is one of the world’s most sustainable and regenerative plants, as the primary ingredient. Jack & Annie’s plant-based offerings are more than just a delicious alternative to meat, they are also naturally nutrient-dense, high in fiber and protein, and lower in fat and calories, with simpler ingredients than other meatless products. From crispy jack nuggets to savory jack sausage patties, the Jack & Annie’s portfolio offers foods that are satisfying for meat eaters and plant-based eaters alike. Bite by bite, Jack & Annie’s and The Jackfruit Company are building a better planet, supporting farming communities in India by operating the largest global jackfruit supply chain and providing over 1,700 farming families with 10-40% of their income.
This article was written in cooperation with Jack & Annie’s.