Bimbo Bakeries USA (BBU) has published its 2021 Diversity, Equity, & Belonging report, Our Foundation of Belonging. It highlights BBU’s 2021 accomplishments in its strategic framework of Workforce, Workplace, and Marketplace and introduces three-year goals and commitments. Bimbo Bakeries USA is a proud part of Grupo Bimbo, the world’s largest baking company, who is committed to advancing Diversity, Equity and Belonging in all 33 countries where it operates.
BBU’s 2021 Diversity, Equity, & Belonging Report acknowledges the work accomplished since establishing a Diversity, Equity & Belonging function in early 2021. Highlights from the report include:
- Racial Equity Action Council (REAC): In 2021, BBU’s REAC influenced the company’s efforts to renew people practices, create a culture of Belonging, and promote racial equity in our communities.
- Recruiting enhancements: BBU expanded its diverse slate requirements to include diversity in both gender and race, as well as added its head of Diversity, Equity, & Belonging in recruitment strategy and candidate debrief meetings.
- Associate development: All salaried associates are now required to take at least 1.5 hours of Racial Equity Strategy Training (REST) annually to continue BBU’s commitment to educate its associates on topics related to its Diversity, Equity, & Belonging strategy.
- Marketing: To reflect the marketplace it serves, BBU pledged to ensure diversity and equity across its marketing, inviting BBU’s Racial Equity Action Council into the company’s marketing assets review process.
- Community partnerships: In 2021, the company invested $1 million to national and local organizations dedicated to furthering the education, financial well-being and health of Black and minority Americans.
- Supplier diversity: BBU introduced a Supplier Diversity Program to partner with vendors with diverse experience, viewpoints, and backgrounds.
“Our Foundation of Belonging Report highlights the progress of our past and our Diversity, Equity, & Belonging path for the future,” said Fred Penny, president of Bimbo Bakeries USA. “Recognizing we have much more work to do, we have established goals and commitments for the next three years to ensure that we remain results-oriented. Our goals are ambitious because we know that Bimbo Bakeries USA can be a leader in Diversity, Equity, & Belonging.”
Among Bimbo Bakeries USA’s three-year goals are increasing representation in all levels of its workforce, providing Diversity, Equity, & Belonging educational programming and trainings for all associates, and expanding supplier diversity.
“We are committed to building a workforce, creating a work environment and establishing a meaningful presence in the marketplace that actively promotes Diversity and Equity, and ultimately achieves Belonging for our associates and within our communities,” said Nikki Lang, head of diversity, equity, & belonging at Bimbo Bakeries USA.
Read the full report.
For more about Bimbo Bakeries USA, see "Bimbo Bakehouse brings comprehensive solutions to foodservice and the in-store bakery" on the SF&WB website, or "Nourishing the World," the cover story for the April 2021 issue of the SF&WB eMagazine.
