Purina Europe announces its commitments towards a more regenerative future

• Purina Europe has announced their newly developed commitments, to positively impact pets, people, and planet
• The 6 commitments recognise that more impactful measures are needed to respond to today’s challenges
• The new commitments set ambitious targets for pet nutrition & wellbeing, in addition to supporting the health of people in vulnerable situations and the regeneration of our soil and ocean ecosystems
• In the UK, Purina is investing in Local Enterprise Networks to promote the uptake of regenerative farming practices

Nestlé Purina, the UK’s and Europe’s leading pet care company, has unveiled six new commitments, dedicated to improving the life and wellbeing of pets, people and the health of our planet. Purina recognises that more impactful and ambitious measures are needed to respond to today’s societal and environmental challenges. 

The 6 commitments have been developed using a formal materiality assessment and reviewed to ensure that the company operates within the planetary boundaries in which humanity can continue to develop and thrive for generations to come. They have also been designed to address key social impact areas outlined in the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This process has enabled Purina to define the commitments and set key targets.
 
The new commitments build on Purina’s core strength in providing high-quality nutrition for pets, whilst tackling wider societal and environmental issues. This includes improving the health of people in vulnerable situations through the power of the pet-human bond and accelerating the transition towards Net Zero and regenerative food systems. 

Purina will also be working to help advance the regeneration of soil and ocean ecosystems by shifting to restorative, circular systems to help regenerate both the ocean and land. This includes decreasing the excess nitrogen and phosphorus from use of fertilisers, supporting seagrass and seaweed restoration projects to absorb carbon emissions and chemical run-off, promoting greater biodiversity and deacidification of the oceans. 

In the UK, one confirmed initiative Purina is investing in is Landscape Enterprise Networks, a collaborative landscape programme promoting regenerative farming practices. The project so far has impacted 4335 hectares of land, in the East of England, with an uptake in sustainable farming practices. 

The announcement took place during a virtual event today – The BetterWithPets Forum 2022 (BWP Forum) – broadcasted live from Purina’s studio in Barcelona. It brings together more than 330 stakeholders from 20 different countries.  

BetterWithPets Prize 2022

The substantive and mutual benefits of the pet-human bond are well-documented, including its ability to increase happiness, promote wellbeing and encourage feelings of security and social inclusion.  

As mental and physical health are key priorities for the UN SDG’s, Purina assessed their ability to positively impact this area through the power of the pet-human bond, with the inclusion of its first people focused commitment. The introduction of a social dimension builds on Purina’s belief that when people and pets bond, life becomes richer, especially for the most vulnerable of society. 

The value of pets in supporting human wellbeing is well-documented. For example, in the UK 91%  of Brits say they find having a dog around them a calming influence, with 94% believing pets can improve happiness or confidence. 31% who said they’d suffered with a mental health issue, said that one of the top things that helped them was spending time with their pet. 

As such, Purina aims to support 1,000,000 people in vulnerable situations by improving their health and wellbeing through the power of the pet-human bond.

To help scale the impact of this commitment, Purina announced yesterday the launch and evolution of its BetterWithPets Prize 2022, an award for impactful organisations who leverage the power of the pet human bond to improve the lives of people in vulnerable situations. The sourcing of official applications will start in January 2023. 

At Purina, we are passionate about creating richer lives for pets and the people who love them. In the UK, our valued long-term partnerships are at the heart of helping us make a real difference. For example, we continue to work with our friends at Cats Protection and Canine Partners to help strengthen the loving bonds between pets and people. We know the power that these relationships have and the incredible benefits they can deliver for both mental and physical wellbeing – for owners and their beloved pets alike.

Calum MaCrae Managing Director Purina UK&I

“Nutrition has always been at the heart of what we do, but we want to go further and do more of what matters for pets, the people who love them and the planet we inhabit. As a result that requires us to step up to positively impact the planet, support a more equitable society and improve the lives of our pets. That’s why here in the UK and Ireland and across Europe, we have set these bold and ambitious commitments.”

Jeff Hamilton, CEO, Nestlé Purina PetCare Europe said: “To reach Net Zero and support the halt of biodiversity loss, we must accelerate our regeneration journey in pet food and advance positive change through collaboration with those working alongside us in our supply chain. As a pet owner myself, I know first-hand how important the pet-human bond can be, and I am proud that we are able to support people in vulnerable situations through this unique relationship between people and pets.”

Overview of Purina’s new Commitments: 

Purina’s commitments are designed to ensure the company continues to deliver high-quality pet nutrition and care with the ambition to operate within the planetary boundaries and address key social impact areas. 

Below is a breakdown of each commitment and how Purina set out to achieve these:

1)    To innovate pet nutrition and source ingredients through regenerative practices
•    By 2024, Purina will launch 20 new products, designed to improve the health and wellbeing of pets.
•    By 2025, 20% of cereals & vegetables proteins will be sourced from regenerative agriculture methods moving to 50% by 2030. 
•    By 2030, we will only use fish (wild caught & aquaculture) sourced through responsible practises. 

2)    To promote pet adoption by leveraging partnerships
Purina has adoption partnerships in 15 countries across Europe working with 28 different partners to promote pet adoption and combat the rise of pet abandonment. Purina will continue to work with  partners to promote best practise and help improve adoption rates by 2025.
•    To further help scale pet adoption, Purina Europe will partner with Dogs Trust Worldwide (DTWW) to provide animal welfare charities across the region with the tools and financial resources to improve welfare and rehome more effectively. This partnership includes an NGO training programme providing expertise and best practice in welfare and rehoming, as well as the opportunity to apply for a grant to support the NGO with the pets in their care, on their facilities or on building practical skills.

3)    To promote responsible pet ownership programmes
•    By 2030, 3,000,000 people will have participated in our programmes.
•    Purina will work with expert partners in education to deliver programmes to help children better understand pet behaviour and care in 13 different countries. 
•    Purina will also fund initiatives to help pet owners such as the Zigzag Puppy Coach app which empowers new puppy owners' critical life skills by providing a personalised training plan based on breed and age.
•    Purina has also developed an on-line breed selector tool which will be updated with new and more in-depth information to ensure pets match the lifestyle and circumstances of potential owners.  

4)    To foster people’s health through the power of the pet human bond
•    By 2030, we aim to help 1,000,000 people in vulnerable situations improve their health and wellbeing through the power of the pet human bond. 

5)    To work towards a waste-free future
•    By 2025, our ambition is that 100% of Purina’s packaging will be reusable or recyclable with the aim to reduce the use of virgin plastics by one third during the same time period. 
•    By 2030, new circular ingredient solutions will be integrated into Purina’s product portfolio.

6)    To help advance regeneration of soil and ocean ecosystems
Our commitment includes the following 2030 goals:
•    We strive to cut our CO2 emissions by 50% in our journey towards Net Zero
•    We strive to reduce the excess nitrogen and phosphorus from the fertilisers in our agricultural supply chain
•    We strive to limit land use as well as improving land quality through regenerative agriculture practices
•    We strive to contribute with our actions to halting the loss of nature and to start reversing this trend by 2030
•    We will address bycatch with our global partners for fish e.g. Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) and will collaborate and support Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) related to fish species in our products
•    We will action seaweed and seagrass restoration projects to help us capture more carbon and promote biodiversity

Purina has worked with Cats Protection for over 40 years, and has often focused its support on the incredible work that the charity does to find loving new homes for cats in need. Since Purina launched its initial set of societal Commitments in 2016, Cats Protection has rehomed over 220,000 cats. In the last three years alone, Purina has provided over 2 million meals and more than 5000 days’ worth of care for cats in Cats Protection’s centres. 

Purina also has a longstanding relationship with charity Canine Partners that assists people with physical disabilities to enjoy  greater independence and quality of life through the provision of specially trained dogs; since 2016 we have supported them in creating just over 50 partnerships.
 

Notes to Editors:

About Nestlé Purina PetCare (UK & Ireland)

About Nestlé Purina PetCare Europe
Nestlé Purina PetCare Europe believes that when people and pets bond, life becomes richer. This is why it is committed to creating richer lives for pets and the people who love them through high-quality nutrition and care. For over 120 years, Purina has been one of the pioneers in unlocking the power of nutrition, providing great tasting products made to the highest standards of quality and safety.

Purina’s commitments go beyond the advancement of pet nutrition, providing support along the entire pet parenthood journey to further strengthen the pet-human bond. In 2016 Purina PetCare Europe launched its first set of commitments to have a positive impact on pets and society. 
In 2022, Purina announced its 2023 – 2030  commitments to support adoption and responsible pet ownership, help the wellbeing of vulnerable people and support the regeneration of soil and ocean ecosystems.

The Purina portfolio includes many of the best-known and best-loved pet foods including Felix®, Purina ONE®, Gourmet® and Pro Plan®.  

Purina’s passion for pets and the people who love them drives its commitment to become Europe’s most trusted pet care company, making a positive impact on the health of pets, people and the planet. 

A premiere global manufacturer of pet products, Nestlé Purina PetCare is part of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A., a global leader in nutrition, health and wellness.