ScottsMiracle-Gro 2021 Corporate Responsibility Report: Communities
The challenges of 2020 were unprecedented for all Americans as well as for our company. The COVID-19 pandemic and rising calls for social justice presented us with new opportunities to respond with support for our own associates and for the communities where we live and operate. We adapted our grant making to ensure community programs could continue to meet urgent needs, empowered associates to give back in safe and creative ways and established a fourth philanthropic pillar at The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation to address social justice. One thing that didn’t change in 2020, however, was our commitment to our purpose—to GroMoreGood everywhere.
Foundation Commitments
We focus our philanthropic efforts on challenges where we can have the most impact as a company. Since founding The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation four years ago, we have focused those efforts on improving and protecting the environment, expanding community access to gardens and greenspaces and empowering youth, especially in underserved communities. In 2020, we expanded these efforts to include social justice.
These commitments complement our ongoing ESG strategy in the areas of environmental and water quality issues, diversity and inclusion and local community engagement.
BioBlitz Activities
In 2019, we partnered with the NRPA to launch the first Parks for Pollinators Bioblitz, a nationwide campaign to engage ordinary people in observing and documenting the animal or plant species in a certain area. this adds to the scientific knowledge of a place and helps scientists and land managers plan for the future.
Due to COVID-19, we hosted bioblitzes in September instead of June last year and encouraged communities to take part with social distancing in mind. Participants used the iNaturalist mobile app to learn about pollinators right in the palm of their hand. Users took photos of the biodiversity they came across in the park—animals, plants, insects, etc.—and automatically uploaded their photos to an international database for scientific research.
Environmental Improvement
In keeping with our commitment to care for the planet, we’ve put substantial processes in place to foster an internal dialogue regarding environmental stewardship. This commitment has resulted in multiple actions and investments over the years, including changes in some of our product formulations, the introduction of more water-efficient products and increased consumer education on safe and appropriate use of our products. The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation has partnered with experts and environmental groups across the U.S. to preserve Americans’ access to a safe, abundant supply of water and protect pollinators. Our goal is to reach 145 million Americans annually through environmental partnerships by 2025.
