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Wendy's pledges improved animal housing, responsible antibiotic use by 2024

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January 22, 2020

Wendy's most recent Corporate Responsibility Report underscores the brand's commitment to improving care for the animals its uses for its food. To emphasize that commitment, the brand launched a new corporate banner, "Good Done Right," which a news release said is designed to emphasize Wendy's ongoing focus on animal care best practices, including achieving better housing conditions and responsible antibiotic use for such livestock used by the brand by the end of 2024. The report also includes efforts to enhance benefits for company employees and reduce the brand's environmental footprint.

"At Wendy's, we believe that doing the right thing is the only way to do business," President and CEO Todd Penegor said in the release. "Being a responsible corporate citizen is a priority for our brand, and Good Done Right is our way to communicate how we're advancing various commitments to make a positive impact in the areas of food, people and our environmental footprint."

The brand said it's bringing all its corporate social responsibility initiative under that single banner, then making sure to document progress to also make sure it is achieving its end goals. Meeting that obligation means conducting a third-party materiality assessment to ensure CSR goals also align with stakeholder priorities, and to guide the company's path forward. 

Last year under CSR, the brand counted as successes the following: 

• Formalized its new beef, pork, chicken and egg assessment tool launching this year called Wendy's Animal Care Standards Program.
• Changed to all hydroponic, vine-ripened tomatoes in North America.
• Tested hydroponic lettuce in Canada.  
• Launched its food "vision" around the catchphrase, "Fast Food Done Right," to emphasize menu innovation.
• Launched its "Squarely Sustainable" approach to more efficient and reduced use of resources and motivating action and engagement on sustainability systemwide.
• Participated in the NextGen Consortium's NextGen Cup Challenge to identify more sustainable hot and cold fiber cup options.
• Achieved a perfect score the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index.
• Designated a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality. 
• Continued support for children in foster care with more than $15 million raised for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and its Wendy's Wonderful Kids program.
• Extended domestic partner benefits to company employees.
• Expanded Employee Assistance Program to all company employees.