Diversity & Inclusion
SUPPORTING DIVERSE COMMUNITIES AND BUSINESSES
As a company, we hope to contribute to a more equitable and inclusive future, beginning with how we do business and how we give back to the communities where we live and work. By increasing the diversity of our suppliers and our international restaurant offerings, we are supporting economic growth among multicultural businesses and populations. In conjunction, our outreach to diverse communities allows us to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others that reaches beyond our workplace and supports the underserved.
SUPPLIER DIVERSITY
US Foods® has a commitment to diversity, and is continuing to build a supplier diversity program that enhances our network of vendor partnerships with small businesses and companies that are U.S.-based and more than 51% owned, controlled and operated by a diverse spectrum of people, consisting of women, minorities, veterans, LGBT+ and individuals with disabilities. We are expanding our diverse supplier network through membership organizations, such as:
- Disability:IN, which is the leading nonprofit resource for business disability inclusion worldwide
- National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC)
- National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC)
- National Veteran Business Development Council (NVBDC)
- Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC)
- Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)
This work is led by our dedicated Supplier Diversity team that collaborates with subject matter experts across the business, as well as customers and suppliers, to develop supplier sourcing strategies and secure data to make informed choices.
As a part of our supplier setup process, US Foods seeks to both identify and track purchases of diverse suppliers. Upon request, US Foods can provide a report of its utilization of diverse vendors in a customer’s purchase history. US Foods uses a third-party provider to review business classification data, including small business and diversity status. This supplier is a minority- and woman-owned small business.
1. Figures include trade and indirect spend with Tier I suppliers.
2. Figure represents spend with certified diverse suppliers only; however, US Foods continues to track self-certification in support of customers’ supplier diversity spend goals and reporting needs.
Positive Economic Impact
Our Supplier Diversity program not only bolsters the resilience and strength of our supply chain, but also supports communities. Additional positive economic impacts in our supply chain and in communities are associated with our small and diverse suppliers and the people they employ, along with the purchases they make from other suppliers, as well as the spending that takes place in their communities. To more fully quantify these positive outcomes, we assess the program’s direct, indirect and induced economic impacts from our small business and diverse spend.
SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES
As a Feeding America Leadership Partner, we support food banks and other related nonprofits through product and financial contributions, with the aim of reaching underserved populations in need across our entire US Foods footprint. We are grateful to our associates who help support these efforts and enable us to provide critical donations to those facing food insecurity.
Since March 2020, we’ve donated $30 million in product to charitable organizations, including 125,000 pounds of food to help the Greater Chicago Food Depository bring pop-up food pantries to communities of color on Chicago’s South and West Sides, which have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and civil unrest.
US Foods® Scholars Program
Our US Foods Scholars program seeks to support the pipeline of diverse talent entering the restaurant industry by providing financial support and professional development opportunities to outstanding underserved students pursuing culinary careers. Since its inception in 2017, the program has offered more than $1 million in scholarship funding to alleviate financial barriers to our industry and help the next generation of diverse culinarians reach their full potential. Today, more than 90% of our US Foods Scholars are diverse. As part of our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion, the program has also expanded to include two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Bethune-Cookman University and Lawson State Community College, as well as Hispanic-serving Institutions.
To learn more about the program and each of our talented scholars, click here.