Operations

Chipotle launches sustainability impact tracker

Provided

October 26, 2020

A week after Panera Bread announced it would feature the carbon footprint of its food on menus, Chipotle Mexican Grill is debuting Real Foodprint, a sustainability impact tracker that compares average values for each of Chipotle's 53 real ingredients to their conventional counterparts against five metrics:

Less carbon in the atmosphere, measured in grams.
Gallons of water saved.
Improved soil health, measured in square feet.
Organic land supported, measured in square feet.
Antibiotics avoided, measured in milligrams.

"Beyond asking people to make the right choice for the climate based on a carbon label, we are demonstrating the impact of our sourcing practices through data computed based on the ingredients in our guests' orders," Caitlin Leibert, head of sustainability, in press release announcing the initiative. "While our guests can make good choices for the planet by simply eating at Chipotle, the radical transparency provided by Real Foodprint also holds us accountable to improve our practices and source more sustainably over time. It is the combination of transparency for our guests and Chipotle's commitment to higher standards that make Real Foodprint so impactful."

HowGood, an independent research company with a sustainability database for products and ingredients, is providing the metrics for Real Foodprint. It aggregates information from Chipotle's suppliers and over 450 unique data sources, including peer-reviewed scientific literature, industry findings, and research from government and non-governmental organizations, to evaluate the average impact of Chipotle's 53 real ingredients on the environment and animal welfare. Chipotle is the first restaurant brand to partner with HowGood.

HowGood also aggregated data on the percentage of each ingredient used in each Chipotle menu item, to help tailor each guest's Real Foodprint tracker. The thorough assessment of Chipotle's ingredients ensures the brand can adjust its supply chain over time and continue to minimize the impact of each ingredient, HowGood CEO Alexander Gillett said in the release.

"Having worked with top global brands across the industry, we are particularly excited about Chipotle's approach to providing a truly comprehensive view of ingredient impact," he said. "We're optimistic that their trailblazing could set a new tone for radical transparency, and excited to have partnered with them to provide the level of granular, exhaustive data they are committed to using."

Bill Nye the real Foodprint guy

Chipotle has teamed up with Bill Nye the Science Guy to demonstrate how Real Foodprint works. In his latest TikTok video, Bill explores the environmental savings data computed for his favorite Chipotle order, a burrito bowl with white rice, black beans, chicken, roasted chili-corn salsa and Queso Blanco: Bill Nye's burrito bowl is available in the Chipotle app and Chipotle.com for a limited time.

Defining conventional sourcing

To establish the industry average, HowGood used data from authoritative sources like the United States Department of Agriculture, World Health Organization and United States Food & Drug Administration to determine a baseline for conventional production of food.

"For more than 25 years, Chipotle has been dedicated to responsibly sourcing every single one of our ingredients and creating industry leading practices around animal welfare and sustainability," CMO Chris Brandt said in the release. "Now, with Real Foodprint, our guests can see how this commitment is better for the planet in each individual order."

Chipotle has over 2,700 restaurant locations.