The Sustainable Food Policy Alliance (SFPA) supports H.R. 5 and S. 788, the Equality Act. SFPA founding member companies Nestlé USA, Danone North America, Mars Incorporated, and Unilever United States believe enactment of the Equality Act is a strong step forward towards ensuring that all people, in all settings, are treated with fairness, dignity, and respect.
Here is our letter in full:
Dear Leader McConnell, Leader Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, and Leader McCarthy,
As member companies of the Sustainable Food Policy Alliance (SFPA), we are writing to express our strong support for H.R. 5 and S. 788, the Equality Act. We believe that providing the same basic protections to LGBTQ people as are provided to other protected groups under federal law is the right thing to do – for businesses and for society.
SFPA founding member companies Danone North America, Mars Incorporated, Nestlé USA, and Unilever United States know that our people are the force behind our success. We seek to build an inclusive workforce that offers opportunity to people of all backgrounds and identities, and allows them to support themselves and their families and to contribute to the health, strength, and resilience of their communities, which benefits businesses of all sizes and local economies.
As a core part of our business principles, we firmly believe that all people are equal and that every person deserves to be treated with respect, dignity, and fairness, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, age, national origin, disability, and military or veteran status. These principles guide the way we work, run our businesses, and engage with communities, and they contribute to our strength as we continually evolve alongside our consumers. SFPA encourages all institutions – companies, governments, and societies – to act similarly by embracing diversity, practicing acceptance, and respecting each person as an individual.
Policies that discriminate against LGBTQ individuals have a harmful impact on business operations and the ability of businesses to recruit and retain talent. Such policies are also increasingly out of step with the views of a growing number of American consumers. The enactment of the Equality Act would protect LGBTQ workers against discrimination not only at their jobs, but in their ability to access housing, credit, education, and federally-funded programs in the communities where they live and where our companies conduct business.
We respectfully urge you to enact the Equality Act and take this strong step forward towards ensuring that all people, in all settings, are treated with fairness, dignity, and respect. We believe this is the right thing to do for those communities, and for the country – for a stronger today and for a shared future that allows all Americans to contribute fully and equally.
Sincerely,
Molly Fogarty
Senior Vice President
Corporate & Government Affairs, U.S.
Nestlé USA
Brad G. Figel
Vice President
Public Affairs North America
Mars, Incorporated
Philippe Caradec
Vice President
Public Affairs and Sustainable Development
Danone North America, PBC
Tom Langan
North America Director
Sustainable Business & External Affairs
Unilever
About the Sustainable Food Policy Alliance
The Sustainable Food Policy Alliance seeks to accelerate the pace of change in the food industry through individual company leadership and collective support for public policies that raise the bar and inspire further action in this critical journey. As some of the world’s best-known food companies, founding members Danone North America, Mars, Incorporated, Nestlé USA, and Unilever United States recognize our responsibility to drive positive change for the people who use our products, the people who supply them, and the planet on which we all rely. To learn more about the Sustainable Food Policy Alliance, visit www.foodpolicyalliance.org.
