Jon Hixson: How to move big rocks to make gains in sustainable agriculture

Agriculture is a keystone for community and environmental health. If we can make it more resilient, we can help address critical challenges facing our natural resources, global food systems and growing population. Every day, my team works to find solutions for our brands – KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Habit Burger & Grill – as our supply chain depends on sustainable food production.   

Personally, I’m invested in the topic, having grown up on a wheat farm in Kansas and managed a flour milling operation in Colorado. From there, I worked with policymakers on Capitol Hill and spent time in the U.S., Latin America and Asia employed by a global food company in supply chain and government affairs. It’s been a winding road, but I see a common thread in the need for adaptability, collaboration and a long-term vision. These are certainly things we’re focused on at Yum! and I’ve elaborated more on the topic below. 

How Yum! Approaches Sustainable Agriculture 

It is a vast concept, and there are a lot of avenues to pursue. You can spend a lot of time turning over every stone, but we’re increasingly focused on what I like to call “big rocks,” areas where we have the most potential to drive the most change based on our capabilities and business needs. We identify big rocks by asking ourselves three questions:   

1. Does the project have a high material impact on our business?  

2. Do we understand all the ins and outs of the issue?  

3. And can we target our efforts and seek to bring benefits to scale?  

The answers help us tackle the root of sustainability challenges and make a real impact rather than spreading our efforts too thin.  

Some of the biggest rocks we’ve uncovered are key commodities, which can have a major impact on biodiversity and deforestation. We’re working to make the ones most material to Yum! more sustainable by leaning into projects and regions with the highest potential for impact.  

Think Global, Act Local 

Agriculture is deeply rooted in local communities and economies. That’s why it’s so important to take an integrated, on-the-ground approach. You can’t talk to a farmer about changing their agricultural practices unless you understand the local economy. Thinking about land conversion, you have to ask, “Why is the farmer converting land in the first place? Why is that a more profitable route?” From my vantage point, this is what a lot of sustainability work is about: truly listening to our stakeholders’ viewpoints and seeking realistic, actionable solutions.  

Partnerships Are Critical 

It’s hard to move a big rock alone. One project I’m excited about is Taco Bell’s collaboration, launched in 2023, to invest in a more sustainable beef supply chain. Together, we’re working with key suppliers, conservationists and ranchers in supporting habitat restoration and regenerative range management practices across the intermountain west through multiple grants.  

Also, Pizza Hut has a partnership with the Dairy Farmers of America to increase feed efficiency and reduce on-farm emissions from the milk used to produce Pizza Hut cheese. The collaboration’s success has inspired Pizza Hut to launch similar pilots with dairy farmers from New Zealand to the United Kingdom. Beef, dairy and chicken are among the highest contributors to Yum!’s Scope 3 emissions, so these partnerships are key to furthering our climate commitments. They also benefit farmers’ businesses while helping them protect local wildlife and ecosystems.  

Building Momentum for the Future  

I think we can make the most progress by doubling down on a collaborative, holistic approach while further integrating the work into our business. Externally this means focusing on both our suppliers and consumers, asking how we can encourage sustainable behaviors and best meet their needs. It also means diversifying our supply chains to make them more resilient and engaging in more cross-sector pilots and initiatives.   

Internally we continue to build up sustainability capabilities that are core to our supply chain. For example, all the steps I’ve described require data collection and analysis to help us stay clear-eyed about our performance and make informed decisions about what’s next. I’m proud of how far we’ve come and motivated to keep doing more. It’s a big mountain to climb, but we’re gaining ground with every step.