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Sweetgreen, Inc.

Animal Welfare

Effective Date: July 17, 2024

At Sweetgreen, our mission is to build healthier communities by connecting people to real food. We are committed to positively impacting the food system by continuously improving our animal welfare standards and providing transparency throughout our supply chain.

Eggs

We are committed to working with our suppliers to ensure that 100% of the eggs and egg products we purchase come from cage-free environments. As we open restaurants across the U.S., our goal is to use cage-free eggs in all of our operations, even in states without cage-free standards or regulations. 

Chicken

In 2018, we adopted the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) standards and committed to sourcing higher-welfare chicken. The BCC aims to address critical animal welfare issues such as living conditions and humane slaughter. 

We intend to meet our BCC commitment by sourcing Global Animal Partnership (GAP) Step 2 certified chicken in line with the tenets of the BCC, including stocking density to ensure adequate space to move freely, enriched environments to promote natural behaviors, lighting to support natural sleep, Controlled Atmosphere Stunning (CAS) to minimize duress, and third-party audits to verify compliance. For our 2023 fiscal year, over 40% of the chicken we purchased was GAP Step 2 certified and over 14% was processed in CAS facilities. 

We are determined to exceed industry standards and support poultry farmers in improving their animal welfare practices. 

We are committed to increasing our use of GAP Step 2 certified chicken and aim to increase our purchase volume from over 40% for fiscal year 2023 to at least 60% for fiscal year 2024. By incrementally increasing the volume of GAP Step 2 certified chicken purchased per year, our goal is to have at least 75% of our chicken volume aligned with the BCC tenets for density, litter, lighting, enrichments, and third-party audit by the end of fiscal year 2026, and 100% by the end of fiscal year 2027.

Additionally, we plan to increase the volume of chicken we purchase from facilities utilizing Controlled Atmosphere Stunning (CAS). CAS is a multi-step processing system that is generally considered a more humane method of slaughter than traditional methods. We intend to source at least 25% of our chicken from suppliers adhering to CAS processing methods by the end of fiscal year 2026, at least 50% by the end of fiscal year 2027, and 100% by the end of fiscal year 2028.

Furthermore, as we grow our footprint, we are working to incorporate slower-growing, higher-welfare chicken breeds approved by the BCC into our supply to inspire change in the broiler chicken industry. We intend to partner with current and prospective suppliers to understand the viability of sourcing higher-welfare breeds at scale. We aspire to implement BCC-approved higher-welfare breeds into our chicken supply and meet all BCC tenets by the end of fiscal year 2029.

We are committed to being transparent about our journey. Our progress updates are available in our Impact Report or Summary on our Investor Relations website and the Chicken Track report published by Compassion in World Farming.

Fish

In 2023, we added salmon to our signature menu. We partnered with suppliers that adhere to at least one of the two globally recognized standards, Good Agricultural Practices (GlobalGAP) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC). These standards ensure that the salmon we serve are raised in conditions that allow for natural behaviors, that feed is responsibly sourced, and that water is preserved to protect surrounding ecosystems. In our Seattle market, we continue to source steelhead trout from the Pacific Northwest local to the region.

Methodology

The data and metrics presented on this webpage are based on our current calculation methodologies as of the effective date. We continuously review and refine our data collection, estimation techniques, and reporting processes to help ensure our data and metrics are accurate and relevant. Therefore, the interpretation of the data and metrics presented on this webpage is subject to change as our calculation methodologies evolve over time. Except as otherwise stated, any differences from previously published data or metrics are a result of refinements in such methodologies. Historical data provided for comparison may be adjusted to align with the presentation relevant to the reporting period. We advise readers to consider this when reviewing the provided information.

Forward-Looking Statement

This webpage contains forward-looking statements under the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include and are not limited to statements regarding sourcing cage-free eggs and egg products, chicken aligned with BCC standards, and salmon aligned with GlobalGAP or ASC standards. 

Such statements are based on current expectations and involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including our ability to identify and source from suppliers to meet our goals and the costs of implementing programs to achieve them. Our ability to meet these goals and commitments within the anticipated time frame may be influenced by external factors, such as supply availability and disruptions caused by logistics, labor, infrastructure, or technology. Other factors include adverse weather conditions, including those related to climate change, animal diseases or outbreaks, such as avian flu, inflationary cost pressures caused by fluctuations in market demand or the cost of inputs such as feed or fuel, and changes to economic trade policies or animal welfare regulations.

All forward-looking statements should be evaluated cautiously and not relied upon to predict future events and outcomes. We advise readers to evaluate these statements with the risks, uncertainties, and other cautionary factors described in the company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and other SEC filings or public statements. These documents are available at www.sec.gov, investor.sweetgreen.com, or upon request. The company does not guarantee the information on this webpage will be updated and specifically disclaims any obligation to do so.