Living a Spirit of Commitment
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What we build now, we build to pass on. It's our commitment. We work now to make change for tomorrow, and evolve as the world evolves. For Brown‑Forman, for our employees, for our brands, and our partners, today is a pivotal chapter in a story the next generation will continue to write. We hope to inspire them to do it with a force of conviction we can only imagine.
Generic description for Annual Meeting of Stockholders 2023 Opening Video
At Brown‑Forman, we are dedicated to living a Spirit of Commitment every day.
![Our commitments](/sites/default/files/styles/576x690/public/2021-07/our-commitments.jpg?h=38c7fcdb&itok=Dhc8I-fM)
Diversity & Inclusion
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Environmental Sustainability
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Global Community Relations
![Singapore Office Opening Celebration](/sites/default/files/styles/576x690/public/2024-07/Brown-Forman-Office-Opening-100.jpg?h=790be497&itok=BNL4DwUM)
Alcohol Responsibility
More than 150 years ago, Brown‑Forman was founded by George Garvin Brown who sold one brand, Old Forester, in one market, the United States. Our employees now number 5,700, and our portfolio has grown to more than 40 brands sold in more than 170 countries. This extraordinary global growth has been driven by our unwavering desire to meet the preferences of our consumers and stay true to our founding promise that there is Nothing Better in the Market. As we deepen our resolve and further our investment in our brands, our people, and our environmental and social commitments, we see a world of opportunity.
![Integrated Annual Report Cover (Fiscal Year 2024)](/sites/default/files/styles/576x380/public/2024-06/BF_annual_report_24.png?h=1ce20b0a&itok=hOsbzXqo)
Brown‑Forman’s 2023 Scorecard presents data across the areas of alcohol responsibility, environmental sustainability, employee relations and diversity, and community involvement.
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Brown‑Forman prioritizes the health, safety, respect, and well-being of all people within our organization, across our operations, and in the communities in which we operate. Brown‑Forman is committed to respecting and supporting human rights in our workplace, in our relationships with business partners, and in our communities.
![Agave Field at Casa Herradura](/sites/default/files/styles/576x380/public/2022-07/Agave%20Field.jpg?h=2992ba0a&itok=Rnw20V-T)
- We are committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions across our owned operations and supply chain in accordance with the United Nations’ 1.5°C scenario. Jack Daniel's works in partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority, Duck River Electric Membership Corporation, and Silicon Ranch to provide the distillery with 20 megawatts of solar energy. The agreement will provide nearly three quarters of the distillery’s electricity needs.
- We are dedicated to protecting the health of key watersheds in our communities and creating Net Positive Water Impact in water-stressed basins where we operate. Our targets include 100% of our high-risk and business critical watersheds achieve water balance by 2030.
- Our ten-year D&I strategy, Many Spirits, One Brown‑Forman, includes six strategic imperatives to better focus our actions. Our ambitions include having at least 40 percent female senior leaders globally and 25 percent people of color in the U.S. by 2030. We aim to achieve these ambitions with a mindful and continuous focus on recruiting, retaining, and developing diverse talent. Our goals will continue to expand over time to include other aspects of diversity.
- We focus on cultivating positive impact through our Pause responsibility campaign, responsible marketing, partnerships with organizations like Responsibility.org, and our ongoing support for addiction recovery groups.
- We work with DendriFund to initiate and accelerate a collective effort to bring rye back to Kentucky as a commercial cover crop. This collaborative effort will help conserve farmland and improve soil health and water quality, while also providing a local rye supply for Brown‑Forman, the Kentucky bourbon industry, and others such as bakers and brewers.
- We committed $20 million to the Brown‑Forman Foundation, which provides community investments centered on our hometown, with a special emphasis on improving education and economic development in our west Louisville neighborhood.
- In total, our owned facilities currently divert 99.7% of waste from landfill. We collaborate with DendriFund on white oak and agricultural sustainability to improve regeneration of the trees our cooperages use to make our whiskey barrels.
- Our ten-year strategic plan, Many Spirits, One Brown‑Forman, includes six strategic imperatives to better focus our actions. Our ambitions include having at least 40 percent female senior leaders globally and 25 percent people of color in the U.S. by 2030. We aim to achieve these ambitions with a mindful and continuous focus on recruiting, retaining, and developing diverse talent. Our goals will continue to expand over time to include other aspects of diversity.
- Brown‑Forman donated approximately $2 million to COVID-19 relief efforts around the world with many of our charitable efforts focused on supporting workers in the hospitality industry. We also connected with our neighbors, distributing 70,000 meals and hand sanitizer produced at Brown‑Forman distilleries to community partners in Louisville, Kentucky.