APPLEGATE®, the nation’s leading natural and organic meat brand, has officially published the result from its second Mission Report, which brings forth a transparent, data-driven lowdown documenting the company’s progress in its overarching mission i.e. Changing The Meat We Eat®.
Going by the available details, this particular report treads up a long distance to showcase the company’s key accomplishments across four particular mission pillars: people, environmental sustainability, ingredient integrity, and animal welfare. Alongside that, it also sheds light upon the growing impact of brand’s values-driven food system.
More on that would reveal how Applegate took this opportunity to reveal early completion of its regenerative agriculture milestone. You see, back in March 2025, the company surpassed a goal to source 100% of the beef, for its award-winning all beef hot dogs, from certified regenerative farms, and it did so a full nine months ahead of schedule. The company’s supply chain now includes partners that employ holistic cattle grazing practices to prioritize soil health, water retention, biodiversity, and carbon storage.
As for what this initiative could achieve, it can impact nearly twice the projected farmland acreage in half the expected time.
Anyway, coming back to the wider report, it tracks year-over-year progress using Applegate’s Mission Standards Index, which would be a framework designed to evaluate key activities and initiatives across the company’s four mission pillars. These metrics are also reviewed and updated annually so to ensure long-term accountability and continuous improvement.
“The publication of our 2024 Mission Report represents a crucial step in building trust through transparency,” said Joe O’Connor, President of Applegate. “We want our stakeholders—whether they’re suppliers, retailers or consumers—to understand the impact of their support, and what it means to play a role in bringing APPLEGATE® products to the table.”
Talk about the given lowdown on a slightly deeper level, we begin from the fact that, thanks to a close collaboration with Ecotone Analytics, Applegate was able to figure out how its organic production has prevented the use of 245,000 pounds of synthetic pesticides and 421,000 pounds of nitrogen fertilizers.
Not just that, the published estimates also show that Applegate’s grass-fed beef product has successfully prevented 79,000 tons of soil erosion.
Next up, we must dig into the company’s newly-launched Animal Welfare Steering Committee, including renowned animal-welfare expert Dr. Temple Grandin. The stated committee will basically guide continuous improvement in technologies and practices revolving around animal health. This builds upon Applegate winning the Good Chicken Award, which was bestowed by Compassion in World Farming in 2024.
Moving on to the company’s active efforts to take care of its people, they are a big reason why more than one-third of Applegate employees have been with it for 10-plus years.
Rounding up highlights would be an aspect focused on ingredient integrity. The year 2024 saw Applegate launching nine new products, as well as joining the Nutrient Density Alliance to increase awareness of the nutritional benefits associated with regenerative agriculture. In fact, as of today, more than 75% of APPLEGATE® products are free from the top nine allergens, whereas on the other hand, over 35% of them are also certified organic and non-GMO.
Moving forward, Applegate plans to develop exciting innovations across the frozen, snacking and deli categories.
“This year’s Mission Report reflects how far we’ve come—and how serious we are about continuing to advance what we believe will make a better food system,” said Carolyn Gahn, Senior Director of Mission and Advocacy at Applegate. “From advancing regenerative agriculture to investing in third-party certified animal welfare, to expanding our line of allergen-friendly products, we’re using our scale to better serve people, animals and the planet.”
