US Food and Grocery Sustainability Benchmark 2023: Dawn Leads, Dove Proves Social Works

The 2023 US Food and Grocery sustainability benchmark draws on SRS data collected between April and December 2022, covering 165 F&G brands and over 33,000 consumer respondents in a nationally representative sample. It is the first benchmark of this scale for the US market.

The US F&G industry ranks second of 20 industries assessed for social and environmental responsibility, sitting 27% above the all-industry average. Social media platforms rank last. The average brand SRS in the US is 45, measurably higher than the UK (38) and Australian (38) equivalents. 66% of US consumers have a clear opinion on the ESG credentials of the brands they are aware of.

Dawn holds the #1 position through a focused and specific environmental partnership strategy: long-standing collaborations with wildlife rescue organisations, most visibly applied in oil spill response where the product is used to clean affected animals. The commitment is narrow, specific, and visible. Consumers can describe it in their own words, which is the legibility test.

Seventh Generation holds #2 through broad program stacking: biodegradable formulations, plant-based ingredients, 100% recyclable packaging, tree planting. The brand’s name itself encodes the long-term orientation.

Dove at #5 is the benchmark’s clearest signal that social ESG programs compete with environmental ones when executed at scale. Dove’s Real Beauty initiative (positive body image, self-esteem, diversity and inclusion) earns a top-10 position in a data set dominated by environmental and packaging programs. The S in ESG is not a secondary signal in consumer perception. It measures as strongly as E when the program is coherent.

Kleenex (#6) demonstrates that governance and supply chain stories, 100% sustainable wood fibres, wind-powered production, tree replanting, translate into consumer perception when communicated consistently.

The full top-22 brands span household care, health and beauty, breakfast, dental hygiene, and pantry. No single category dominates. No single ESG focus type dominates. The common factor is program specificity.