Chipotle prioritizes sustainability and is committed to doing what’s right. Cultivating a Better World is not easy, but when we all do our part, we can make a difference.
PEOPLE
As a people-first company rooted in values, we are dedicated to supporting the professional growth and development of our team members. We are committed to build a culture of inclusion and support the communities we serve.
FOOD AND ANIMALS
We are committed to sourcing ingredients that are grown, raised, and harvested with respect for people, animals, and the land.
ENVIRONMENT
Every choice we make affects the health of the planet. Our environmental sustainability efforts are focused on protecting the environment and supporting the future of farming.
Download our 2023 Sustainability Report Update and learn more about our sustainability efforts.
We work to create and celebrate integrity in all aspects of our business, including how workers are valued and the way crops are grown, animals are treated, and the environment is impacted. We maintain high standards in our approach to sourcing the food we serve. Our supply chain priorities are core to the way we operate.
Food with Integrity
Since the first Chipotle opened in 1993, we’ve served fresh, wholesome ingredients prepared using classic cooking techniques. It has always been a top priority to ensure our food is safe, delicious, and made from responsibly sourced ingredients.
Food Safety
We work to ensure all the food Chipotle serves is safe, wholesome, and delicious.
Quality
We assure the quality of our food across a significant number of metrics including animal welfare, environmental considerations, and taste. We also measure the quality against the standards we set for dairy and meats from animals raised responsibly (our Food with Integrity guidelines).
Efficiency
Our approach to efficiency is founded on establishing long-term relationships with our suppliers. We work to help them meet our exacting sustainability and quality standards while setting equitable prices.
Examples of what Food with Integrity means
- No Antibiotics Ever for beef and chicken supplied to Chipotle
- Our beef is traceable back to the ranch of origin, vegetarian-fed, and raised without added hormones or antibiotics
- Our pork comes from pigs raised outdoors or in bedded barns
- Weather permitting, all active milk cows have access to pasture
- Strictly vegetarian diet for animal feed
- All suppliers are subject to third-party audits and certifications
For more information, refer to our Sustainability Report.
FOOD SAFETY
Food safety and the health and safety of our guests and team members will always be our number-one priority. Our Food Safety team is responsible for managing food safety in our restaurants.
In addition to our internal Food Safety team, we have a Food Safety Advisory Council that is comprised of some of the nation’s foremost food safety authorities. The Food Safety Advisory Council and our Board of Directors oversee our food safety policies and practices to help ensure they’re appropriately designed and implemented.
OUR SUPPLIERS
We seek out suppliers who share and champion our core values, and act with honesty and integrity.
We are committed to complying with the law and maintaining the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and conduct. We proudly do business with suppliers who uphold the same principles.
Our food, beverage, paper, and packaging suppliers must adhere to the Supplier Code of Conduct, which requires compliance with applicable laws and prohibits forced labor, child labor, and violations of applicable standards for working hours and conditions. Our Supplier Code of Conduct also covers other subjects related to human trafficking and slavery. These suppliers must certify compliance with our Supplier Code of Conduct each year.
We want to be a place where people want to work and succeed. We offer competitive wages and benefits for every employee as well as excellent opportunities for career advancement. We pay all entry-level hourly restaurant employees above the federal minimum wage, and at or above state or local minimum wages where applicable.
We also believe that a sustainable economy must ensure a minimum standard of living necessary for the health and general well-being of workers and their families. We will always seek to attract and retain the best employees and help them grow within our company.
Our purpose of Cultivating a Better World starts with our workforce and extends to the communities we serve. We strive to create an organization where diverse ideas, backgrounds, cultures, and experiences are championed. We take seriously our values of “Authenticity Lives Here” and “The Movement is Real” because they are not just representative of our food, but our people as well. We seek to cultivate an inclusive environment where all our employees can be heard and understood and commit to intentional actions that will drive the impact we desire.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
We’re nothing without the communities we serve. That’s why we’ve set up several programs and partnerships to give back to the communities we’re proud to call home.
ROUND UP FOR
REAL CHANGE
The Round Up for Real Change program offers restaurant guests the opportunity to round up their bill to the next highest dollar amount. Funds raised are directed to support organizations serving communities in need.
FUNDRAISERS
Community fundraisers bring people together to support local schools and community organizations. Over the lifetime of this program we have donated over $99 million dollars to local organizations.
CULTIVATE FOUNDATION
Chipotle Cultivate Foundation’s mission is making real food accessible for all and Cultivating a Better World in the communities it serves. The Cultivate Foundation matches the generosity and support that eligible employees give to charitable organizations with our Chip In & Dish Out programs.
Every choice we make affects the health of the planet. Our environmental sustainability efforts are focused on protecting the environment and supporting the future of farming.
EMISSIONS
We are committed to mitigate the impacts of climate change, and set a goal for ourselves to reduce our absolute greenhouse gas emissions from direct operations (Scope 1 & 2) and indirect activities (Scope 3) by 50% by 2030. Our goal is approved by Science Based Targets initiative (“SBTi’’) and is aligned with the recommendations of the Paris Agreement, to keep global warming from exceeding 1.5°C.
WATER
Fresh water is vital to our operations for cooking and cleaning and for growing and processing the ingredients in the meals we serve our guests. To support resilience and help farmers, we will help scale efficient agricultural water use and support restoration efforts to reduce water stress. Our goal is to support water stewardship efforts to conserve and restore watersheds in priority regions.
MATERIALS AND WASTE
The growing amount of waste poses a threat to the environment, is harmful to habitats, and pollutes ecosystems. To reduce our impact we minimize the amount of virgin materials used, and source packaging that is designed to be recyclable or compostable. We have a goal to reduce the amount of waste to landfill by 5% by 2025 against a 2020 baseline.
CULTIVATE A
BETTER WORLD
CULTIVATE A
BETTER WORLD
FIND ALL OUR SUSTAINABILITY REPORTS HERE: