Hormel Foods
Corporate Bias Rating
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Risk Level:
Summary:
Hormel Foods is High Risk. The company yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. The company implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. Hormel Foods embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.
View Full Corporate Bias Ratings ReportHas canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.
Hormel Foods received a score of 100 on the 2025 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group. The company recruits employees based on sexual identity issues. The company discriminates against vendors that do not promote divisive sex and gender policies, indicating it prioritizes sexual issues over merit (1)(2). However, the company has not publicly canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (3).
Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.
Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.
Hormel Foods’ HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company forces employees to attend multiple, controversial trainings on gender identity, sexual orientation, transgender issues, and divisive racial ideology. The company provides gender transition guidelines for its employees and a specific benefits guide with a comprehensive explanation of transgender services funded by the company (1)(2). Hormel Foods does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (3).
Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.
Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.
Hormel Foods’ HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company covers transgender related costs for its employees and their children, including paid short-term leave, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, chest surgeries, genital surgeries, medical visits and lab monitoring, travel and lodging. Additionally, the company has pledged philanthropic support of at least one organization or event that promotes sex and gender ideology. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company increases health care costs and risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2). Hormel Foods has donated to The Trevor Project and the Human Rights Campaign (3)(4).
Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.
Hormel Foods’ HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company publicly advocated for controversial sex and gender ideology through local, state or federal legislation or initiatives. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2). Hormel Foods has not used its PAC donations or lobbying for ideological purposes (3)(4)(5).
Board Bias
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1792 Exchange has not yet compiled data about the board of directors or political contributions of leadership for this company.
Shareholder Proposals
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| Date | ESG Category | Proponent | Summary of Resolution | Mgmt Rec | Total Vote % in Favor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/31/23 | Social | The Shareholder Commons | Comply with World Health Organization guidelines on antimicrobial use throughout its supply chains | Against | 5.88% |