Balchem - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

Balchem is Medium Risk.

Balchem Corporation is Medium Risk. The company often 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. The company occasionally embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues at times. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Cancellations	Medium Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	Lower Risk
Employment Protection	High Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	High Risk
Funding	Lower Risk
Political Actions	No Data

Corporate Governance and Public Policy ⓘ

Rating Criteria Detail

Criteria Risk Level Rationale

Corporate Weaponization

Criteria:

Has canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Balchem integrates ESG into its business practices. From its Supplier Code of Conduct: “Suppliers must consider environmental and social considerations when making business decisions” (1). From its 2026 Proxy Statement: “As part of the 2022 ICP design and onwards (through end of 2025), the Compensation Committee approved the inclusion of an ESG component in the ICP structure for senior management in the form of an ESG modifier of +/- 10%” (2). The company promotes divisive sex and gender policies. Its Supplier Code of Conduct requires international vendors to include sexual orientation in their nondiscrimination policy (3). However, Balchem has not canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (4).

Criteria:

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Balchem does not appear to discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs (1)(2).

Criteria:

Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Balchem requires all employees at director level and above to participate in ” eCornell’s Diversity, Equity,
and Inclusion Certificate Program, getting either unconscious bias training or guidance on how to build an inclusive environment” (1)(2). The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its recruitment, hiring and leadership composition. From its 2022 Sustainability Report: “[W]e recognize that demonstrating our commitment to diversity beyond gender in our employee base is critical to ensuring we keep these relationships. We always seek to attract and hire talent that represents our inclusive culture” (3). From its 2025 Proxy Statement: “Our current Board membership reflects diversity across a broad range of factors such as skills, expertise, leadership, breadth of experience, understanding of business and financial issues, international business experience, gender, race, and geography.” (4). Balchem does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (5).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Balchem’s CEO Ted Harris signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge, which includes a commitment to promote DEI through bias education training in the workplace, strategize on DEI programs/initiatives with other signatories, and engage boards of directors when developing and evaluating DEI strategies (1)(2). Balchem supports DEI within its business practices. From its Careers webpage: “Balchem is committed to a culture of belonging that values and promotes diversity, inclusion, equal employment opportunities, and a work environment free of harassment and hostility” (3). The company supports ESG within its business practices. From its Sustainability webpage: “Our Sustainability Framework focuses on the most critical Environmental, Social, and Governance (“ESG”) topics relevant to our business and our stakeholders” (4).

Criteria:

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Balchem has not used corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (1).

Criteria:

Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level:

N/A

Rationale:

Balchem does not operate a PAC or engage in lobbying at this time (1)(2)(3).