LAS VEGAS — Commercial baking today places a heavy emphasis on people and the planet. To recognize this, Baking & Snack, sister publication of Milling & Baking News, launched its first Sustainability Award, presented to Grupo Bimbo, Mexico City.

In accordance with Grupo Bimbo’s mission to be a sustainable, highly productive and deeply humane company, and to achieve the goals for its 2020 Vision, the company developed its sustainability strategy as a multi-faceted concept.

Through four pillars — Community, Associates, Health and Wellness, and Planet — Grupo Bimbo puts its people, customers community and environment at the center of its business and bakery operations.

“For us, sustainability is not just about the planet,” said Daniel Servitje, chief executive officer of Grupo Bimbo. “It is about what we have to do as a company to remain a viable entity for the generations to come.”

Through the pillars and their strategies for execution, Grupo Bimbo has identified hundreds of initiatives in areas such as water conservation, reduced carbon footprint, community programs, product development and corporate culture.

As the 2020 Vision comes to fruition, Grupo Bimbo uses these practices to make thoughtful business decisions and serve as an example for the industry worldwide.

“At the end of the day, our initiatives have to pay for themselves, and that allows us to do more good,” Mr. Servitje said. “As a leading player in our industry globally, I hope we help other companies get ideas on how they can be more in tune with and accountable to society and the planet.”