Sustainability

We believe we have a fundamental responsibility to our stakeholders to set high standards of social and environmental performance to support a sustainable supply chain and operations. In 2018, Universal celebrated 100 years in business . Our 100 year anniversary was an opportunity to look back at our accomplishments, and to look forward to our future. We believe sustainability is a key component of our future success, and we highlighted our 100 year anniversary by publishing a Sustainability Review to promote our commitment to sustainability. We produced our first annual Sustainability Report the following year, and we committed to annual sustainability reporting. Our Board of Directors further evidenced our commitment to sustainability by amending our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee charter to give the Committee oversight of our Environmental, Social and Governance programs.

Our commitment to sustainability encompasses a wide array of programs and initiatives. As a global agri - products supplier operating in numerous countries around the world, we primarily focus our sustainability efforts on our own operations and the farmers from whom we purchase leaf tobacco. Sustainability with respect to our facilities around the world requires the adoption and implementation of policies and procedures related to environmental impacts, workforce protections, and other important considerations. Sustainability with respect to our supply chain also addresses environmental impacts, while also emphasizing important issues such as appropriate agricultural labor practices and other components of industry - recognized good agricultural practices (“GAP”)