War and Oreos: Ukraine production resumes, Russian plants being looked at

“MILK’S FAVORITE COOKIE” IS BACK IN UKRAINE. SNACK MAKER MONDELĒZ INTERNATIONAL HAS RESUMED MAKING OREOS THERE FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE ITS PLANT IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTRY WAS BADLY DAMAGED DURING RUSSIA’S INVASION. 

MONDELĒZ SAID ITS PLANT IN TROSTYANETS IS NOW FULLY REBUILT. IT OPENED PARTIALLY LAST YEAR TO MAKE CHOCOLATES, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN ROUGHLY TWO YEARS ITS WORLD-FAMOUS OREO COOKIES ARE BEING MADE THERE. WHILE THE PLANT WAS BEING REPAIRED, MONDELĒZ IMPORTED OREOS TO UKRAINE. 

THE TROSTYANETS FACILITY IS CRUCIAL FOR SUPPLYING EURASIAN MARKETS, INCLUDING COUNTRIES LIKE GEORGIA AND KAZAKHSTAN, WHICH USED TO GET THEIR SUPPLIES FROM PLANTS IN RUSSIA. 

MONDELĒZ HAS THREE FACTORIES IN RUSSIA AND SELLS ITS COOKIES AND SNACKS THERE, DESPITE BOYCOTTS AND CALLS FOR IT TO STOP FROM EMPLOYEES, ACTIVISTS AND INVESTORS. THE COMPANY SAID IT WAS MAKING ITS BUSINESS IN RUSSIA “STAND-ALONE” WITH A SELF-SUFFICIENT SUPPLY CHAIN BY THE END OF 2023. 

MONDELĒZ ALSO SAID THE OREOS AND OTHER CHOCOLATES MADE AT THE UKRAINIAN FACTORY ARE NOT BEING EXPORTED TO RUSSIA. LAST WEEK, A LITTLE OVER 30% OF MONDELĒZ’S SHAREHOLDERS BACKED A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR THE COMPANY TO CONDUCT AN INDEPENDENT STUDY OF THE RISKS OF CONTINUING TO DO BUSINESS IN RUSSIA, ACCORDING TO A COMPANY FILING. 

MONDELĒZ ALSO SAID IN A STATEMENT, “WE CONTINUE TO INCREASE OUR INVESTMENTS IN SUPPORTING AND REBUILDING UKRAINE.” THE COMPANY SAYS ITS WORKING MULTIPLE INTERNATIONAL NON-PROFITS TO PROVIDE “TARGETED ASSISTANCE” IN UKRAINE.