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Forward-Looking Statements

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This Annual Report on Form 10-K (“Form 10-K”) contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as “will,” “continue,” “may,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “would,” “could,” “believe,” “estimate,” “increase,” “implement,” “mitigate,” “resume,” “grow,” “drive,” “support,” “evaluate,” “enhance,” “maintain,” “improve,” “invest,” “outlook,” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our plans, execution, capital investments, operational costs, pricing actions, cash flows, liquidity, dividends, share repurchases, enterprise resource planning (“ERP”) system implementation and business outlook and prospects, as well as supply chain constraints, inflation, our industry, and the global economy. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to uncertainties and changes in circumstances. Readers of this report should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. Many factors could affect our actual financial results and cause them to vary materially from the expectations contained in the forward-looking statements, including those set forth in this report. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things: the availability and prices of raw materials; labor shortages and other operational challenges; disruptions in the global economy caused by the war in Ukraine and the possible related heightening of our other known risks; impacts on our business due to health pandemics or other contagious outbreaks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, including impacts on demand for our products, increased costs, disruption of supply, other constraints in the availability of key commodities and other necessary services or restrictions imposed by public health authorities or governments; levels of pension, labor and people-related expenses; our ability to successfully execute our long-term value creation strategies; our ability to execute on large capital projects, including construction of new production lines or facilities; the competitive environment and related conditions in the markets in which we and our joint ventures operate; political and economic conditions of the countries in which we and our joint ventures conduct business and other factors related to our international operations; disruption of our access to export mechanisms; risks associated with possible acquisitions, including our ability to complete acquisitions or integrate acquired businesses; our debt levels; changes in our relationships with our growers or significant customers; the success of our joint ventures; actions of governments and regulatory factors affecting our businesses or joint ventures; the ultimate outcome of litigation or any product recalls; our ability to pay regular quarterly cash dividends and the amounts and timing of any future dividends; and other risks described in our reports filed from time to time with the United States (“U.S.”) Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including those described under the heading “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in this Form 10-K. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements included in this report, which speak only as of the date of this report. We undertake no responsibility for updating these statements, except as required by law.

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Segments

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We have four reportable segments: Global, Foodservice, Retail, and Other. For segment financial information see Note 13, Segments, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in “Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K.

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Global

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Our Global segment includes frozen potato products sold in North America and international markets generally to the top 100 North American based restaurant chains and international customers comprised of global and regional quick service and full-service restaurant chains, foodservice distributors, and retailers. We have included foodservice and retail customers outside of North America in the Global segment due to efficiencies associated with coordinating sales to all customer types within specific markets, as well as due to these customers’ smaller scale and dependence on local economic conditions. The Global segment’s product portfolio includes frozen potatoes and appetizers sold under the Lamb Weston brand, as well as many customer labels.

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Foodservice

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Our Foodservice segment includes frozen potato products sold throughout the U.S. and Canada to commercial distributors, restaurant chains generally outside the top 100 North American based restaurant chains, and non-commercial channels. The Foodservice segment’s primary products are frozen potatoes, commercial ingredients, and appetizers sold under the Lamb Weston brand, as well as many customer labels.

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Retail

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Our Retail segment includes consumer-facing frozen potato products sold primarily to grocery, mass merchants, club, and specialty retailers. The Retail segment’s primary products are frozen potatoes sold under our owned or licensed brands, including Grown in Idaho and Alexia, other licensed equities comprised of brand names of major North American restaurant chains, and the retailers’ own brands.

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Other

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The Other reporting segment primarily includes our vegetable and dairy businesses, as well as unrealized mark-to-market adjustments associated with commodity hedging contracts.

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Joint Venture Relationships

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We conduct some of our business through three unconsolidated joint ventures and include our share of the earnings of these affiliates as equity method investment earnings in our consolidated financial statements based on our economic ownership interest in each of these joint ventures. These joint ventures produce and market value-added frozen potato products for our customers:

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For more information, see Note 4, Equity Method Investments, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in “Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K.

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Sales, Distribution and Customers

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We benefit from strong relationships with a diverse set of customers. We sell our products through a network of internal sales personnel and independent brokers, agents, and distributors to chain restaurants, wholesale, grocery, mass merchants, club retailers, specialty retailers, and foodservice distributors and institutions, including businesses, educational institutions, independent restaurants, regional chain restaurants, and convenience stores. We have long-tenured relationships with leading quick service and fast casual restaurant chains, global foodservice distributors, large grocery retailers, and mass merchants.

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Our largest customer, McDonald’s Corporation, accounted for approximately 10% of our consolidated net sales in fiscal 2022, 11% of our consolidated net sales in fiscal 2021, and 10% of our consolidated net sales in fiscal 2020. Sales to McDonald’s Corporation are included in our Global segment. No other customer accounted for more than 10% of our fiscal 2022, 2021, or 2020 consolidated net sales.

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Research and Development

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We leverage our research and development resources for both growth and efficiency initiatives. We seek to drive growth through innovation by creating new products, enhancing the quality of existing products, and participating in joint menu planning exercises with our customers. We also evaluate the sustainability impacts of our manufacturing processes and products in our research and development activities and continue to drive processing innovations aimed at reducing waste and water usage and improving food safety and quality.

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Trademarks, Licenses and Patents

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Our trademarks are material to our business and are protected by registration or other means in the U.S. and most other geographic markets where the related food items are sold. Depending on the country, trademarks generally remain valid for as long as they are in use and their registrations are maintained. Trademark registrations generally are for renewable, fixed terms. Our significant trademarks include: Lamb Weston, Lamb Weston Supreme, Lamb Weston Seeing Possibilities in Potatoes (and design), Lamb Weston Seasoned, Lamb Weston Private Reserve, Lamb Weston Stealth Fries, Lamb Weston Colossal Crisp, Lamb Weston Crispy on Delivery, and Sweet Things. We also sell certain products, such as Grown in Idaho and Alexia, which we license from third parties.

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We own numerous patents worldwide. We consider our portfolio of patents, patent applications, patent licenses, proprietary trade secrets, technology, know-how processes, and related intellectual property rights to be material to our operations. Patents, issued or applied for, cover inventions, including packaging, manufacturing processes, equipment, formulations, and designs. Our issued patents extend for varying periods according to the date of the patent application filing or grant and the legal term of patents in the various countries where patent protection is obtained. The actual protection afforded by a patent, which can vary from country to country, depends upon the type of patent, the scope of its coverage as determined by the patent office or courts in the country, and the availability of legal remedies in the country.

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Raw Materials

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Our primary raw materials are potatoes, edible oils, packaging, grains, starches, and energy inputs. We source a significant amount of our raw potatoes under both strategic, long-term grower relationships and short-term annual contracts. In the U.S., most of the potato crop used in our products is grown in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. For LWM,

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European growing regions for the necessary potatoes are concentrated in the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. We also have potato growing regions in Canada, China, Australia, and Argentina that support our processing facilities in those countries. We believe that the grower networks to which we have access provide a sufficient source of raw potato inputs year-to-year. We source edible oils through strategic relationships with key suppliers, and we source packaging and energy inputs through multiple suppliers under a variety of agreement types.

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The prices paid for these raw materials, as well as other raw materials used in making our products, generally reflect factors such as weather, commodity market fluctuations, currency fluctuations, tariffs, and the effects of governmental agricultural programs. The prices of raw materials can fluctuate as a result of these factors.

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During fiscal 2022, we faced increased costs for our primary raw materials, including potatoes, edible oils, packaging, grains, starches, and energy inputs. We seek to mitigate higher input costs through long-term relationships, contract strategies, and hedging activities where an active market for an input exists, as well as through our pricing and productivity initiatives. See “Part II, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” of this Form 10-K for further discussion.

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Manufacturing

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We operate 18 production facilities for our products. See "Item 2. Properties" for more information about our production facilities. Our joint ventures operate a total of eight production facilities.

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In addition to our own production facilities, we source a portion of our products under “co-packing” agreements, a common industry practice in which manufacturing is outsourced to other companies. We regularly evaluate our co-packing arrangements to ensure the most cost-effective manufacturing of our products and to utilize company-owned production facilities most effectively.

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International Operations

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At May 29, 2022, we had operations in seventeen countries, with sales support in each of these countries and production and processing facilities in four countries. See Note 13, Segments, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in “Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K for additional information on our U.S. and non-U.S. operations. Also see “Item 2. Properties,” for more information on our production and other facilities. For a discussion of risks related to our operations outside the U.S., see “Item 1A. Risk Factors” of this Form 10-K.

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Competition

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The value-added frozen potato products industry in North America, Europe and other international markets is highly competitive. Competitors include large North American and European frozen potato product companies that compete globally, as well as local and regional companies. Significant competitors include Agristo NV, Aviko B.V., Cavendish Farms Corporation, Clarebout Potatoes NV, Farm Frites International B.V., J.R. Simplot Company, The Kraft Heinz Company, McCain Foods Limited, and Mydibel S.A. Some of our competitors are larger and have substantially more financial, sales and marketing, and other resources. We compete with producers of similar products on the basis of, among other things, customer service, value, product innovation, product quality, brand recognition and loyalty, price, and the ability to identify and satisfy customer preferences. The markets in which we operate are expected to remain highly competitive for the foreseeable future. See also “Item 1A. Risk Factors – Industry Risks – Increased competition may result in reduced sales or profits” of this Form 10-K.

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Seasonality

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Our product contribution margin percentage, inventory levels, net sales, and cash flows are affected by seasonality. In general, our product contribution margin percentage tends to be highest in our fiscal third quarter, reflecting the cost benefit of freshly-harvested potatoes. We typically harvest potatoes in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. in July through October, which is primarily in our fiscal second quarter. While the quality of potatoes affects production

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efficiency, overall, freshly-harvested potatoes process more efficiently in our production lines and are not subject to storage or secondary transport costs. We typically hold 50 to 60 days of finished goods inventory on a first-in-first-out basis, so the costs incurred from our fiscal second quarter harvest, which are generally favorable, will flow through our income statement in our fiscal third quarter. Inventory levels also tend to be higher in our fiscal third quarter, requiring more working capital at that time. In general, net sales and cash flows tend to be higher in our fiscal fourth quarter, reflecting customer and consumer buying patterns.

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Due to severe impacts of the government mandated shutdowns in response to COVID-19, seasonal variation in the demand for our products in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020 and 2021, differed from prior years.

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Human Capital Resources

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We believe that our employees and our workplace culture are among our most important assets, and that our employees are integral to our ability to achieve our strategic objectives. Attracting, developing, and retaining the best talent globally with the right skills to drive our mission, vision, and values are central components of our strategies for long-term growth. As of July 18, 2022, we had approximately 8,000 employees, of which approximately 800 employees work outside of the U.S. As of July 18, 2022, approximately 22% of our employees are parties to collective bargaining agreements with terms that we believe are typical for the industry in which we operate. Most of the union workers at our facilities are represented under contracts that expire at various times over the next several years. Of the hourly employees who are represented by these contracts, 18% are party to a collective bargaining agreement scheduled to expire over the course of the next twelve months. As the agreement expires, we believe it will be renegotiated on terms satisfactory to the parties.

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Health and Safety. Our employees’ health, safety, and well-being are our highest priority. We strive for world-class safety at every one of our facilities. This means we continuously focus on creating a zero-incident culture, where every employee goes home every day, accident free. To help achieve this goal, we foster safety leadership throughout the organization as part of our comprehensive environment, health, safety, and sustainability management system. Through ongoing communications, routine assessments of our safety programs, safety and job-related training, daily risk assessments at facilities, defined standards, and safety measures, we strive to improve our safety performance each year.

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Total Rewards. Our compensation and benefits are designed to support the financial, mental, and physical well-being of our employees. We are committed to equal pay for equal work, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, or other personal characteristics. To deliver on that commitment, we benchmark and set pay ranges based on market data and consider various factors such as an employee’s role and experience, job location, and performance. We also regularly review our compensation practices to promote fair and equitable pay, and in fiscal 2022, applied a mid-year base salary increase for certain employees in response to the current competitive labor market. In addition to base salaries, many employees also participate in an annual short-term incentive program and may also receive long-term equity awards. Benefits for employees include an employee savings 401(k) plan and company matching contributions, health insurance, disability insurance, life insurance, health savings and flexible spending accounts, wellness incentives, annual on-site health screenings, paid time-off, family leave, parental leave, employee assistance programs, and tuition reimbursement opportunities. In fiscal 2022, we also adopted a flexible work policy for office-based employees intended to allow employees flexibility in work location while maintaining productivity and performance expectations, as well as enhanced our vacation policy to add additional days of paid time-off for certain employee groups to better align with competitive market practice. Eligibility for, and the level of, compensation and benefits vary depending on an employee’s full-time or part-time status, work location, job and career level, and tenure with the Company. We regularly review our compensation and benefit programs with the aim of keeping them competitive and designed to meet our employees’ health and wellness needs, which we believe is important to attract and retain the best available talent.

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. As a global company, we honor and celebrate the diversity in our team, which we believe enriches our work lives and drives diversity of perspectives in our decision-making. We define diversity as the unique abilities, experiences, and cultural backgrounds our employees bring to our Company’s workplace. We are committed to providing a work environment that fosters respect, inclusion, fairness, and dignity, and is free of harassment, discrimination, or fear of retaliation.

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Recruitment, Training, and Development. We believe maintaining a robust pipeline of talent is crucial to our ongoing success and is a key aspect of succession planning efforts across the organization. We use recruitment vehicles, including partnerships with universities and communities, local and national organizations, and various social media outlets, to attract strong talent to our organization. Our leadership and people teams are responsible for attracting and retaining top talent by facilitating an environment where employees feel supported and encouraged in their professional and personal development. Specifically, we promote employee development by regularly reviewing strategic positions and identifying potential internal candidates to fill those roles, evaluating job skill sets to identify competency gaps, and creating developmental plans to facilitate employee professional growth. We invest in our employees through training and development programs, including both custom internal training and external learning resources, utilizing both live and virtual learning experiences, on the job experiences, rotational assignments, annual and mid-year manager reviews and coaching. These offerings are designed to position employees to execute with excellence in their current roles, accelerate their learning curves, and grow their careers by taking advantage of continuing learning opportunities. For example, in our production facilities, we provide multiple training sessions focused on quality and safety. We also hold multi-day courses focused on leadership development for managers throughout our organization. In addition, with our e-learning resources, employees can also focus on timely and topical development areas, including leadership, management excellence, functional capabilities, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

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Employee Engagement. We believe that having a workplace culture that supports and values all employees is critical to our success. To understand employee sentiments, we conduct a bi-annual engagement survey of our global workforce. This survey was completed in fiscal 2022 and was administered and analyzed by an independent third-party. The survey results are then reviewed by our executive leadership team and our Compensation and Human Capital Committee of the Board of Directors. Department leaders are also given the engagement survey results and are tasked with taking action based on their employees’ anonymous feedback (both quantitative and qualitative). By paying close attention to the results, both at an aggregate enterprise level as well as at department, business, and work group levels, we believe that we have been able to enhance our workplace culture and improve overall employee engagement levels.

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We are also committed to creating and building a culture of giving. We encourage and enable our employees to support many charitable causes. This includes engaging in volunteer programs promoted by the Company or employees. Our locations also manage their own community outreach programs through local giving committees, which provide opportunities for employees to financially engage with local nonprofits and volunteer their time. Annually, we make cash grants through the Lamb Weston Foundation, including through our Pay it Forward program, which gives our employees a role in directing some of the Foundation’s funds. In addition, we offer a matching gifts program to employees, paid volunteer time off, non-profit board service grants, and an employee dependent scholarship program.

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Thomas P. Werner has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors since November 2016. Prior to that, he served as President, Commercial Foods, for Conagra, a food company, since May 2015. In that role, he led the company’s Lamb Weston and Foodservice businesses, as well as its previously divested Spicetec Flavors & Seasonings and J.M. Swank operations. Mr. Werner also served as interim President of Conagra’s Private Brands from June 2015 through its divestiture in February 2016. Before his appointment as President, Commercial

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Foods, Mr. Werner served as Senior Vice President of Finance for Conagra’s Private Brands and Commercial Foods operating segments from June 2013 to April 2015, and Senior Vice President of Finance for Lamb Weston from May 2011 until June 2013.

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Bernadette M. Madarieta has served as our Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since August 2021. She joined Lamb Weston in October 2016 as our Vice President and Controller and Principal Accounting Officer. Before that, Ms. Madarieta served as Vice President and Controller of Packaging Corporation of America, a containerboard and corrugated packaging manufacturer, from October 2013 to March 2016, and Vice President and Controller at Boise Inc., a packaging and paper products manufacturer, from February 2011 to October 2013. Ms. Madarieta has 25 years of finance management and leadership experience spanning public and privately held companies and Big 4 public accounting firms.

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Sharon L. Miller has served as our Senior Vice President and General Manager, Global Business Unit since September 2016. Before that, she served as Conagra’s Vice President and General Manager, Lamb Weston Global Business Unit since 2015. Since joining Conagra in 1999, Ms. Miller has held various leadership positions, including Vice President of Sales for LWM. Prior to that, Ms. Miller was a key sales and business leader within Lamb Weston in both the U.S. and Canada. She also has held various sales positions with North American food manufacturers and foodservice distributors.

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Gerardo Scheufler has served as our Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer since August 2019. Prior to joining Lamb Weston, Mr. Scheufler served as Vice President of Global Operations at Mondelēz International, Inc., a food and beverage company, from July 2014 until August 2019. During his tenure at Mondelēz International, Mr. Scheufler oversaw a major global restructuring program to optimize the global supply chain footprint, including the manufacturing, customer service, quality, logistics, health, safety and environment, and innovation functions. Prior to that, Mr. Scheufler spent more than 20 years at The Procter & Gamble Company, a consumer goods corporation, in a variety of roles of increasing responsibility after starting his career in manufacturing operations in 1990.

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Michael J. Smith has served as our Senior Vice President and General Manager of Foodservice, Retail, Marketing and Innovation since April 2018. Prior to that, he served as Senior Vice President, Growth and Strategy beginning in September 2016. Mr. Smith also served as Vice President and General Manager of Lamb Weston Retail from May 2011 to September 2016, Vice President and General Manager of Conagra’s Private Brands from March 2014 to February 2016, and Vice President of Global Marketing of Lamb Weston from July 2012 to March 2014. Prior to joining Conagra in 2007, Mr. Smith held various brand management roles at Dean Foods Company, a food and beverage company, and its WhiteWave division from May 2003 until December 2007.

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Eryk J. Spytek has served as our Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Chief Compliance Officer since October 2016. He also served as our Corporate Secretary from October 2016 to November 2020. From June 2015 until October 2016, Mr. Spytek was Of Counsel at Winston & Strawn LLP, a law firm. Before returning to Winston & Strawn LLP, he served from December 2009 until April 2015 in a variety of roles with Mead Johnson Nutrition Company, a manufacturer of infant formula, including as Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Assistant Secretary from April 2013 to April 2015 and as Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary from December 2009 to April 2013. Before that, Mr. Spytek served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary at SIRVA, Inc., a moving and relocation services provider, from February 2006 to February 2009. Before joining SIRVA, Inc., Mr. Spytek was a partner at Winston & Strawn LLP, which he joined as an associate in 1996.

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Steven J. Younes has served as our Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer since January 2022. He joined Lamb Weston from Loews Hotels & Co., a hospitality company, where he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer from April 2019 through December 2021. Prior to that, Mr. Younes was Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Ascension, a not-for-profit healthcare company, from July 2013 to December 2018. An employment lawyer by background, he spent 12 years in private practice and served as employment counsel to a number of organizations earlier in his career. Mr. Younes has more than 30 years of experience in human resources and employment law.

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Ethics and Governance

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We have adopted a code of conduct that applies to all of our employees, as well as a code of ethics for senior corporate financial officers that applies to our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Controller. These codes are available on our website at www.lambweston.com through the “Investors – Corporate Governance” link. We will disclose any waiver we grant to our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, or Controller under our codes, or certain amendments to the codes, on our website at www.lambweston.com.

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In addition, we adopted Corporate Governance Principles and charters for the Audit and Finance Committee, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, and Compensation and Human Capital Committee. All of these materials are available on our website at www.lambweston.com and will be provided free of charge to any stockholder requesting a copy by writing to: Corporate Secretary, Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc., 599 S. Rivershore Lane, Eagle, Idaho 83616.

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The information on our website is not, and shall not be deemed to be, a part of this Form 10-K or incorporated into any other filings we make with the SEC.

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Food Safety and Labeling

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We are subject to extensive regulation, including, among other things, the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, as amended by the Food Safety Modernization Act, the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”). This comprehensive and evolving regulatory program governs, among other things, the manufacturing, composition and ingredients, labeling, packaging, and safety of food, including compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices. In addition, the Nutrition Label Reform Act of 2016 and regulations promulgated thereunder by the FDA prescribe the format and content in which specific nutrition information is required to appear on the labels of food products. We are also subject to regulation by certain other governmental agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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Our operations and products are also subject to state and local regulation, including the registration and licensing of production facilities, enforcement by state health agencies of various state standards, and the registration and inspection of facilities. Compliance with federal, state, and local regulation is costly and time-consuming. Enforcement actions for violations of federal, state, and local regulations may include seizure and condemnation of products, cease and desist orders, injunctions, voluntary or mandatory recalls or market withdrawals of products, and monetary penalties. We believe that our practices are sufficient to maintain compliance with applicable government regulations.

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Environmental, Health and Safety Regulations

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We are subject to a number of foreign, domestic, federal, state, and local laws and other regulations relating to the protection of human health, the environment and the safety and health of personnel. These requirements apply to a broad range of our activities, including: the regulation and discharge of pollutants into the air, land and water; the identification, generation, storage, handling, transportation, disposal, recordkeeping, labeling, spill prevention and reporting of, and emergency response in connection with, hazardous materials and chemical substances; noise and odor emissions from our facilities; and safety and health standards, practices, and procedures that apply to the workplace and the operation of our facilities.

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In order to comply with these requirements, we may need to spend substantial amounts of money and other resources from time to time to: (i) construct or acquire new equipment, (ii) acquire or amend permits to authorize facility operations, (iii) modify, upgrade, or replace existing and proposed equipment, and (iv) clean up or decommission our facilities or other locations in accordance with regulatory requirements. Our capital and operating budgets include costs and expenses associated with complying with these laws and other requirements.

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Available Information

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We make available, free of charge on our website at www.lambweston.com, our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file them with, or furnish them to, the SEC. We use our website, through the “Investors” link, as a channel for routine distribution of important information, including news releases, analyst presentations, and financial information. The information on our website is not, and shall not be deemed to be, a part of this Form 10-K or incorporated into any other filings we make with the SEC unless expressly noted in other such filings.

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structure and operate efficiently in the highly competitive value-added frozen potato product category. We continue to implement profit-enhancing initiatives that improve the efficiency of our supply chain and general and administrative functions. These initiatives are focused on cost-saving opportunities in procurement, manufacturing, logistics, and customer service, as well as general and administrative functions. However, gaining additional efficiencies may become more difficult over time. In addition, there is currently no active derivatives market for potatoes in the U.S. Although we have experience in hedging against commodity price increases, these practices and experience reduce, but do not eliminate, the risk of negative profit impacts from commodity price increases. As a result, the risk management procedures that we use may not always work as we intend. To the extent we are unable to offset present and future cost increases, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

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In addition, we may have significant supply chain disruptions due to a number of factors outside of our control, including public health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, labor shortages, increased fuel costs, and the war in Ukraine, which have disrupted production and increased transportation and warehousing costs. These factors may lead to our inability to access or deliver products that meet requisite quality and safety standards in a timely and efficient manner, which have led and could lead to increased warehouse and other storage costs. Our failure to reduce costs through productivity gains or the elimination of redundant costs, or the occurrence of a significant supply chain disruption or the inability to access or deliver products, could adversely affect our profitability and weaken our competitive position or otherwise harm our business.

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Our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected by disruptions in the global economy caused by the war in Ukraine.

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The global economy has been negatively impacted by increasing tensions related to the war in Ukraine. Such adverse and uncertain economic conditions have caused, and may continue to cause, supply chain disruptions and increased costs for transportation, energy, and raw materials, including edible oil, grains, and starches. Furthermore, the U.S. and certain foreign governments have imposed financial and economic sanctions on certain industry sectors and parties in Russia. We are monitoring the conflict and the potential impact of financial and economic sanctions on the regional and global economy. In addition, some of our customers, including our largest customer, McDonald’s Corporation, have exited from Russia. Further, in May 2022, our LWM joint venture announced its intent to withdraw from its joint venture that operates a production facility in Russia. As a result, LWM determined that its net investment in the joint venture was impaired and wrote-off its investment in Russia; our portion of the non-cash impairment charge was $62.7 million.

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Increased trade barriers or restrictions on global trade also could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Though LWM intends to exit the Russian market, the destabilizing effects of the war in Ukraine could have other effects on our business. Further escalation of geopolitical tensions related to military conflict could result in loss of property, expropriation, cyberattacks, supply disruptions, plant closures and an inability to obtain key supplies and materials, as well as adversely affect our business and our supply chain, our international subsidiaries and joint ventures, business partners or customers in the broader region, including our European growing regions for potatoes. Prior to the war in Ukraine, Ukraine was one of the largest exporters of sunflower oil, which we use for our products. Supply chains that were already disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic have been further impacted by the war in Ukraine, which has caused shortages in some raw materials, including sunflower oil, and higher prices for substitute ingredients, such as other edible oils. LWM operates processing facilities in Europe, including Austria, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. In many instances, these sites depend on the availability of natural gas for use in the production of products, which may originate from Russia. Destabilizing effects that military conflict may pose for the European continent or the global oil and natural gas markets could adversely impact LWM’s ability to operate these facilities. In addition, the effects of military conflict could heighten many of our other risks described in this Form 10-K.

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Pandemics or other contagious outbreaks and government actions taken in response thereto, may adversely impact, and in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, have adversely impacted and are likely to continue to adversely impact, our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

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The ultimate impact that the COVID-19 pandemic and any future pandemic or other contagious outbreak will have on our business, financial condition, and results of operations is uncertain. While vaccines are more widely available, the presence of new variants and increasing case figures in many countries create continued uncertainty about the duration

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and extent of the impact from the pandemic. The efforts by governmental and regulatory authorities worldwide to control the spread of COVID-19 and variants of the virus have resulted in widespread measures aimed at containing the disease such as quarantines, travel bans, shutdowns, and shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders. Although COVID-19-related restrictions have generally been loosened or lifted, these restrictions and measures, and our efforts to act in the best interests of our employees, customers, suppliers, vendors, joint ventures, and other business partners, have affected and are continuing to affect our business and operations. Some of the impacts our business has experienced, is continuing to experience, and may experience as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, or any future pandemic or other contagious outbreak, include, but are not limited to, the following:
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These impacts have caused, and may continue to cause, changes in the mix of products sold, decreases in revenue, and increases in costs resulting in decreased profitability and cash flows from operations, which have caused, and may continue to cause, an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations that may be material. In addition, resurgences of COVID-19 variants after restrictions are lifted could cause governments to impose new or stricter closures, and limits on capacity or social distancing requirements. These restrictions could cause consumer demand for food away from home to decline. COVID-19 has disrupted, and the spread of future pandemics or other contagious outbreaks may also disrupt, our customers, suppliers, vendors and joint venture and other business partners, and each of their financial conditions. Any material adverse effect on these parties could adversely impact us. In this regard, the potential duration and impacts of pandemics or other contagious outbreaks such as the COVID-19 pandemic, including the emergence and spread of COVID-19 variants and the continued availability and effectiveness of vaccines in the markets where we operate, on the global economy and on our business, financial condition, and results of operations are difficult to predict and cannot be estimated with any degree of certainty. The pandemic has resulted in significant disruption of global financial markets, labor shortages, supply chain interruptions, increased commodity costs, inflation, and economic uncertainty, which has adversely impacted our business and may continue to do so.

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The impact of COVID-19 may also exacerbate other risks discussed in this Form 10-K. The ultimate impact depends on the severity and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the emergence and spread of variants, the

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continued availability and effectiveness of vaccines, and actions taken by governmental authorities and other third parties in response, each of which is uncertain, rapidly changing and difficult to predict. Any of these disruptions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

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Labor shortages or stoppages, an inability to attract and retain key personnel, increased turnover or increases in labor and pension costs could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

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Labor is a primary component of operating our business. A number of factors may adversely affect the labor force available to us or increase labor costs, including high employment levels, federal unemployment subsidies, including unemployment benefits offered in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and other government regulations. The labor market has become increasingly tight and competitive, and we may face sudden and unforeseen challenges in the availability of labor, such as we have experienced during fiscal 2022 at some of our production facilities, which reduced our production run-rates and increased our manufacturing costs. A sustained labor shortage or increased turnover rates within our workforce, caused by COVID-19 or as a result of general macroeconomic factors, have led and could in the future lead to production or shipping delays, increased costs, such as increased overtime to meet demand and increased wage rates to attract and retain employees, and could negatively affect our ability to efficiently operate our production and distribution facilities and overall business. Further, our success depends on our ability to attract and retain personnel with professional and technical expertise, such as agricultural and food manufacturing experience, as well as finance, marketing, and other senior management professionals. The loss of the services of these persons could deplete our institutional knowledge and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. The market for these employees is competitive, and we could experience difficulty from time to time in hiring and retaining the personnel necessary to support our business. If we are unable to hire and retain employees capable of performing at a high-level, develop adequate training and succession plans for leadership positions, or if mitigation measures we may take to respond to a decrease in labor availability, such as overtime and third-party outsourcing, have unintended negative effects, our business could be adversely affected. Similarly, we have been negatively impacted and may in the future continue to be negatively impacted by labor shortages or increased labor costs experienced by our third-party business partners, including our logistics providers, suppliers and customers. For example, reduced availability of trucking capacity due to shortages of drivers, primarily as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, has caused an increase in the cost of transportation for us and our suppliers. An overall labor shortage, lack of skilled labor, increased turnover or labor inflation, caused by COVID-19 or as a result of general macroeconomic factors, could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

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In addition, health care, workers’ compensation, postretirement welfare, and pension costs are increasing. Inflationary pressures and any shortages in the labor market could continue to increase labor costs, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations. Our labor costs include the cost of providing employee benefits in the U.S. and foreign jurisdictions, including pension, health and welfare, and severance benefits. Changes in interest rates, mortality rates, health care costs, early retirement rates, investment returns, and the market value of plan assets can affect the funded status of our defined benefit plans and cause volatility in the future funding requirements of the plans. A significant increase in our obligations or future funding requirements could have a negative impact on our results of operations and cash flows from operations. Additionally, the annual costs of benefits vary with increased costs of health care and the outcome of collectively-bargained wage and benefit agreements.

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Changes in our relationships with our growers could adversely affect us.

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We expend considerable resources to develop and maintain relationships with many potato growers. In some instances, we have entered into long-term agreements with growers; however, a portion of our potato needs are sourced on an annual contracted basis. To the extent we are unable to maintain positive relationships with our long-term growers, contracted growers deliver less supply than we expect, or we are unable to secure sufficient potatoes from uncontracted growers in a given year, we may not have sufficient potato supply to satisfy our business opportunities. To obtain sufficient potato supply, we may be required to purchase potatoes at prices substantially higher than expected, or forgo sales to some market segments, which would reduce our profitability. If we forgo sales to such market segments, we may lose customers and may not be able to regain or replace them later.

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Our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected by the political and economic conditions of the countries in which we conduct business and other factors related to our international operations, including foreign currency risks and trade barriers.

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We conduct a substantial and growing amount of business with customers located outside the U.S., including through our joint ventures. During each of fiscal 2022, 2021 and 2020, net sales outside the U.S., primarily in Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan, accounted for approximately 17% of our net sales. These amounts do not include any impact of unconsolidated net sales associated with our joint ventures, which are also subject to risks associated with international operations.

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Many factors relating to our domestic and international sales and operations, many of which are outside of our control, have had, and could continue to have, a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations, including:

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Any of these factors could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

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Changes in our relationships with significant customers could adversely affect us.

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We maintain a diverse customer base across our four reporting segments. Customers include global, national and regional quick service and fast casual restaurants as well as small, independently operated restaurants, multinational, broadline foodservice distributors, regional foodservice distributors, and major food retailers. Some of these customers

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independently represent a meaningful portion of our sales. In addition, we depend on foodservice distributors to help us create end-customer demand, provide technical support and other value-added services to customers, fill customer orders, and stock our products. A material change in our relationship with one or more of these distributors or their failure to perform as expected could reduce our revenue. The foodservice distributors also sell products that compete with our products, and we sometimes need to reduce prices or provide rebates and other incentives to focus them on the sale of our products.

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Our largest customer, McDonald’s Corporation, accounted for approximately 10% of our consolidated net sales during fiscal 2022. There can be no assurance that our customers will continue to purchase our products in the same quantities or on the same terms as in the past. The loss of a significant customer or a material reduction in sales to a significant customer could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, the financial condition of our significant customers, including restaurants, distributors and retailers, are affected by events that are largely beyond our control, such as the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and possible future pandemics or other contagious outbreaks, and political or military conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine. Specifically, some customers, including McDonald’s Corporation, have exited from Russia. Deterioration in the financial condition of significant customers could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

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Disruption of our access to export mechanisms could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

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To serve our customers globally, we rely in part on our international joint ventures, but also on exports from the U.S. During fiscal 2022, 2021, and 2020, export sales from the U.S. accounted for approximately 12%, 13% and 16%, respectively, of our total net sales. Circumstances beyond our control, such as a labor dispute at a port, or workforce disruption, including those due to the COVID-19 pandemic or future pandemics or other contagious outbreaks, could prevent us from exporting our products in sufficient quantities to meet customer opportunities. During the latter half of fiscal 2022, limited shipping container availability along the U.S. West Coast and disruptions to ocean freight networks across the Pacific Ocean resulted in lower export volumes in our Global segment. We have access to production outside of the U.S. through our facilities in Australia, Canada and China and joint ventures in Argentina and Europe, but we may be unsuccessful in mitigating any future disruption to export mechanisms. If this occurs, we may be unable to adequately supply all of our existing customers’ needs and new customer opportunities, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

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Our operations are dependent on a wide array of third parties.

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The success of our end-to-end supply chain relies on the continued performance of a wide array of third parties. Suppliers, co-packers, third-party outsourcers, warehousing partners, and transportation providers are among our critical partners. Although we take steps to qualify and audit third parties with whom we do business, we cannot guarantee that all third parties will perform dependably or at all. It is possible that events beyond our control, such as operational failures, labor issues, cybersecurity events, global geopolitical conflict, such as the war in Ukraine, pandemics or other health issues, such as COVID-19, or other issues could impact our third parties. If our third parties fail to deliver on their commitments, introduce unplanned risk to our operations (e.g., through cyber activity), or are unable to fulfill their obligations, we could experience manufacturing challenges, shipment delays, increased costs, or lost revenue, which could also impact our relationships with customers and our brand image.

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In addition to our own production facilities, we source a portion of our products under co-packing agreements. The success of our business depends, in part, on maintaining a strong sourcing and manufacturing platform. We believe that there are a limited number of competent, high-quality co-packers in the industry, and if we were required to obtain additional or alternative co-packing agreements or arrangements in the future, we can provide no assurance that we would be able to do so on satisfactory terms or in a timely manner. Our inability to enter into satisfactory co-packing agreements could limit our ability to implement our business plan or meet customer demand.

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Damage to our reputation as a trusted partner to customers and good corporate citizen could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

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Our customers rely on us and our co-manufacturers to manufacture safe, high quality food products. Product contamination or tampering, the failure to maintain high standards for product quality, safety, and integrity, or allegations of product quality issues, mislabeling or contamination, even if untrue, may damage the reputation of our customers, and ultimately our reputation as a trusted industry partner. Damage to either could reduce demand for our products or cause production and delivery disruptions.

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Our reputation could also be adversely impacted by any of the following, or by adverse publicity (whether or not valid) relating thereto: the failure to maintain high ethical, social, and environmental standards for our operations and activities, including the health, safety and security of our employees; our research and development efforts; our environmental impact, including use of agricultural materials, packaging, energy use, and waste management; our failure to comply with local laws and regulations; our failure to maintain an effective system of internal controls; or our failure to provide accurate and timely financial information. Damage to our reputation or loss of customer confidence in our products for any of these or other reasons could result in decreased demand for our products and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations, as well as require additional resources to rebuild our reputation.

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If we are unable to execute on large capital projects, complete potential acquisitions that strategically fit our business objectives, or integrate acquired businesses, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

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Demand for frozen potato products is growing, and we believe that this demand will continue to grow over the long-term. To support our customers’ growth, we believe we must invest in our production capabilities either through capital expansion or acquisitions. In 2021, we announced capital investments in a new french fry processing line in American Falls, Idaho and a new french fry processing facility in China. If we are unable to complete these or other large capital projects, or encounter unexpected delays, higher costs or other challenges, including those related to supply chain disruptions and availability of necessary labor, materials, and equipment, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

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In addition, from time to time, we evaluate acquisition candidates that may strategically fit our business objectives. Our acquisition activities may present financial, managerial, and operational risks. Those risks include: (i) diversion of management attention from existing businesses, (ii) difficulties integrating personnel and financial and other systems, (iii) difficulties implementing effective control environment processes, (iv) adverse effects on existing business relationships with suppliers and customers, (v) inaccurate estimates of fair value made in the accounting for acquisitions and amortization of acquired intangible assets, which would reduce future reported earnings, (vi) potential loss of customers or key employees of acquired businesses, and (vii) indemnities and potential disputes with the sellers. If we are unable to complete acquisitions or successfully integrate and develop acquired businesses or execute on large capital projects, such as new production lines or facilities, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

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A portion of our business is, and several of our growth strategies are, conducted through joint ventures that do not operate solely for our benefit.

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We have built our company, in part, through the creation of joint ventures, some of which we do not control. In these relationships, we share ownership and management of a company that operates for the benefit of all owners, rather than our exclusive benefit. Through our extensive experience in operating a portion of our business through joint ventures, we understand that joint ventures often require additional resources and procedures for information sharing and decision-making. If our joint venture partners take actions that have negative impacts on the joint venture, or disagree with the strategies we have developed to grow these businesses, we may have limited ability to influence and mitigate those actions or decisions and our ability to achieve our growth strategies may be negatively impacted. In addition, we and our respective partners may be liable for certain obligations or liabilities of the joint ventures. As a result, we may be subject to additional obligations or liabilities over which we may not have complete control.

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Our substantial debt may limit cash flow available to invest in the ongoing needs of our business and could prevent us from fulfilling our debt obligations.

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We have incurred substantial indebtedness. As of May 29, 2022, we had $2,728.0 million of long-term debt, including current portion, recorded on our Consolidated Balance Sheet. Our level of debt could have important consequences. For example, it could:

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The agreements governing our debt contain various covenants that impose restrictions on us that may affect our ability to operate our business.

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The credit agreements governing our term loans and revolving credit facility and the indentures governing our senior notes contain covenants that, among other things, limit our ability to:

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These restrictions on our ability to operate our business could harm our business by, among other things, limiting our ability to take advantage of financing, merger and acquisition, or other corporate opportunities.

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Various risks, uncertainties, and events beyond our control could affect our ability to comply with these covenants. Failure to comply with any of the covenants in our existing or future financing agreements could result in a default under those agreements and under other agreements containing cross-default provisions. A default would permit lenders to accelerate the maturity of the debt under these agreements and to foreclose upon any collateral securing the debt. Under these circumstances, we might not have sufficient funds or other resources to satisfy all of our obligations. Also, the limitations imposed by these financing agreements on our ability to incur additional debt and to take other actions might significantly impair our ability to obtain other financing.

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In addition, the restrictive covenants in our credit agreements require us to maintain specified financial ratios and satisfy other financial condition tests. We cannot provide assurance that we will continue to be in compliance with these ratios and tests. Our ability to continue to meet those financial ratios and tests will depend on our ongoing financial and operating performance, which, in turn, will be subject to economic conditions and to financial, market, and competitive factors, many of which are beyond our control. A breach of any of these covenants could result in a default under one or more of our debt instruments, including as a result of cross default provisions and, in the case of our revolving credit facility, permit the lenders thereunder to cease making loans to us. Upon the occurrence of an event of default under our credit facilities, the lenders could elect to declare all amounts outstanding thereunder to be immediately due and payable and terminate all commitments to extend further credit. Such action by the lenders could cause cross-defaults under our senior notes indentures.

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Any failure to meet required payments on our debt, or failure to comply with any covenants in the instruments governing our debt, could result in a downgrade to our credit ratings. A downgrade in our credit ratings could limit our access to capital and increase our borrowing costs.

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Technology Risks

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We are significantly dependent on information technology, and we may be unable to protect our information systems against service interruption, misappropriation of data, or breaches of security.

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We rely on information technology networks and systems, including the Internet, to process, transmit, and store electronic and financial information, to manage and support a variety of business processes and activities, and to comply with regulatory, legal, and tax requirements. We also depend upon our information technology infrastructure for digital marketing activities and for electronic communications among our locations, personnel, customers, third-party manufacturers and suppliers. The importance of such networks and systems has increased due to our adoption of flexible work-from-home policies for functional support areas, which in turn has heightened our vulnerability to cyberattacks or other disruptions. Despite careful security and controls design, implementation and updating, independent third-party verification and annual training of employees on information security and data protection, our information technology systems, some of which are dependent on services provided by third parties, may be vulnerable to, among other things, damage, invasions, disruptions, or shutdowns due to any number of causes such as catastrophic events, natural disasters, infectious disease outbreaks and other public health crises, fires, power outages, systems failures, telecommunications failures, security breaches, computer viruses, ransomware and malware, hackers, employee error or malfeasance, and other causes. While we have experienced threats to our data and systems, to date, we are not aware that we have experienced a material breach to our systems. However, third parties, including our partners and vendors, could also be a source of security risk to us, or cause disruptions to our normal operations, in the event of a breach of their own products, components, networks, security systems, and infrastructure. For example, in December 2021, our third-party service provider for our workforce management software, the Ultimate Kronos Group (“Kronos”), experienced a ransomware attack that resulted in Kronos temporarily decommissioning the functionality of certain of its cloud software, requiring us to find and implement other procedures to continue our payroll processes, which was time consuming and burdensome but did not have a material adverse impact on our business. In addition, over time, and particularly recently, as evidenced by the attack on Kronos, the sophistication of the cyber threats continues to increase. Sophisticated cybersecurity threats, including potential cyberattacks from Russia targeted against the U.S., pose a potential risk to the security and viability of our information technology systems, as well as the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the data stored on those systems, including cloud-based platforms. In addition, new technology that could result in greater operational efficiency may further expose our computer systems to the risk of cyberattacks. If we do not allocate and effectively manage the resources necessary to build and sustain the proper technology infrastructure and associated automated and manual control processes, we could be subject to billing and collection errors, business disruptions, or damage resulting from security breaches. If any of our significant information technology systems suffer severe damage, disruption, or shutdown and our business continuity plans do not effectively resolve the issues in a timely manner, our product sales, financial condition, and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected, and we could experience delays in reporting our financial results. Any interruption of our information technology systems could have operational, reputational, legal, and financial impacts that may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

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In addition, if we are unable to prevent security breaches or unauthorized disclosure of non-public information, we may suffer financial and reputational damage, litigation or remediation costs, fines, or penalties because of the unauthorized disclosure of confidential information belonging to us or to our partners, customers, or suppliers. Misuse, leakage, or falsification of information could result in violations of data privacy laws and regulations, potentially significant fines and penalties, damage to our reputation and credibility, loss of strategic opportunities, and loss of ability to commercialize products developed through research and development efforts and, therefore, could have a negative impact on net sales. In addition, we may face business interruptions, litigation, and financial and reputational damage because of lost or misappropriated confidential information belonging to us, our current or former employees, or to our suppliers or customers, and may become subject to legal action and increased regulatory oversight. We could also be required to spend significant financial and other resources to remedy the damage caused by a security breach or to repair or replace networks and information systems.

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Problems with the transition, design, or implementation of our new ERP system could interfere with our business and operations and adversely affect our financial condition.

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We are in the process of building a new ERP system to replace our existing operating and financial systems. The ERP system is designed to accurately maintain our financial records, enhance operational functionality, and provide timely information to our management team related to the operation of the business. The ERP system implementation process has required, and will continue to require, the investment of significant personnel and financial resources. Due to the uncertainty caused by COVID-19, we paused ERP work in fiscal 2021, after completing the first phase of implementation. We recently resumed designing the next phase of our ERP implementation and are in the build stage. We have experienced, and may continue to experience, difficulties as we transition to new upgraded systems and business processes. These difficulties have and may include loss of data; difficulty in making payments to third-parties; difficulty in completing financial reporting and filing reports with the SEC in a timely manner; or challenges in otherwise running our business. We may also experience decreases in productivity as our personnel implement and become familiar with new systems and processes. Any disruptions, delays, or deficiencies in the transition, design, and implementation of a new ERP system, particularly any disruptions, delays, or deficiencies that impact our operations, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Even if we do not encounter adverse effects, the transition, design, and implementation of a new ERP system, may be much more costly than we anticipated.

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Industry Risks

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Our business is affected by potato crop performance.

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Our primary input is potatoes and every year, we must procure potatoes that meet the quality standards for processing into value-added products. Environmental and climate conditions, such as soil quality, moisture, and temperature, affect the yield and quality of the potato crop on a year-to-year basis. As a result, we source potatoes from specific regions of the U.S. and specific countries abroad, including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, where we believe the optimal potato growing conditions exist. However, severe weather conditions, including protracted periods of extreme heat or cold, during the planting and growing season in these regions can significantly affect potato crop performance, such as the extreme heat in the Pacific Northwest in the summer of 2021 and the drought in Europe during fiscal 2019, both of which resulted in poor crop and significantly limited supply. Further, because of the poor quality of the crop in the Pacific Northwest that was harvested in fall 2021, we encountered lower raw potato utilization rates in our production facilities during the second half of fiscal 2022, which increased our production costs. Potatoes are also susceptible to pest diseases and insects that can cause crop failure, decreased yields, and negatively affect the physical appearance of the potatoes. We have deep experience in agronomy and actively work to monitor the potato crop. However, if a weather or pest-related event occurs in a particular crop year, and our agronomic programs are insufficient to mitigate the impacts thereof, we may have insufficient potatoes to meet our existing customers’ needs and new customer opportunities, or we may experience manufacturing inefficiencies and higher costs, and our competitiveness and profitability could decrease. Alternatively, overly favorable growing conditions can lead to high per acre yields and over-supply. An increased supply of potatoes could lead to overproduction of finished goods and associated increased storage costs or destruction of unused potatoes at a loss.

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Our business relies on a potato crop that has a concentrated growing region.

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Ideal growing conditions for the potatoes necessary for our value-added products (e.g., french fries) are concentrated in a few geographic regions globally. In the U.S., most of the potato crop used in value-added products is grown in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. European growing regions for the necessary potatoes are concentrated in Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Recent agronomic developments have opened new growing regions, but the capital-intensive nature of our industry’s production processes has kept production highly concentrated in the historical growing regions noted above. Unfavorable crop conditions in any one region could lead to significant demand on the other regions for production, which occurred in connection with the drought in Europe during fiscal 2019. Our inability to mitigate any such conditions by leveraging our production capabilities in other regions could negatively impact our ability to meet existing customers’ needs and new customer opportunities and could decrease our profitability.

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The sophistication and buying power of some of our customers could have a negative impact on profits.

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Some of our customers are large and sophisticated, with buying power and negotiating strength. These customers may be more capable of resisting price increases and more likely to demand lower pricing, increased promotional programs, or specialty tailored products. In addition, some of these customers (e.g., larger distributors and supermarkets) have the scale to develop supply chains that permit them to operate with reduced inventories or to develop and market their own brands. Shelf space at food retailers is not guaranteed, and large retail customers may choose to stock their own retailer and other economy brands that compete with some of our products. This could be exacerbated with a shift in consumer spending as a result of an economic downturn and consumers moving to private label or lower priced products. If the initiatives we undertake to counteract these pressures, including efficiency programs and investments in innovation and quality, are unsuccessful and we are unable to counteract the negotiating strength of these customers, our profitability could decline.

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Increased competition may result in reduced sales or profits.

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Our business, value-added frozen potato products, is highly competitive. Competitors include large North American and European frozen potato product companies that compete globally, local and regional companies, and retailers and foodservice distributors with their own branded and private label products. Some of our competitors are larger and have substantial financial, sales and marketing, and other resources. We compete based on, among other things, customer service, value, product innovation, product quality, brand recognition and loyalty, price, and the ability to identify and satisfy customer preferences. A strong competitive response from one or more of our competitors to our marketplace efforts could result in us reducing pricing, increasing spend on promotional activity, or losing market share. Competitive pressures may restrict our ability to increase prices, including in response to commodity and other input cost increases or additional improvements in product quality. Our profits could decrease if a reduction in prices or increased costs are not counterbalanced with increased sales volume.

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Increased industry capacity may result in reduced sales or profits.

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In recent years, market demand for value-added frozen potato products has exceeded industry capacity to produce these products. As additional industry capacity comes online, or market demand otherwise decreases, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or future pandemics or other contagious outbreaks, we may face competitive pressures that would restrict our ability to increase or maintain prices, or we may lose market share. For example, during fiscal 2021, we faced increased pricing pressure for private label products due to excess production capacity in Europe that resulted from decreased demand following government-imposed COVID-related social restrictions, which caused us to lose some private label volume. Our profits would decrease as a result of a reduction in prices or sales volume.

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We must identify changing consumer preferences and consumption trends and develop and offer food products to our customers that help meet those preferences and trends.

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Consumer preferences evolve over time and our success depends on our ability to identify the tastes and dietary habits of consumers and offer products that appeal to those preferences. We need to continue to respond to these changing consumer preferences and support our customers in their efforts to evolve to meet those preferences. For example, as consumers continue to focus on freshly prepared foods, some restaurants may choose to limit the frying capabilities of their kitchens. As a result, we must evolve our product offering to provide alternatives that work in such a preparation environment. In addition, our products contain carbohydrates, sodium, genetically modified ingredients, added sugars, saturated fats, and preservatives, the diet and health effects of which remain the subject of public scrutiny. We must continue to reformulate our products, introduce new products and create product extensions without a loss of the taste, texture, and appearance that consumers demand in value-added potato products. All of these efforts require significant research and development and marketing investments. If our products fail to meet consumer preferences or customer requirements, or we fail to introduce new and improved products on a timely basis, then the return on those investments will be less than anticipated, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

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In addition, we compete against branded products as well as private label products. Our products must provide higher value and/or quality to our customers and consumers than alternatives, particularly during periods of economic uncertainty. Consumers may not buy our products if relative differences in value and/or quality between our products and private label products change in favor of competitors’ products or if consumers perceive this type of change. If consumers prefer private label products, which are typically sold at lower prices, then we could lose market share or sales volumes or shift our product mix to lower margin offerings. During an economic downturn, factors such as increased unemployment, decreases in disposable income, inflation, and declines in consumer confidence could cause a decrease in demand for our overall product offerings, particularly higher priced products, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Distributors, restaurants and retailers may also become more conservative in response to these conditions and seek to reduce their inventories. A change in consumer preferences could also cause us to increase capital, marketing, and other expenditures, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

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Legal and Regulatory Risks

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We may be subject to product liability claims and product recalls, which could negatively impact our relationships with customers and harm our business.

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We sell food products for human consumption, which involves risks such as product contamination or spoilage, product tampering, other adulteration of food products, mislabeling, and misbranding. We may voluntarily recall or withdraw products from the market in certain circumstances, which would cause us to incur associated costs; those costs could be meaningful. We may also be subject to litigation, requests for indemnification from our customers, or liability if the consumption or inadequate preparation of any of our products causes injury, illness, or death. A significant product liability judgment or a widespread product recall may negatively impact our sales and profitability for a period of time depending on the costs of the recall, the destruction of product inventory, product availability, competitive reaction, customer reaction, and consumer attitudes. Even if a product liability claim is unsuccessful or is not fully pursued, the negative publicity surrounding any assertion that our products caused illness or injury could adversely affect our reputation with existing and potential customers and our corporate and brand image.

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Additionally, as a manufacturer and marketer of food products, we are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA and other national, state and local government agencies. The Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act, the Food Safety Modernization Act, other laws and their respective regulations govern, among other things, the manufacturing, composition and ingredients, packaging and safety of food products. Some aspects of these laws use a strict liability standard for imposing sanctions on corporate behavior, meaning that no intent is required to be established. If we fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations, we may be subject to civil remedies, including fines, injunctions, recalls, or seizures, as well as criminal sanctions, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

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New regulations imposed by the FDA or EFSA around acrylamide formation in potato products could adversely affect us.

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The regulation of food products, both within the U.S. and internationally, continues to be a focus for governmental scrutiny. The presence and/or formation of acrylamide in potato products cooked at high temperatures has become a global regulatory issue as both the FDA and the European Food Safety Authority (‘‘EFSA’’) have issued guidance to the food processing industry to work to reduce conditions that favor the formation of this naturally occurring compound. Acrylamide formation is the result of heat processing reactions that give ‘‘browned foods’’ their desirable flavor. Acrylamide formation occurs in many food types in the human diet, including but not limited to breads, toast, cookies, coffee, crackers, potatoes, and olives. The regulatory approach to acrylamide has generally been to encourage the industry to achieve as low as reasonably achievable content levels through process control (e.g., temperature) and material testing (e.g., low sugar and low asparagine). However, limits for acrylamide exposure have been established in the State of California, and point of sale consumer warnings are required if products exceed those limits. In addition, the EFSA has promulgated regulations establishing specific mitigation measures, sampling and analysis procedures and benchmark levels for acrylamide in certain food products. If the global regulatory approach to acrylamide becomes more stringent and

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additional legal limits are established, our manufacturing costs could increase. In addition, if consumer perception regarding the safety of our products is negatively impacted due to regulation, sales of our products could decrease.

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If we fail to comply with the many laws and regulations applicable to our business, we may face lawsuits or incur significant fines and penalties.

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Our facilities and products are subject to many laws and regulations administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the FDA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and other federal, state, local, and foreign governmental agencies relating to the processing, packaging, storage, distribution, advertising, labeling, quality, and safety of food products, and the health and safety of our employees. Our failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations could subject us to additional costs, product detentions, substantial delays or a temporary shutdown in manufacturing, lawsuits, administrative penalties, and civil remedies, including fines, injunctions, and recalls of our products.

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Our operations are also subject to extensive and increasingly stringent regulations administered by foreign government agencies, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and comparable state agencies, which pertain to the protection of human health and the environment, including, but not limited to, the discharge of materials into the environment and the handling and disposition of wastes. Failure to comply with these regulations can have serious consequences, including civil and administrative penalties and negative publicity. Changes in applicable laws or regulations or evolving interpretations thereof, including increased government regulations to limit the emissions of toxic air pollutants and carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions as a result of concern over climate change, may result in increased compliance costs, capital expenditures, and other financial obligations for us, which could affect our profitability or impede the production or distribution of our products, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

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Climate change, or legal, regulatory, or market measures to address climate change, may negatively affect our business and operations.

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There is growing concern that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere may have an adverse impact on global temperatures, weather patterns, and the frequency and severity of extreme weather and natural disasters. In the event that climate change has a negative effect on agricultural productivity, we may be subject to decreased availability or less favorable pricing for certain commodities that are necessary for our products, such as potatoes and edible oils. Adverse weather conditions and natural disasters can reduce crop size and crop quality, which in turn could reduce our supplies of raw potatoes, lower recoveries of usable raw potatoes, increase the prices of our raw potatoes, increase our cost of transporting and storing raw potatoes, or disrupt our production schedules or efficiencies. Natural disasters and extreme weather conditions may disrupt the productivity of our facilities or the operation of our supply chain. In addition, water is an important part of potato processing. In times of water stress, we may be subject to decreased availability or less favorable pricing for water, which could impact our manufacturing and distribution operations. Further, a decrease in the availability of water in certain regions caused by droughts or other factors could increase competition for land and resources in areas that have more favorable growing conditions, and thereby increase costs for such land and resources.

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The increasing concern over climate change also may result in more regional, federal, and/or global legal and regulatory requirements to reduce or mitigate the effects of greenhouse gases, as well as more stringent regulation of water rights. In the event that such regulation is enacted and is more aggressive than the sustainability measures that we are currently undertaking to monitor our emissions, improve our energy efficiency, and reduce and reuse water, we may be subject to curtailment or reduced access to resources or experience significant increases in our costs of operation and delivery. In particular, increasing regulation of utility providers, fuel emissions, or fuel suppliers could substantially increase the distribution and supply chain costs of our products. Also, consumers and customers may place an increased priority on purchasing products that are sustainably grown and made, requiring us to incur increased costs for additional transparency, due diligence, and reporting. Further, any failure to achieve our goals with respect to reducing our impact on the environment or perception of a failure to act responsibly with respect to the environment or to effectively respond to regulatory requirements concerning climate change can lead to adverse publicity, which could damage our reputation. As a result, climate change could negatively affect our business and operations. See also “Industry Risks – Our business is affected by potato crop performance,” in this Item 1A. Risk Factors above.

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Our intellectual property rights are valuable, and any inability to protect them could reduce the value of our products and brands.

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We consider our intellectual property rights to be a significant and valuable aspect of our business. We attempt to protect our intellectual property rights through a combination of trademark, patent, copyright and trade secret protection, contractual agreements and policing of third-party misuses of our intellectual property. Our failure to obtain or adequately protect our intellectual property or any change in law that lessens or removes the current legal protections of our intellectual property may diminish our competitiveness and adversely affect our business and financial results. We also license certain intellectual property, most notably Grown in Idaho and Alexia, from third parties. To the extent that we are not able to contract with these third parties on favorable terms or maintain our relationships with these third parties, our rights to use certain intellectual property could be impacted.

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Competing intellectual property claims that impact our brands or products may arise unexpectedly. Any litigation or disputes regarding intellectual property may be costly and time-consuming and may divert the attention of our management and key personnel from our business operations. We also may be subject to significant damages or injunctions against development, launch and sale of certain products. Any of these occurrences may harm our business and financial results.

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Our manufacturing assets are shared across all reportable segments. Therefore, we do not identify or allocate assets by reportable segment. For more information, see Note 13, Segments, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in “Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K. 

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In addition to the facilities noted above, our joint ventures own or lease processing facilities in Argentina, Austria, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the U.S.

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