22
Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know? FOOD AND CONSUMER STAPLES RETAILING May 2013 Page 1 of 22 This table shows a list of topics identified as relevant by different stakeholder groups. They can be considered as stakeholders’ suggestions or requests for topics to be monitored or disclosed by organizations. Additional information about the project can be found at https://www.globalreporting.org/reporting/sector-guidance/Topics- Research/Pages/default.aspx 22 – Food and Consumer Staples Retailing 18 Topics Distributors of food products to other companies and not directly to the consumer. Owners and operators of primarily food retail stores. Owners and operators of hypermarkets and super centers selling food and a wide-range of consumer staple products. Owners and operators of primarily drug retail stores and pharmacies. Sustainability Category Topic Topic Specification (if available) Explanation Reference(s) 1 Constituency Economic Socio-economic benefits Impact assessment at community and farm level The scientifically accurate measurement, in a globally comparable manner, of sustainability effects and impacts at the farm and community level. specific indicators of social, environmental and economic metrics that clearly demonstrate scientifically sound capture and analysis as well as consensus on the type of indicator that adequately reflects on of these topics improves management practices permits smarter investment or policy avoids greenwashing facilitates consumer faith 195 Financial Markets & Information Users

Food and Consumer Staples Retailing

  • Upload
    others

  • View
    3

  • Download
    0

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know?

FOOD AND CONSUMER STAPLES RETAILING

May 2013 Page 1 of 22

This table shows a list of topics identified as relevant by different stakeholder groups. They can be considered as stakeholders’ suggestions or requests for topics to be monitored or disclosed by organizations.

Additional information about the project can be found at https://www.globalreporting.org/reporting/sector-guidance/Topics-Research/Pages/default.aspx

22 – Food and Consumer Staples Retailing

18 Topics

Distributors of food products to other companies and not directly to the consumer. Owners and operators of primarily food retail stores. Owners

and operators of hypermarkets and super centers selling food and a wide-range of consumer staple products. Owners and operators of primarily

drug retail stores and pharmacies.

Sustainability Category

Topic Topic Specification (if available)

Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency

Economic Socio-economic benefits

Impact assessment at community and farm level

The scientifically accurate measurement, in a globally comparable manner, of sustainability effects and impacts at the farm and community level. specific indicators of social, environmental and economic metrics that clearly demonstrate scientifically sound capture and analysis as well as consensus on the type of indicator that adequately reflects on of these topics improves management practices permits smarter investment or policy avoids greenwashing facilitates consumer faith

195 Financial Markets & Information Users

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know?

FOOD AND CONSUMER STAPLES RETAILING

May 2013 Page 2 of 22

Sustainability Category

Topic Topic Specification (if available)

Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency

Environmental Materials sourcing

Products from responsibly managed land to avoid deforestation and forest degradation

Deforestation and forest degradation, which account for 10-15% of global carbon emissions, are primarily driven by 4 commodities: timber, palm oil, soy and cattle products. Companies who produce or buy these products may be contributing to deforestation and need to have policies in place to manage potential risks and opportunities. Risk assessment of whether the company buys or produces any of these commodities, directly or through their supply chains. Company policies (if any) on sourcing or production of the commodities, eg only buying certified products, being able to trace back to source. Targets for production/procurement of certified commodities - quantity/percentage and year of target. Deforestation accounts for almost the same carbon emissions as the entire world's transport sector and is a major driver of biodiversity loss. There is also evidence that it contributes to fluctuations in rainfall patterns. Given increasing population and change in diets towards meat, the problems of environmental damage and food security are likely to increase sharply over the coming years. Land use change from forests and peatlands to agriculture results in significant carbon emissions and other environmental damage as well as often causing social problems around free, prior and informed consent

106, 194 Civil Society Organization

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know?

FOOD AND CONSUMER STAPLES RETAILING

May 2013 Page 3 of 22

Sustainability Category

Topic Topic Specification (if available)

Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency

and livelihoods for forest-dependent communities. Over 1 billion of the world's poorest people depend on forests for their survival but the financial rewards from replacing forests with agriculture are driving rapid deforestation in areas such as Brazil, Indonesia and Malaysia. There are opportunities for companies to improve their agricultural efficiency through certification and 'smart' agriculture while reducing environmental impacts of their businesses.

Deforestation, clearance or clearing is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a non-forest use Increased demand for non-timber products such as palm oil, soy and even beef can also contribute to deforestation if sourced unsustainably. Retailers are driving zero deforestation initiatives. Importers, wholesalers and retailers increasingly promote sustainable sourcing throughout the supply chain. Given strong consumer concerns, and their own commitment to corporate responsibility, increasingly retailers and other traders require their suppliers to meet quality standards beyond legal requirements.

131 Business

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know?

FOOD AND CONSUMER STAPLES RETAILING

May 2013 Page 4 of 22

Sustainability Category

Topic Topic Specification (if available)

Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency

Sourcing standards for chemical fertilizer, herbicide and pesticide use in agricultural production

Use of chemical inputs in agricultural production (i.e. fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, etc) * Amount of chemical inputs used yearly per hectare -Doses and techniques used to apply them (applied using labor or machinery?) -Public or private organism that regulated the use of these inputs in the local area Degradation of soil, pollution of water and air are all closely linked with overuse of pesticides and the kind. The misuse/overuse of chemical inputs in all forms has not only environmental impact but also financial impact because of increasing costs of these products. Agricultural production needs to start accounting for long term loses of natural capital and human health in order to balance the misuse promoted by certain chemical companies selling this kind of products.

442, 492 Mediating Institution

Sourcing standards for environmental impacts from use of machinery in agricultural production

Use of machinery in agricultural production -Number, brand and year of manufacturing of each machine -Number of hours per hectare and number of times it is required. -Agricultural tasks done with aforementioned machinery Use of machinery is intrinsically linked with energy efficiency, Co2 emissions and social impact of machines replacing labor.

119, 554 Mediating Institution

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know?

FOOD AND CONSUMER STAPLES RETAILING

May 2013 Page 5 of 22

Sustainability Category

Topic Topic Specification (if available)

Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency

Sourcing standards for hybrid and genetically modified (GM) seeds

Use of hybrid and GM seeds in agricultural production * Reason for adopting these sort of seeds in the production -Amount of hybrid and GM seeds used in production -Name of providers of these sort of seeds -Expected impact of these sort of seeds on the environment -Expected impact of these sort of seeds on human health The sort of seeds used in agricultural production is the first step that adds an impact of humans and natural resources. The effect of hybrid and GM seeds is reportedly to be adversed, however companies are still willing to spread their use despite the environmental and social costs in long term.

153, 233 Mediating Institution

Wood-based products from responsibly managed forests

Sourcing of wood based products (paper, furniture, etc) from responsibly managed forests. The following sections of the GRI reporting guidelines may be used by a reporter to mention FSC related activities, those are: - Profile - Commitments to External Initiatives: 4.12 externally developed economic, environmental, and social charters, principles, or other initiatives to which the organization subscribes or endorses. - Environmental Impact: EN 26: Initiatives to mitigate environmental impacts of products and services, and extent of impact mitigation. - Product: PR3: Type of product and service information

185, 569 Civil Society Organization

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know?

FOOD AND CONSUMER STAPLES RETAILING

May 2013 Page 6 of 22

Sustainability Category

Topic Topic Specification (if available)

Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency

required by procedures and percentage of significant products and services subject to such information requirements. The above indicators are mostly not quantitative and a reporter may find difficult to integrate FSC related information. Ideally there would be a quantitative indicator related to certification scheme or initiative regarding the supply and the final product within the GRI guideline. In order to ease the reporting of FSC related activities, we propose to include two indicators related to supply and final product content. The wording could follow the Food Processing Supplement and worded as follows: “Percentage of purchased material by volume and weight which is verified as being in accordance with credible, internationally recognized responsible production standards, broken down by standard”. This topic reflects significant impacts, risks and opportunities for an organization itself and its stakeholders as well as requires active management or engagement by the organization. By buying FSC certified products, companies provide incentives for responsible forestry and can enjoy their purchases knowing it has not contributed to the destruction of the world’s forest or even come from companies involved in human rights abuses. Almost everything made from wood and other forest products are available with the FSC label. Finding FSC products

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know?

FOOD AND CONSUMER STAPLES RETAILING

May 2013 Page 7 of 22

Sustainability Category

Topic Topic Specification (if available)

Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency

becomes easier everyday. Literally every day, more FSC products become available. This topic is relevant for all 52 business/industry activity groups. These simple steps can be followed by companies to find and buy FSC products: 1. Check the FSC marketplace at marketplace.fsc.org (in January 2013, the marketplace is still a beta version) Please note this database will currently only search for manufacturers and distributors, not retailers. There are only a few exceptions where retailers are also certified. To find products carried by your local retailer, please contact them directly. We are working on including other search options to this database in the future. 2. Ask your retailer Chances are, they will carry FSC certified products. If not, let them know you would be interested in certified products. Not all certification systems are equal and only FSC guarantees that the product has been made from environmentally and responsibly managed forests. By asking for FSC certified products, you show that there is a demand. This is an important and simple way how you can help FSC to make a difference.

Packaging Plastics use and management

Plastic, a valuable material, can generate significant positive, or negative, impacts on economy, environment and society. Plastic should be treated as a resource and managed judiciously.

353, 367 Civil Society Organization

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know?

FOOD AND CONSUMER STAPLES RETAILING

May 2013 Page 8 of 22

Sustainability Category

Topic Topic Specification (if available)

Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency

A disclosure on management approach for plastics, including governance, strategy, risks, opportunities, considering: opportunities for product redesign, increasing recycled content, implementing reclaim and/or reuse which could attract economies, brand loyalty, investment, employee goodwill, and; risks to the business, stakeholder health, environment and society (including reputational/social license to operate, regulatory, investor, insurer, and liability risks) for plastics that are directly harmful to stakeholders, or indirectly through plastics being wasted/littered. Performance indicators regarding the types and volumes of plastics being used, collected and/or distributed downstream; the portion that is made of post-consumer-recycled, bio-based, biodegradable, compostable, and/or oxobiodegradable material; the ratio of expected life-span of plastic products in contrast to the duration of their intended use; these volumes broken down by end of life disposition. Most of this disclosure can be captured through the existing GRI framework (e.g. GRI G3 EC9, EN1, EN2, EN22), but commentary is needed to ensure disclosers appreciate the materiality of plastic; other questions can be added to the framework. Refer to the Plastic Disclosure Project (www.plasticdisclosure.org) for more details on the suggested questions. PDP will align its questions to GRI G4 to assist disclosers. Plastic can have significant positive, or negative, impacts on the economy, environment and society:

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know?

FOOD AND CONSUMER STAPLES RETAILING

May 2013 Page 9 of 22

Sustainability Category

Topic Topic Specification (if available)

Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency

Economics: There are significant cost savings available to organisations that treat plastic as a resource (e.g. through redesign, use of recycled content, reclaiming, etc.) and risks of increased direct costs (regulation, liability, cost of capital, insurance) to organisations that do not lead in this area as well as indirect economic costs to impacted industries (e.g. food production, tourism) Environment: Plastics that are wasted or littered become extremely harmful to the environment, which will have a material effect on biodiversity and the global food chain, both nearby and far outside the local area of operations Society: Some plastics are harmful to stakeholders during manufacture, use and/or disposal (e.g. due to phthalates, BPA), impact the wellbeing of society (e.g. effect of litter on community spirit and their interest in sustainability). While a valuable invention, which benefits society in many ways, the negative impacts associated with society's growing use of plastic are not fully recognised. Roughly 85% of plastic used in products and packaging is not recycled, and most plastic produced in the last 60 years still remains in the environment today. Approximately 70% of discarded plastic is from single-use food and beverage containers. Discarded plastics persist in the environment for dozens or hundreds of years, accumulating across the globe, often out of sight of the producers and users. The direct physical impacts of plastic are significant to the organisation in increased

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know?

FOOD AND CONSUMER STAPLES RETAILING

May 2013 Page 10 of 22

Sustainability Category

Topic Topic Specification (if available)

Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency

costs or missed opportunities, and related economies (e.g. over $1.2bn in annual damages to ocean-related industries in Asia-Pacific), the environment through harming habitats and species, and to stakeholders health when exposed to the chemical ingredients; and are magnified if fragmentation of the plastic occurs, making it available for ingestion to additional species, who adsorb the chemical ingredients and/or the toxins carried on the plastic. These negative impacts could be avoided and turned into positive impacts, if plastic was treated as a resource to be managed judiciously (e.g. the US economy lost $8.3bn worth of plastic packaging in 2010) - "It is not good business practice to throw away valuable resources".

Emissions to air Refrigeration technology systems

Refrigeration is the process of cooling or freezing (e.g., food) for preservative purposes Most common refrigeration technology uses HFCs (hydro fluorocarbons) which were introduced in the 1990s to replace the ozone-depleting CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) and HCFCs (hydro chlorofluorocarbons). Currently, gases such as HFCs make up about 2% of greenhouse gases, but this could rise to 19% worldwide by 2050 as refrigeration becomes more widely used.

131 Business

Percentage of refrigerant refillings in relation to total refrigerants contained in cooling systems

153 Financial Markets & Information Users

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know?

FOOD AND CONSUMER STAPLES RETAILING

May 2013 Page 11 of 22

Sustainability Category

Topic Topic Specification (if available)

Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency

Emissions to air - GHG emissions

Dairy supply chain, ‘from cow feed production to consumer use’

Greenhouse gas emissions in the dairy supply chain, from cow feed production to consumer use. For dairy farming: 1) manure management, 2) enteric emissions 3) fertilizer use 4) energy use during growing of crops, processing of milk, and general operations of the dairy farm. For dairy processing: energy use during processing of dairy products and transportation, packaging Retailer: energy use in store Consumer: food waste GHG emissions on the farm are responsible for around 70% of the GHG footprint in the dairy supply chain life cycle. Overall, the US dairy industry is around 2% of total GHG emissions in the US. Retailers and dairy customers have set targets for GHG reduction, and consumers are interested in this information. Opportunity for farmers and processors to save costs and identify production efficiencies since energy, fuel and fertilizers are expensive. See response to question 3.

59, 503 Business

Food waste management

Minimization and management of food waste. Total amount of food waste generated and breakdown of disposal (i.e. donation to feed hungry people, animal feed, waste-to-energy, compost/land application, or landfill)

386 Business

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know?

FOOD AND CONSUMER STAPLES RETAILING

May 2013 Page 12 of 22

Sustainability Category

Topic Topic Specification (if available)

Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency

Food waste is an issue that has earned global attention, with nearly 40 percent of all food never being consumed. It has social implications (global hunger, child hunger) and environmental implications (organic wastes creating GHGs in landfills).

Food waste is food loss occurring during the retail and final consumption stages due to the behavior of retailers and consumers [9] – that is, the throwing away of food. Food wastage (that is healthy and edible food wasted) is a growing problem in the EU, reaching 179 kg per capita per annum. This is a significant sustainability and food security issue. Food waste occurs across the entire food supply chain from the agricultural production stage to distribution, management and consumption.

130 Business

Social Persons’ with special needs access to products, services and facilities

ACCESSIBILITY OF ENVIRONMENTS, GOODS AND SERVICES . Actions carried out and plan to improve accessibility to offices and reasonable adjustments to workplaces . Accessibility criteria applied when building, purchasing or renting new facilities. . Action’s carried out and plans to improve accessibility of ICT infrastructure (particularly web sites) . “Design for all” and universal accessibility principles included in products and/or services . Products or services specifically targeted at people with disabilities . Accessibility labels or certificates obtained . Progress made and future commitments on the above

96, 522 Civil Society Organization

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know?

FOOD AND CONSUMER STAPLES RETAILING

May 2013 Page 13 of 22

Sustainability Category

Topic Topic Specification (if available)

Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency

points Fundación ONCE works to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to the environments, goods and services, in order to foster their equal participation and inclusion in society. Involving all relevant actors like businesses, industry, public authorities, accessibility experts and people with disabilities is essential for the success of the actions. Today, there is still clear demand for accessible products and services and an opportunity to create new innovative accessible mainstream products that benefits not only people with disabilities but also other potential customers (each time higher associated to an ageing population). Accessibility of environment, goods and services should be considered as a material topic to be reported not only by organizations of the NGO sector but also of by organizations of different public and private sectors for the following reasons: . Organizations that sell and market products or services directly to consumers may cause negative impacts on people with disabilities' rights; especially when accessibility and universal design are not considered relevant as means of avoiding their social exclusion (including the overcoming of the digital divide). . Accessibility is not only a human right challenge but also

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know?

FOOD AND CONSUMER STAPLES RETAILING

May 2013 Page 14 of 22

Sustainability Category

Topic Topic Specification (if available)

Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency

a business opportunity for different sector companies. People with disabilities are a growing potential market giving the demographic shift in the developed countries and the correlation between disability and ageing. . Accessibility standards facilitate compliance with legal obligations like the UNCRPD or current national legislation, as well as help to avoid higher adaptation costs once an infrastructure is built, or a product or service is launched.

Consumer product safety information and communications

Breast milk substitutes

Adherence to the WHO code of Marketing of Breast-milk substitutes (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Code_of_Marketing_of_Breast-milk_Substitutes) Company policies and management systems related to the code. Breach of the code leads to violation of the following human rights: Universal declaration of human rights : article 3 Convention on the rights of the child: articles 3 and 6

594 Mediating Institution

Other Business strategy

Demographic changes affecting business

A material sustainability topic is the demographic change, a global phenomenon that sees an ageing and declining population. The trend impacts on the local communities and on the workforce of an organization. Qualitative information: actions implemented by an organization to face with the topic. The demographic change influences the business of the

370 Business

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know?

FOOD AND CONSUMER STAPLES RETAILING

May 2013 Page 15 of 22

Sustainability Category

Topic Topic Specification (if available)

Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency

insurance industry. Longer life expectancy, growing wealth, urbanization, different lifestyles, technological development create opportunities for insurers, such as innovative products and services to anticipate/meet evolving requirements of customers. Demographic change may be material for all the organizations, regardless industry, since it affects their workforce. Longer life expectancy means longer retirement age, thus creating challenges for organizations e.g. associated with alternative career paths, adapting working environments and conditions, and transfer of skill and competencies.

Corporate governance

Gender participation on governance bodies

GOVERNANCE / EUROPE: boardroom lady boom: is it possible without quotas? On 22 June, the CapitalCom agency published its 2011 survey into the boardroom gender mix of CAC 40 companies, with fairly encouraging results: the proportion of women on the board has doubled in recent years, from 10.5% in 2009 to 20.8% in 2011. In January, the French parliament adopted legislation imposing quotas for the proportion of women on the board of major companies. Under the measures, the development of female board membership is mandatory and gradual: 20% for listed groups, public companies of an administrative, industrial and commercial nature by January 2014, rising to 40% by January 2017. The law also stipulates that companies with no women present on their board must appoint at least one within six months of it being on the statute books (voted on 13

389 Financial Markets & Information Users

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know?

FOOD AND CONSUMER STAPLES RETAILING

May 2013 Page 16 of 22

Sustainability Category

Topic Topic Specification (if available)

Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency

January 2011). In France, some 2,000 companies are affected (the 650 largest listed firms and companies with more than 500 employees and those generating sales in excess of €50bn). In terms of sanctions for noncompliance, appointments that run counter to the parity principles are to be declared null and void and attendance fees are to be temporarily suspended. At the European level and at the instigation of the Vice-president of the European Commission, Viviane Reding, the European parliament will decide in March 2012 on whether to adopt common legislation on this matter (a mandatory proportion of women in decision-making positions of 30% in 2015 and 40% in 2020). This will depend on the level of improvement seen based on the selfregulation of European companies, in accordance with the equality initiative adopted by the European Commission in December 2010 and the European parliament resolution of 17 January 2008 calling for the Commission and member states to promote a balance between women and men on company boards, particularly where member states are shareholders. Europe as a whole illustrates the degree of hesitation between a soft-law approach and conventional legislation (quotas in this instance), but it is clear from the experience at national level that the second method tends to get much better results.

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know?

FOOD AND CONSUMER STAPLES RETAILING

May 2013 Page 17 of 22

Sustainability Category

Topic Topic Specification (if available)

Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency

Refrigeration systems and refrigerants

Safety and environmental requirements

Safety and environmental requirements for refrigerating systems ISO 5149 is intended to minimize possible hazards to persons, property and environment from refrigerating systems and refrigerants. These hazards are essentially associated with the physical and chemical characteristics of refrigerants as well as the pressures and temperatures occurring in the refrigeration cycles (see Annex A). Attention is drawn to hazards common to all compression systems, such as high temperature at discharge, liquid slugging, erroneous operation or reduction in mechanical strength caused by corrosion, erosion, thermal stress, fatigue stresses, liquid hammer or vibration. Corrosion, however, should have special consideration as conditions specific to refrigerating systems arise because of the alternate frosting and defrosting or the covering of equipment by insulation. Commonly used refrigerants except ammonia (R-717) are heavier than air. Care should be taken to avoid stagnant pockets of heavy refrigerant vapours by proper location of ventilation inlet and exhaust openings. All machinery rooms are required to have mechanical ventilation controlled by oxygen deficiency alarms or refrigerant vapour alarms. Example of hazards are: the direct effects of extreme temperature (brittleness of materials at low temperatures, changes of volumes due to temperature changes, touchable hot surfaces), the direct effects of the liquid phase (excessive refrigerant charge or refrigerant flooding of equipment, liquid hammering in

318 Mediating Institution

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know?

FOOD AND CONSUMER STAPLES RETAILING

May 2013 Page 18 of 22

Sustainability Category

Topic Topic Specification (if available)

Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency

piping), escape of refrigerants (fire, explosion, toxicity, environmental issues such as depletion of the ozone layer and global warming).

Supplier screening

Child labor in fresh fruit and vegetable (FFV) supply chains

Child labour is prevalent in fruit and vegetable production in many countries, The availability of fresh fruit and vegetables (FFV) from developing countries on the shelves of Dutch supermarkets is increasing. Two thirds of all fruit imports and one fifth of all vegetable imports to the Netherlands currently originate in developing countries and these shares continue to grow. There is ample evidence in the literature that working conditions in the export oriented FFV sector of developing countries are generally problematic. This in turn raises questions about how supermarkets, who are effectively the gatekeepers of this FFV supply for consumers are coping with this increase and whether they are a force for good or for bad in positively addressing conditions for FFV labourers, the largest group of people working in this sector.

560 Civil Society Organization

Health risks of workers in fresh fruit and vegetable (FFV) supply chains

Health risks caused by long working hours; strenuous physical work; exposure to toxic chemicals; the generally low levels of worker voice and bargaining power. The availability of fresh fruit and vegetables (FFV) from developing countries on the shelves of Dutch supermarkets is increasing. Two thirds of all fruit imports and one fifth of all vegetable imports to the Netherlands currently originate in developing countries and these shares continue to grow. There is ample evidence in the

560 Civil Society Organization

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know?

FOOD AND CONSUMER STAPLES RETAILING

May 2013 Page 19 of 22

Sustainability Category

Topic Topic Specification (if available)

Explanation Reference(s)1 Constituency

literature that working conditions in the export oriented FFV sector of developing countries are generally problematic. This in turn raises questions about how supermarkets, who are effectively the gatekeepers of this FFV supply for consumers are coping with this increase and whether they are a force for good or for bad in positively addressing conditions for FFV labourers, the largest group of people working in this sector.

Seasonal wages of workers in fresh fruit and vegetable (FFV) supply chains

In many countries fruits and vegetables are often only harvested, processed and exported during a few months of the year. Seasonal wage work within agriculture generally pays very low wages. This peak harvest is often filled with migrant workers The labour rights of migrants are often not respected by producing companies. The availability of fresh fruit and vegetables (FFV) from developing countries on the shelves of Dutch supermarkets is increasing. Two thirds of all fruit imports and one fifth of all vegetable imports to the Netherlands currently originate in developing countries and these shares continue to grow. There is ample evidence in the literature that working conditions in the export oriented FFV sector of developing countries are generally problematic. This in turn raises questions about how supermarkets, who are effectively the gatekeepers of this FFV supply for consumers are coping with this increase and whether they are a force for good or for bad in positively addressing conditions for FFV labourers, the largest group of people working in this sector.

560 Civil Society Organization

1 All references can be found at https://www.globalreporting.org/reporting/sector-guidance/Topics-Research/Pages/default.aspx

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know?

FOOD AND CONSUMER STAPLES RETAILING

May 2013 Page 20 of 22

References

All references can be found at https://www.globalreporting.org/reporting/sector-guidance/Topics-Research/Pages/default.aspx

59 Brush, A., Masanet, E. & Worrell, E., 2011. Energy Efficiency Improvement and Cost Saving Opportunities for the Dairy Processing Industry, Washington, DC: Energy Star.

96 CSR+D, 'CSR and disability Indicators', 2011.

106° DeFries, R. S., Rudel, T., Uriarte, M. & Hansen, M., 2010. Deforestation driven by urban population growth and agricultural trade in the twenty-first century. Nature Geoscience, 3(3), pp. 178-181.

119° Edwards-Jones, G. et al., 2008. Testing the assertion that ‘local food is best’: the challenges of an evidence-based approach. Trends in Food Science and Technology, 19(5), pp. 265-274.

130 Eurocommerce, 2012. Industry Briefing - Food Waste, Brussels: Eurocommerce.

131 Eurocommerce, 2012. Industry Briefing - Refrigeration, Brussels: Eurocommerce.

153 European Federation of Financial Analysts Societies (EFFAS) and Society of Investment Professionals in Germany (DVFA), 2010. KPIs for ESG - A Guideline for the Integration of ESG into Financial Analysis and Corporate Valuation, Frankfurt am Main: EFFAS.

185 Forest Ethics, n.d. Model Forest Resources Policy. [Online] Available at: http://www.forestethics.org/model-forest-resources-policy [Accessed 27 March 2013].

194 Gibbs, H.K., Ruesch, A.S., Achard, F., Clayton, M.K., Holmgren, P., Ramankutty, N., Foley, J.A., 2010. Tropical Forests Were the Primary Source of New Agricultural Land in the 1980s and 1990s, San Francisco: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).

195 Giovannucci, D., Scherr, S., Nierenberg, D., Hebebrand, C., Shapiro, J., Milder, J., & Wheeler, K., 2012. Food and Agriculture: The Future of Sustainability, New York: United Nations Division of Economic and Social Affairs, Division for Sustainable Development.

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know?

FOOD AND CONSUMER STAPLES RETAILING

May 2013 Page 21 of 22

233 Griffiths, M., 2001. The Alberta GPI Accounts: Agriculture - Report #19, Alberta: The Pembina Institute.

318° International Organization for Standardization (ISO), TC 92/SC 3 Fire threat to people and environment, ISO/TR 26368:2012: Environmental damage limitation from fire-fighting water run-off, 2012.

353 Kershaw, P., Katsuhiko, S., Lee, S., Samseth, J., Woodring, D., & Smith, J., 2011. Plastic Debris in the Ocean. In United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), UNEP Year Book 2011 (pp. 20-33). Nairobi: United Nations Early Warning and Assessment.

367 MacKerron, C., 2011. Unfinished Business: The Case for Extended Producer Responsibility for Post-Consumer Packaging, Oakland: As You Sow.

370 Martinez-Fernandez, C., Kubo, N., Noya, A. & Weyman, T., 2012. Demographic change and local development: shrinkage, regeneration and social dynamics, Paris: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

386 National Resource Defence Council (NRDC), 2012. Your Scraps Add Up: Reducing food waste can save money and resources, New York: National Resource Defence Council (NRDC).

389° Natixis, 2011. Strategy Note Equity Research - Strategy/SRI: Monthly review June 2011, Paris: Natixis.

442 Pretty, J., 2008. Agricultural sustainability: concepts, principles and evidence. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Biological Sciences, 363(1491), pp. 447-465.

492 Tegtmeier, E. & Michael, D., 2004. External Costs of Agricultural Production in the United States. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, 2(1), pp. 1-20.

503 Thoma, G., Popp, J., Nutter, D., Shonnard, D., Ulrich, R., Matlock, M., Soo, D., Neidermann, Z., Kemper, N., East, C., Adom, F., Marin, R.E., 2010. Regional Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Milk Production Practices in the United States, Rosemont: Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.

522 United Nations (UN), 'Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities', 2006.

554 Verified Carbon Standard, 'Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) Requirements (v3.3)', 2012.

560 Wal, S. van der, Os, R. Van, Vander Stichele, M., Rácz, K., Kate, A. ten, 2011. Bitter Fruit, Socio-economic Issues in Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Supply Chains of Dutch Supermarkets - the Case of Ahold, Amsterdam: SOMO.

569 World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), The WWF Guide to Buying Paper, 2010.

Sustainability Topics for Sectors: What do stakeholders want to know?

FOOD AND CONSUMER STAPLES RETAILING

May 2013 Page 22 of 22

594 World Health Organization (WHO), International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes, 1981.

° Resource available on request and/or for a fee.