Major investment funds call for greater transparency in food industry giants
Major investment funds, representing around $1.4 trillion in managed assets, have called on food companies to further reduce environmental and social risks in their supply chains in a statement in support of Oxfam’s Behind the Brands initiative. Oxfam’s campaign gives food and beverage industry companies scorecards based on their initiatives in areas such as land, women and worker conditions. In the second review of scoring, Nestlé, Unilever, Coca-Cola, Danone and General Mills have seen slight improvements. No company performs better than “fair” overall. The Senior Vice President of Sustainability Research and Policy at Calvert Investments, one of the investors backing the campaign stated, “Companies should show steady progress on the scorecard to manage risk and opportunity, especially in emerging and frontier markets.” (Oxfam)
Marks & Spencer introduces mobile technology to increase supply chain transparency
Marks & Spencer (M&S), the British retailer, will increase transparency in its clothing supply chain by communicating directly with workers through mobile technology. M&S aims to conduct surveys four times a year of some 22,500 workers via their mobile phones, on topics such as working conditions and financial literacy. It is hoped the scheme will empower its supply chain workers. The scheme will provide anonymous, quantitative data directly from the supply chain workers and follows a successful trial across 13 suppliers and 200 workers in India and Sri Lanka. M&S's head of ethical sourcing Fiona Sadler described the initiative as being “about making sure we're doing the right things for the workers in our supply chain and giving them a voice.” (edie)
Standards
New UN Global Compact guides to fighting corruption
The UN Global Compact’s Global Corporate Sustainability Report 2013 has revealed that only 25% of signatories to the UN Global Compact conduct anti-corruption risk assessments. The report also showed significant differences in implementation of measures against corruption between larger and smaller companies. In response, the Global Compact Working Group on the 10th Principle and its Anti-Corruption Risk Assessment Task Force have produced a new guide on anti-corruption risk assessment, providing six clear steps that are applicable to companies of all sizes to mitigate corruption risks in their own operations. This coincides with the release of Stand Together Against Corruption, a concise and practical guide on anti-corruption measures that can be implemented in the supply chain. (UN Global Compact)
Employees
Third week of strikes against zero-hour contracts
Staff at Hovis, one of Britain’s largest bakers and part of Premier Foods, are planning a third week of strikes, with the support of several unions, after failing to reach an agreement on the use of agency staff on zero-hours contracts. The Bakers Food & Allied Workers Union, which represents the majority of Hovis staff at one of their sites, is campaigning against the use of contracts which give no set hours and limited guarantees on conditions. The introduction of agency workers follows job and pay cuts at the company. Ronnie Draper, the union's general secretary, said, “This is a major issue for the trade union movement. If Hovis gets away with it people will try to do the same elsewhere.” Other unions including Unite and Unison are supporting the strike. (The Guardian)
Environment
Experts warn that fracking poses a serious risk to livestock
The co-author of a study of the effects of hydraulic fracturing on sickness in farm animals in America has called for the practice to be suspended until further research is conducted. Professor Robert Oswald of Cornell University found 24 incidents of livestock on farms adjacent to drilling sites in the USA dying or suffering from illnesses including reproductive and neurological problems. The effects are being linked to exposure to chemicals used in the fracking process. Professor Oswald also noted that: “We are reporting short-term health changes but no one knows what the long-term health changes may be, especially those caused by low doses of chemicals.” The study adds a new aspect to the debate on fracking which has so far focussed on environmental pollution versus economic gains. (The Independent)
China plans another round of electric car subsidies
In a move to fight the increasing problem of air pollution in its major cities, the Chinese government has announced a new round of subsidies for fuel-efficient vehicles. The government will subsidise up to 60,000 Yuan (£6,160) to buyers purchasing all-electric, near-all electric and hydrogen vehicles until 2015. The subsidy forms part of a larger strategy to get five million new-energy vehicles on Chinese roads by 2020. Last year there were only 27,800 new-energy vehicles in use in China, the majority of which were buses. The policy will reduce air pollution, save energy, and boost the development of new energy vehicles, according to a government spokesperson. (BBC)
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