Community and human rights

We support the sustainable, long-term development of the local communities in which we operate, and are committed to upholding human rights, wherever in the world we work.

Why this matters

We are a major employer in many of the areas where we operate and have a responsibility for the health, prosperity and sustainability of those communities.

We also play a key role in feeding people and animals around the world and ensuring the security of the food supply is vital.

We respect the dignity, liberty and equality of everyone we work with and of all those in the communities where we operate.

Our approach to community

We contribute to the communities where we operate – by employing people, purchasing commodities, goods and services, paying taxes – and through continued investment in our infrastructure. This contributes to the success of local businesses and economies.

Our supply chains are considered essential services to transport food and feed products for communities around the world. We operate reliably and efficiently to provide timely delivery of products and maintain our high standards of quality and food safety to meet the needs of consumers.

Our operations also bring social benefits to local communities through donations, sponsorship and fundraising activities and the expertise and support of our staff who volunteer their time. We support many local initiatives and projects that contribute positively to the wellbeing of the local communities surrounding our operations and offices.

We aim to deal openly and responsibly with our communities and stakeholders, listening to and working with anyone impacted by our operations.

Our approach to human rights

Our approach is our code of conduct, human rights policy and global anti-corruption policy. We also have a Raising Concerns programme and compliance e-learning programme.

Throughout our operations, we seek to avoid complicity in human rights abuses, and to uphold relevant international standards.

We support and respect human rights in a manner consistent with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Across all our assets and offices, as a minimum, we comply with standards set by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN Global Compact and the UN Guiding Principles.

We have zero tolerance towards any form of workplace discrimination, forced labour, child labour, physical assault or harassment within our workplace.

We value and respect people from all backgrounds and seek to further improve and develop our culture of diversity and inclusion throughout our business.

We aim to develop a workforce that is diversified in all aspects, including, race, nationality, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, ancestry and social origin.

We recognise and uphold the rights of our workforce to a safe workplace, freedom of association, collective representation, just compensation, job security and opportunities for development.

We have grievance mechanisms in place which can be used by our stakeholders. These include the Raising Concerns programme as well as local systems at our operations.