Sysco

Sustainable development strategy
Sysco demonstrates leading practice in developing and embedding sustainable development targets in its strategy. It discloses a long-term sustainability strategy that covers all sustainability topics related to the environment, nutrition and social inclusion. The company has set goals around animal welfare, reducing sugars, human rights, and more, and reports progress against them. Like its peers, the company has most room for improvement in the nutrition and social inclusion measurement areas.

No leading practices were identified for the company in the environment measurement area.

No leading practices were identified for the company in the nutrition measurement area.

No leading practices were identified for the company in the social inclusion measurement area.

Governance and accountability for sustainable development
Sysco discloses that accountability for and oversight of its sustainability objectives lie with the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee. The company has an opportunity to strengthen accountability by linking sustainability objectives and targets to roles and remuneration.

Stakeholder engagement
Sysco’s stakeholder engagement covers sustainability topics across all benchmark measurement areas and spans its value chain (including groups such as customers, associates, investors, regulators, suppliers, non-governmental organisations and peers). While the company discloses the outcomes of its engagement, it does not disclose how it identifies its stakeholders.

Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions
Sysco does not have a target to reduce GHG emissions but regularly discloses quantitative reductions for segments of its scope 1 and 2 emissions. The company announced that it has begun the work to develop broader carbon reduction goals and expects the work to be completed by the end of 2021.

Protection of terrestrial natural ecosystems
Sysco has commitments regarding deforestation for all of its commodities, but these are not necessarily to achieve a deforestation and conversion-free (DCF) supply chain. The only commodity for which the company has a DCF target is palm oil. It also discloses its progress against this target. The company has an opportunity to improve by setting a target for all of its relevant high-risk commodities and disclosing the proportion of commodities that are already DCF.

Protein diversification
While Sysco discloses that it is diversifying its protein portfolio, such as through the launch of new plant-based products (vegan ice cream bars and burgers), it has an opportunity to strengthen its commitment by setting targets to increase the production and/or consumption of alternative proteins.

Food loss and waste
Sysco has a target to divert 90% of its operations’ food waste from landfill by 2025. However, the target is not specific to food loss and waste (FLW), and the company does not report any quantitative evidence of reducing FLW across its operations.

Animal welfare
Sysco has an animal welfare policy that addresses key issues, but this only applies to its North American operations and Sysco Brand protein suppliers.

Availability of healthy foods
Sysco acknowledges that ‘reducing saturated fats, trans fats, salt and sugar while increasing the consumption of fruits, vegetables, wholegrains and fibre puts consumers on a path to healthier, more productive and longer lives’. However, the company does not disclose qualitative evidence of reducing at least two of these items.

Accessibility and affordability of healthy foods
Sysco does not disclose a commitment and activities to improve the accessibility and affordability of healthy foods for vulnerable groups, apart from donations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Workforce nutrition
Sysco offers nutrition- focused health management support as part of its Wellness Coaching Program, Other Health Management Programs and via its Spring Health remote aid. The company has an opportunity to develop these programs further to ensure the provision of healthy foods at work, nutrition education and breastfeeding support throughout its operations.

Food safety
Sysco is a member of the Steering Committee of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). However, it does not disclose the percentage of suppliers that are certified to a GFSI-recognised food scheme.

Child labour
Sysco prohibits child labour in its own operations and supply chain, and requires suppliers to verify the age of workers recruited. However, it has an opportunity to disclose a coordinated and consistent monitoring system for both its own operations and supply chain.

Forced labour
Sysco indicates that it will not use forced labour and requires that its supply chain adheres to the same standard. It also requires its suppliers to restrict workers’ freedom of movement.

Living wage
Sysco does not disclose that it pays its workers a living wage or requires its suppliers to do the same. Neither has it set targets to do so in the future.

Health and safety of vulnerable groups
Sysco does not disclose that it specifically recognises the health and safety risks to vulnerable groups, such as migrant and temporary labourers, women and young farmers.

Farmer and fisher productivity and resilience
Sysco has supported 20 comprehensive fishery improvement projects (FIPs) since 2009 through its partnership with WWF, which includes helping fishers to achieve MSC certification. It also notes that 100,000+ fishers and other local people are employed within the communities associated with FIPs. The company can improve by disclosing the impact of this support programme.

Sysco commits to respecting all internationally recognised human rights across all its activities. It also has a grievance mechanism that is accessible to both its workers and external individuals or communities. While the company expects its supply chain partners to respect the ILO core human rights, it does not publicly commit to doing so in its own operations. No further commitments or policies were found regarding respect for human rights, including a due diligence process to address human rights risks or an engagement process with potentially affected stakeholders.

Sysco commits to, and expects supply chain partners to commit to, respecting the health and safety of its workers. However, while it monitors quantitative information on the health and safety of workers, it does not publicly disclose this information. The company has a target to increase total gender and ethnic diversity of its United States-based associates, but no further evidence of its commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment was found. Similarly, no further policies related to providing and promoting decent work are disclosed.

Sysco has a global publicly available privacy statement related to the collection, sharing of and access to personal data, but it does not publicly commit to protecting personal data. The company prohibits bribery and corruption and takes steps to address risks and incidents. However, it does not disclose its process for identifying bribery and corruption risks and impacts in specific locations or activities. Sysco discloses its lobbying and political engagement approach as well as its expenditures on lobbying activities. However, it does not require third-party lobbyists to comply with its lobbying policies. Finally, Sysco does not disclose a global tax strategy, nor does it disclose the amount of corporate income tax paid for each tax jurisdiction where it is a resident for tax purposes.