BioMar

Sustainable development strategy
BioMar has a long-term and time-bound business strategy with integrated sustainable development objectives that covers an approach to climate change/environmental issues, food and nutrition security and social issues and links these to corporate activities or approaches, at global and divisional levels. Further, the company provides reporting across its value chain on its GHG emissions.

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
While responsibility for BioMar’s sustainable development strategy lies with its head of Global Function for Sustainability, the company has an opportunity to strengthen accountability by assigning this responsibility to its highest governance body and disclosing further information on its decision-making processes and oversight responsibilities, as well as linking sustainability objectives and targets to roles and remuneration.

Stakeholder engagement
BioMar does not disclose stakeholder engagement activities, including how it selects the stakeholders, nor an overview of the topics discussed or their outcomes.

Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions
BioMar has a target to reduce its scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions and reports yearly carbon intensity metrics. The company has also set a time-bound science-based target aligned with a 1.5-degree trajectory and approved by the Science Based Targets initiative. However, the company does not provide evidence of reducing its scope 3 emissions. It also has an opportunity to improve disclosure by reporting data on its total emissions as well as progress against the targets.

Sustainable fishing and aquaculture
BioMar has a time-bound target for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture and reports having achieved 90% certification for fishmeal in 2020 against an 80% target. However, there is no evidence that 100% of the company’s portfolio comes from sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.

Food loss and waste
While BioMar provides insights on how to reduce food waste and utilise fish waste and trimmings as an input to increase healthy EPA and DHA Omega-3 fatty acid inputs to aquaculture farming, the company has an opportunity to disclose commitments that tackle food loss and waste.

Water use
BioMar had a time-bound target to reduce water withdrawals across its own operations by 10% in 2020 and reported progress against the target. However, there is room for the company to improve by providing evidence of dependency on water-stressed areas across its own operations and disclosing the proportion of withdrawals from the water-stressed areas.

Availability of healthy foods
BioMar does not disclose a commitment or activities to increase the availability of healthy and nutritious foods.

Accessibility and affordability of healthy foods
While BioMar indicates a focus on SDG 2 (zero hunger), it does not disclose a commitment to address food insecurity by improving the accessibility and affordability of healthy and nutritious foods.

Workforce nutrition
BioMar does not disclose a workforce nutrition programme that prioritises making healthy foods the standard in the workplace.

Food safety
While BioMar discloses compliance with national regulations and, it has an opportunity to strengthen its commitment by disclosing the percentages of its own operations that are certified to a food safety scheme/certification programme recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative or other widely recognised (industry-specific) certification.

Forced labour
While BioMar commits to prohibiting forced labour in its own operations and supply chain, it has an opportunity to disclose a requirement that prohibits its suppliers from retaining workers’ personal documents and restricting workers’ freedom of movement.

Living wage
BioMar 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.

Farmer and fisher productivity and resilience
BioMar does not disclose a commitment or examples of activities to support the resilience, productivity and access to markets for farmers, fishers and small-scale producers in its supply chain.

Schouw & Co commits to respecting human rights. The company also commits to respecting ILO-defined rights at work but does not disclose a statement in which it expects its suppliers to the same. The company has a grievance mechanism that is accessible to employees and external individuals and communities. However, while Schouw & Co has performed a general risk assessment in relation to human rights, the company does not disclose its process for identifying its human rights risks and impacts in specific activities and locations covered by its own operations.

Schouw & Co publicly commits to respecting the health and safety of its workers and discloses the proportion of its total direct operations workforce for each employee category. The company also set a time-bound target to increase women’s representation at board level but lacks a public commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment. No commitments regarding providing a living wage, fair working hours and collective bargaining were found in the public domain.

Schouw & Co publicly commits to prohibiting bribery and corruption. The company has a responsible taxation strategy and discloses corporate income tax for each tax jurisdiction the company has residency. Schouw & Co does not disclose commitments to personal data protection and lobbying and political engagement.