Darden Restaurants

No leading practices were identified for the company in the governance and strategy measurement area.

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.

Sustainable development strategy
The company does not disclose a sustainable development strategy that includes sustainable development objectives and targets, nor an identification and prioritisation process to determine the topics where it has the most impact.

Governance and accountability for sustainable development
The company does not disclose the governance structure for the implementation of its sustainable development strategy or targets, such as the person, team or committee that holds ultimate responsibility for its implementation.

Stakeholder engagement
The company 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
Darden Restaurants states that it will publicly report a science-based target for both direct and indirect operations by the end of 2022. It also has an opportunity to demonstrate that it is reducing its scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions.

Protection of terrestrial natural ecosystems
The company does not disclose activities aimed at achieving deforestation and conversion-free (DCF) supply chains for its relevant high-risk commodities. It has an opportunity to increase its disclosure on commitments to source its high-risk commodities through recognised certification programmes or by disclosing targets for achieving DCF supply chains.

Protein diversification
The company does not disclose that it is diversifying its protein portfolio, for instance, by increasing the proportion of plant-based proteins and other alternatives.

Water use
Darden has been tracking its average energy and water usage since 2008 and discloses water intensity reduction for its restaurants on its website. However, it has an opportunity to set targets to reduce water use in its own operations and supply chain.

Food loss and waste
While the company is addressing food loss and waste in its own operations through its donation programme, it has an opportunity to disclose a commitment by setting targets to reduce food loss and waste across its own operations and reporting against these targets.

Availability of healthy foods
The company does not provide evidence of improving the nutritional quality of its products and of proportionally increasing the sales of healthy and nutritious foods.

Accessibility and affordability of healthy foods
The company does not disclose a commitment and activities to improve the accessibility and affordability of healthy foods for vulnerable groups.

Workforce nutrition
The company does not disclose sufficient evidence of having any workforce nutrition programmes.

Food safety
While the company discloses compliance with national regulations and/or the Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene, 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.

Child and forced labour
While the company states that suppliers must comply with applicable human rights regulations including the prevention of child or forced labour, it does not disclose a commitment to prohibit child or forced labour in its operations or supply chain.

Health and safety of vulnerable groups
The company 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
While the company supports a broad community of farmers, it does not disclose a commitment or examples of activities to support the resilience, productivity and access to markets for farmers, fishers or small-scale producers in its supply chain.

Darden Restaurants has a grievance mechanism that is available to workers and external individuals or communities. However, no further policies or commitments related to the respect for human rights were found in the public domain. As such, Darden’s disclosures point towards a lack of responsibility in protecting basic human rights in its operations and supply chains.

Darden Restaurants has a policy statement committing to respect the health and safety of workers. The company also discloses the proportion of women in its workforce but does not disclose these proportions for any other category of diversity (such as age or race). However, no further policies, commitments, or disclosures related to decent work were found in the public domain. As such, the company does not demonstrate that it provides secure, safe, and healthy workplaces, where workers are fairly remunerated and have a meaningful say in decision making.

Darden Restaurants has a public commitment to protecting personal data but does not have a statement in relation to the collection, sharing or access to personal data. While the company prohibits bribery and corruption, it does not demonstrate that it takes steps to identify and address potential risks and incidents. Darden provides a policy statement related to its political engagement approach, but not its lobbying approach, nor does it disclose its expenditures on lobbying activities. Finally, the company does not have a public global tax approach, nor does it disclose its corporate income tax on a country-by-country basis.