Fomento Económico Mexicano (FEMSA)

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 environmental 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
While the company has disclosed an identification process covering topics within the Food and Agriculture Benchmark’s three measurement areas of environment, nutrition and social inclusion, the assessment is outdated and the company has an opportunity to refresh its relevant topics regularly, in order to keep up to date with trends and stakeholder needs.

Governance and accountability for sustainable development
The company has disclosed that responsibility for directing, defining, and supervising its sustainable development strategy lies with its board of directors. FEMSA could improve its governance structure by implementing sustainable development metrics, within the three benchmark dimensions, into its remuneration.

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 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions
The company has disclosed setting targets for its GHG emissions reductions, in line with a well-below-2-degree trajectory, which has been approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative. The company also discloses quantitative evidence of reducing GHG emissions in its sustainability report. However, the science-based target seems to be applicable to only one subsidiary. The company could improve its performance by extending its target across all its operations.

Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions
The company does not disclose quantitative evidence to demonstrate that it is reducing its scope 3 GHG emissions.

Water use
While the company provides information on quantitative reductions in its water per litre of beverage produced, it is yet to set a target to reduce its water withdrawals across its own operations.

Plastic use and packaging waste
While the company discloses that it is reducing its plastic use and transitioning to sustainable forms of packaging, it has an opportunity to strengthen its commitment by setting targets to reduce plastic use and transition to more sustainable forms of packaging and reporting against these targets.

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

Accessibility and affordability of healthy foods
The company does not disclose a commitment to address food insecurity by improving the accessibility and affordability of healthy and nutritious foods.

Clear and transparent labelling
While the company discloses a commitment of compliance with national regulations regarding labelling and commits to providing nutritional information on key relevant nutrients through back-of-pack labels, it has an opportunity to make nutritional information more visible to consumers through the adoption of front-of-pack labels or any other consumer-facing nutrition label.

Food safety
The company does not disclose evidence of ensuring safe food for consumers through compliance with national regulations and/or the Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene, nor an effective food safety certification scheme.

Child labour
While the company commits to prohibiting child labour in its own operations and requires its suppliers to adhere to the same standard, it has an opportunity to disclose a policy requiring its suppliers to have an age-verification system in place.

Forced labour
While the company 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 restricting workers’ freedom of movement.

Living wage
The company 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.

While FEMSA has committed to respecting human rights, the company’s disclosure in this area lacks strength and formality, as well as a commitment to respecting international conventions. FEMSA could improve its score by having a grievance mechanism that aligns with international best practices. At this stage, FEMSA’s disclosure does not demonstrate it has in place the necessary policies and systems to respect basic human rights in its operations and supply chain.

FEMSA has committed to protecting and promoting health and safety of its employees and those in its supply chain, as well as to respecting the collective bargaining rights of 100% of its unionised employees. The Company could strengthen its commitment to health and safety by further disclosing metrics. FEMSA does not have public disclosure on all the other issues key to decent work, such as diversity, gender equality, living wages and working hours.

While FEMSA has disclosed its commitment to anti-bribery and anti-corruption practices, no relevant policies, or commitments on other key ethical business topics – tax, lobbying and political engagement, data protection – were found in the public domain.