M Dias Branco

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

Plastic use and packaging waste
M Dias Branco’s objective is to improve product packaging efficiency with a focus on reducing the use of plastic and recycling paper. In this regard, the company has set a 2021 target to reduce plastic use by 1.2% per year and reports of the actual plastic reductions that have been achieved. M Dias Branco can further improve by demonstrating it engages with value chain partners to reduce plastic use or transition to sustainable forms of packaging and striving for 100% sustainable packaging across its operations.

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 linked its sustainability commitments and objectives to the SDGs and covers topics within the Food and Agriculture Benchmark’s three dimensions of environment, nutrition and social inclusion, it has an opportunity to disclose how it identifies and prioritises the topics where it has the most impact.

Governance and accountability for sustainable development
While responsibility for the company’s sustainable development strategy lies with working groups that report to a sustainability committee, M Dias Branco 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
While the company has conducted stakeholder engagement activities and discloses an overview of the issues raised via these activities, it has an opportunity to disclose how it identifies its most relevant stakeholders, along with information on how the outcomes of the engagement process are integrated into the company’s sustainable development strategy.

Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions
While the company reports annually on its scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions, it has an opportunity to strengthen its commitment by setting targets and reporting against them.

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 such as cell-based meat analogues and plant-based dairy options.

Food loss and waste
M Dias Branco does not disclose that it is addressing food loss and waste in its own operations. The company has an opportunity to disclose a commitment by demonstrating policies and/or activities that tackle food loss and waste.

Animal welfare
M Dias Branco discloses a commitment to animal welfare, which is applicable to all geographies, species and products, and sets a target to only use eggs from free-range chickens by 2025. However, it has an opportunity to disclose targets for all its relevant species or an animal welfare policy that addresses key welfare issues for all its relevant species.

Availability of healthy foods
M Dias Branco discloses that it introduces reformulated products, such as reducing sugar, sodium and trans-fat new products. While the company provides quantitative evidence on reductions of hydrogenated fat in its products, it has an opportunity to disclose also quantitative evidence for its reformulation activities to reduce sodium and sugar.

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

Clear and transparent labelling
M Dias Branco does not disclose that it provides nutritional information through clear, transparent and accurate labelling.

Workforce nutrition
While the company discloses it provides meals to employees through their cafeterias, it does not provide information about the nutritional quality of the meals on offer. M Dias Branco has an opportunity to disclose it is offering employees access to healthy foods in the workplace, as well as evidence of a workforce nutrition programme that addresses nutrition education and nutrition focussed health-checks.

Food safety
M Dias Branco discloses compliance with national regulations on food safety and has also adopted tools such as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) to ensure safe food for consumers. While disclosing some evidence of food safety certifications, the company has an opportunity to demonstrate that 100% of its own operations is certified to a food safety scheme recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative.

Child labour
While M Dias Branco commits to prohibiting child labour in its own operations, it does not publicly disclose a policy requiring its suppliers to adhere to the same standard. In addition, the company has an opportunity to disclose a policy requiring its suppliers to have an age-verification system in place

Forced labour
While M Dias Branco prohibits forced labour in its operations, it does not publicly disclose a policy requiring its suppliers to adheres to the same standard. In addition, the company has an opportunity to disclose a policy requiring its suppliers to not retain workers’ personal documents or restrict workers’ freedom of movement.

Living wage
M Dias Branco 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
M Dias Branco 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
M Dias Branco does not disclose a commitment or examples of activities to support the resilience, productivity and access to markets for farmers, fishers and/or small-scale producers in its supply chain.

Land rights
The company does not commit to recognising and respecting the legitimate tenure rights related to the ownership and use of land of local communities.

M Dias Branco commits to respecting the human rights of its workers and provides grievance mechanisms for both workers and third parties. However, the company does not disclose a publicly available policy statement committing to respect the right to collective bargaining in its operations and supply chain. Additionally, M Dias Branco does not provide evidence of a human rights due diligence process and does not disclose how it engages with affected and potentially affected stakeholders.

M Dias Branco commits to respecting the health and safety of its workers and places similar expectations on its suppliers. However, the company does not demonstrate how it monitors suppliers’ performance and does not report on, for example, the main types of injuries and number of high-consequence injuries in the workplace. No commitments and disclosure on the other decent work topics – living wage, working hours, collective bargaining, gender equality and diversity – were found.

M Dias Branco commits to protecting personal data and provides a privacy statement on its use. The company prohibits bribery and corruption in its own operations and business relationships but can improve its disclosure on how it identifies and addresses bribery and corruption risks and incidents. Moreover, M Dias Branco specifies that it does not make political contributions but does not disclose its approach to lobbying and political engagement nor related expenditures. Lastly, the company does not have a publicly available global tax strategy and does not disclose its income tax payments per jurisdiction.