Vion

Stakeholder engagement
Vion demonstrates leadership through its approach to stakeholder engagement. The company discloses how it identifies and prioritises its key stakeholders, the process it goes through to engage with each group, how the outcomes of its activities are integrated into its sustainability strategy and that the engagement it undertakes includes an appreciation of topics across all three benchmark measurement areas of environment, nutrition and social inclusion.

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 discloses a sustainable development strategy which includes a recognition of topics across all measurement areas, and Vion also sets targets against these topics. It also discloses a process for identifying and prioritising its most relevant sustainability topics but could further improve its performance by setting targets which also consider the influence the company has across its value chain in addition to its own operations.

Governance and accountability for sustainable development strategy
The company discloses that accountability for its sustainable development strategy lies with its highest governance body, with implementation guided by the company’s executive committee and supported by the management board. However, Vion could further improve its accountability by demonstrating that it links executive remuneration to progress against key sustainability targets.

Protection of natural terrestrial ecosystems
The company reports that it advocates for the use of soy certified by the Round Table Responsible Soy (RTRS). However, it could strengthen its commitment to deforestation and conversion free (DCF) supply chains by setting targets, reporting the current proportion of its sourced commodities which are DCF, and disclosing the primary geographic regions from which it sources.

Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions
Vion discloses that from 2018-20 it reduced its scope 1 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, increased its scope 2 GHG emissions and does not provide any data related to its scope 3 GHG emissions. The company could increase its accountability by setting time-bound reduction targets and aligning these to a 1.5 degrees warming trajectory.

Animal welfare
Vion discloses a globally applicable animal welfare policy that includes a key performance indicator (KPI) for 99.9% of animals not to need re-stunning, which the company met in 2020. It also has a strong auditing system in place, utilising multiple third parties to ensure compliance with welfare standards, but only refers to two broad issues within its policy – ensuring pre-slaughter stunning and limiting long-distance live transport. Vion could improve its performance by considering additional species-specific welfare issues and setting additional targets to track progress against these.

Antibiotic use and growth promoting substances
The company discloses that it has banned antibiotics which are critical for human in all of its pork supply chains and reports on supporting metrics between 2018-20, including an increase in the number of animals tested where antibiotics were absent (to 99.9% in 2020) and pigs and cattle found with antibiotics residue above the maximum limit (to 0.01% and 0.03% respectively in 2020). Vion could further strengthen its commitment by linking these metrics to targets.

Water use
The company has a time-bound target to reduce its use of municipal water from 1.60m3 per tonne sold in 2020 to a maximum of 1.55m3 in 2021 and ultimately 1.2m3 in 2030, disclosing a reduction in total volume of water used between 2018-20. Vion has an opportunity to provide evidence of dependency on water-stressed areas across its own operations or supply chain.

Protein diversification
Vion’s ME-AT brand products plant-based meat alternatives and the company reports that it is planning to expand this range in the future. It could further strengthen its commitment to diversifying proteins in its product portfolio by setting a sales-based target as a proportion of its overall sales.

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

Availability of healthy food
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.

Clear and transparent labelling
The company does not disclose that it provides nutritional information through clear, transparent and accurate labelling.

Food safety
The company reports that in 2020, 97.66% of sales volumes were from officially Global Food Safety Initiative approved plants but could further improve its performance by demonstrating how it is working with suppliers to address the issue of food safety.

Farmer productivity and resilience
Vion demonstrates a commitment to increasing famer productivity and resilience through its Good Farming Balance programme. The programme focuses on pricing and contracting models to ensure a fair distribution of value throughout the company’s supply chain and reports a gradual increase in participants over recent years. However, Vion could improve its performance by disclosing quantitative data to better demonstrate the impact of its programme.

Health and safety of vulnerable groups
The company demonstrates a recognition of health and safety risks to third party workers in its operations, and discloses efforts to mitigate these such as hiring interpreters in its Boxtel production site. It has an opportunity to also disclose how it addresses this issue with suppliers.

Child labour
The company does not disclose a commitment to prohibit child labour in its operations and supply chain.

Forced labour
The company does not disclose a commitment to prohibit forced labour in its operations and supply chain.

Vion discloses a grievance mechanism which is accessible to its own employees, but not to external stakeholder. However, the company otherwise lacks policies and commitments relating to respecting, identifying and assessing its human rights salient risks, and engaging with its affected and potentially affected stakeholders.

No policies or commitments related to providing and promoting decent work were found in the public domain. This includes the provision of secure, safe and healthy workplaces, where workers are fairly remunerated and have a meaningful say in decision making.

The company publicly commits to protecting personal data and has a privacy statement on the use of personal data. It also discloses a policy which prohibits bribery and corruption and outlines its approach to lobbying and political engagement, as well as a grievance mechanism accessible to its own employees. However the company does not disclose a tax policy or information related to its income tax payments for all relevant tax jurisdictions.