FAIRR launches new engagement | Policy changes on antibiotic use | Asian edition of Coller FAIRR Protein Producer Index

Jay OwenSRI/ESG News, Global Citizen, Sustainability News, Transforming Finance

“Ethical Markets is a supporter and member of FAIRR and we urge all our subscribers and friends around the world to read this new report.

~Hazel Henderson, Editor“

Join our new collaborative investor engagement on climate and water risk

FAIRR and US non-profit Ceres are bringing investors together in a new collaborative investor engagement with six large fast food companies. Investors will ask the firms to develop a strategic, forward-looking approach to managing climate and water risks in their meat and dairy supply chain.

The response of the livestock sector to its climate and water risks remains underwhelming. As a major buyer of meat and dairy products, the multi-billion-dollar global fast food sector is exposed to significant operational and reputational damage, including climate risks, water risks and impacts on feed prices and animal productivity.

The engagement is open to all institutional investors for sign on until 18 January 2019. Interested parties should contact Jo Raven, Investor Engagement Manager: [email protected]

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Progress on antibiotics and animal welfare

 

FAIRR welcomed the recent European Parliament decision to ban the prophylactic use of antibiotics in farming from 2022 – an issue that FAIRR has been engaging on since 2015. The decision still needs to be formally approved by the member state-level Council of Ministers, which gave provisional approval earlier this year.

In the US, this quarter also saw the passing of Proposition 12 in California in the November US mid-term elections, requiring more space for farm animals and restricting the use of cages for egg-laying hens. It will also ban the sale of food products that don’t meet the same standards.

Shareholders of Sanderson Farms have also made progress on the issue of antibiotics: the company recently announced it will stop using medically-important antibiotics in its poultry production by the end of March 2019. Historically, Sanderson has publicly opposed reducing antibiotic use on its farms, but the company has been facing pressure to change its policy on multiple fronts. A shareholder resolution filed by As You Sow asking the company to stop using medically-important antibiotics on healthy animals drew support from 43% of shareholders, while a lawsuit has been brought by an NGO coalition for its misleading advertising on the public health threats of antibiotic overuse. Sanderson Farms is part of the Coller FAIRR Protein Producer Index.

FAIRR support surpasses $10 trillion, amid global activity

 

Launching the Coller FAIRR Protein Producer Index in China
Following the Asian Corporate Governance Association’s Annual Conference in November, FAIRR launched an Asia-focused edition of the Coller FAIRR Index in Beijing. FAIRR hosted an event to present key insights to over 30 attendees, including investors and experts in the sustainability space in Asia. The edition as well as the event was critical to beginning FAIRR’s outreach efforts and increasing its footprint in the region.

Advancing action on deforestation in Brazil 
Director Maria Lettini delivered a keynote session at the APIMEC conference in Brazil and engaged with numerous corporate stakeholders on deforestation in the Cerrado savanna.

Engaging industry in Norway
FAIRR Head of Research & Corporate Engagement Aarti Ramachandran spoke at the Bergen Chamber of Commerce in Norway on how FAIRR is assessing aquaculture companies – a key industry for the Norwegian economy.

Driving the climate agenda forward at COP24
Aarti Ramachandran spoke at COP24 on how we’re working with institutional investors and food companies to halt deforestation in Brazil’s Cerrado region. Land use change is just one of the environmental risks inherent in livestock production. See our briefing on climate and water risk in meat and dairy supply chains for more.