Rio Mare and Oxfam, united for human economy
In May 2020, we signed a partnership with Oxfam Italia to promote the concept of ‘healthier, more sustainable food’, not only for the environment and those consuming it, but also for those producing it. The aim of our partnership with Oxfam is to work towards achieving a tuna fishing supply chain where inclusion, the elimination of inequality, gender equality, respect for human rights and safe, decent working conditions are guaranteed for all the players involved.
Businesses today are increasingly called upon to implement a policy that involves environmental sustainability, an ethical commitment, and citizens who are increasingly aware and oriented towards responsible purchasing behaviour. These data emerged from a survey conducted by Oxfam Italia-Federconsumatori in 2019. The survey revealed that 80% of consumers would like to see an increase in product transparency in supermarkets, and three out of four consumers would be willing to pay more for products that are free from any form of exploitation.
The aim of our partnership with Oxfam is to develop new standards of social enterprise sustainability in the tuna fishing industry, by strengthening the commitment that our company has undertaken on this issue for some time now.
The fishing supply chain is one of the longest and most complex in the food industry because it involves both a multiplicity as well as a diversity of players, most of whom work in developing countries (where fishing activities take place). These countries each operate according to their own legal and cultural models which may not include several aspects related to the respect for human rights, including, for example, rights and opportunities for women or trade unions.
The aim of this partnership was to take one step further and launch a highly innovative process with Oxfam, to ensure that our corporate activity is firmly anchored to the complete social sustainability of our ecosystem, thereby contributing responsibly to an increasingly equitable and inclusive supply chain.
The objectives that we set ourselves with regard to this partnership include:
- the updating and expansion of existing corporate polices related to respecting workers’ rights;
- the development of a solid due diligence process in the most strategic countries of the tuna supply chain using the HRIA methodology;
- the definition of an ongoing monitoring system;
- disseminating the commitments undertaken in order to bring about positive change in the industry.
