FAQs

Yes. ABF's environmental policy is published on this web site and is part of the Corporate Citizenship section of the Annual Report.

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ABF publishes both internal health & safety reports environmental reports and an external report on the web site. The ABF 2010 Corporate Responsibility Report can be read here.

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We require all subsidiary companies to implement the requisite level of risk-management controls to ensure compliance with our Environment Policy. This enables them to install the level of risk management system which best suits their business needs and local circumstances.

Twentyseven of our sites have an environmental management system externally certified to ISO 14001 or equivalent. The remaining operations have environmental management systems which are broadly in line with the key aspects of ISO 14001.

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Des Pullen, our Group Human Resources Director has overall responsibility for ABF’s Safety & Environmental Policies and performance and reports to the CEO. He is supported directly by a Group Safety & Environment Manager, who also works with the Director of Legal Services on compliance issues.

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In 2010, the Company emitted or caused to be emitted 3.01 million tonnes of CO2, the most common greenhouse gas, a significant reduction since 2009. A greater percentage of sugar beet was processed through the much more efficient and mainly gas-burning factories. This allowed us to reduce significantly the amount of carbon-rich coal being burnt in the inefficient factories.

In addition the beet crop in northern China was far smaller in 2010 which also reduced the amount of coal burnt. Our Spanish operations switched much of their carbon-rich oil use to gas. Due to process efficiencies far less coal was burnt at the cane processing factories and a greater reliance placed on carbon-neutral bagasse.

Finally we closed or sold four large energy-intensive factories in Poland, Africa and the US which further reduced our coal and oil burn.

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ABF's policy is that energy is used efficiently and that its consumption is monitored. In 2008 the company used a total of 26.5 Terawatt hours of energy. 89% of the energy was used in the sugar and yeast operations. Each group has a responsibility to improve its energy performance according to its specific requirements and idiosyncrasies. Many of the ABF's UK companies have made a written agreement with the UK government to meet specific short-term and long-term improvement targets.

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It is ABF’s policy that our operating companies must use all natural resources, including water, efficiently so that we are not wasteful. Group companies continually review water consumption and set themselves improvement targets as appropriate. Last year the established companies reduced their water consumption by 17.0 million cubic metres.

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All our operating companies have an obligation to monitor their energy usage and to make sure that we use energy efficiently. The majority of ABF's carbon dioxide is due to the energy requirements of its factories, however, in many cases, such as sugar, the energy used is produced highly efficiently.

50.3% of our total energy usage is from the burning of bagasse (sugar cane fibre); a renewable fuel source.

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Globally, Associated British Foods (ABF) and its subsidiaries use a very small quantity of palm oil, accounting for approximately 0.06% of the total annual supply, which is understood to be 45million tonnes. Some ABF businesses currently operate sustainable palm oil policies and are already purchasing Certified Sustainable Palm Oil and ‘Green Palm’ certificates. As a responsible corporate citizen, our aim is to ensure that all ABF businesses use only Certified Sustainable Palm Oil by 2015, provided that supply is available. It is also our intention to expand existing ABF representation at the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil with a view to promoting an increased supply of Certified Sustainable Palm Oil, together with the necessary processing facilities, by 2015.

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Yes, where the member company purchasing the crop has a direct contractual relationship with the grower. At British Sugar for example, where the company contracts with around 5000 UK sugar beet growers, the contract itself stipulates standards. These standards are monitored by the company's field staff through its Food Safety Audit and Crop Data Collection programmes.

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Again in the case of British Sugar, as above the company's 40 area managers (field staff) advise growers on best practice. The company's crop profitability initiative is a computer based programme to encourage growers to minimise inputs (e.g. herbicide/pesticides etc) and economically optimise their yields.

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Yes, our group markets a wide range of organic products including, bread, flour, sugar, and tea. Our animal feed division also markets organic feeds produced at a mill certified and inspected by the Soil Association. This is a very small fraction of overall group turnover, but it is a growing market.

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Yes, where this is appropriate to the product group. In the case of our sugar operations in England, Poland and China, raw materials are purchased from as close to the processing factory as is possible. With regard to cereals purchase, ABF has actively worked to reduce dependence on imported varieties of wheat for bread making, through advice to growers on variety selection. It purchases around 15% of the UK crop.

In the case of some foods however local purchase is impossible such as tea and rice.

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ABF's Health & Safety Policy is published on this web site and is part of the Corporate Citizenship section of the Annual Report.

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We require all subsidiary companies to implement the requisite level of risk-management controls to ensure compliance with our Health & Safety Policy. This enables them to install the level of risk management system which best suits their business needs and local circumstances.

British Sugar was the first company in the world to have its occupational H&S management system externally certified by Lloyds Register Quality Assurance to OHSAS 18001. In total, 32 ABF sites are certified to nationally recognised health and safety management systems. A number of companies are currently working towards external certification to OHSAS 18001 or equivalent.

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Des Pullen, our Group Human Resources Director has overall responsibility for ABF’s Safety & Environmental Policies and performance and reports to the CEO. He is supported directly by a Group Safety & Environment Manager, who also works with the Director of Legal Services on compliance issues.

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ABF publishes both internal health and safety reports and an external report on the website.

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The Listing Rules of the UK Listing Authority regulate dealings between related parties. We take care to ensure that dealings between ABF, Wittington and Fortnum and Mason are conducted in compliance with those requirements.

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We have an extensive competition law compliance programme in place to ensure that our operating businesses are aware of developments in the law in this area and regular reporting processes in place to monitor ongoing compliance with the relevant legal requirements.

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We aim to ensure compliance with the law in all our areas of business.

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We have established procedures for obtaining board approval. As described in our report and accounts, we have also implemented processes to identify business risks in the light of the recommendations made by the Turnbull Committee.

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We have a full time property management team whose responsibility it is to oversee the group's property portfolio. We also have a dedicated legal team to look after our requirements in this area.

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One office property occupied by the Group is owned by the pension fund. The terms of occupation are determined on an arm's length basis and the pension fund makes use of independent legal advisers.

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We are not engaged in any of the activities listed.

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No.

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Primark's code of supplier conduct is a contractual obligation on all its suppliers. We monitor compliance closely including auditing by third party auditors. Primark is a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative, an alliance of companies, trade unions and non-profit organisations that aims to promote respect for the rights of people in factories and farms worldwide. The Company is committed to monitoring and progressively improving the conditions of the people that make its products.

More information can be seen on Primark's website and the Improving Labour Standards of Our Suppliers page

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It is rare and a last resort but we have done so where we haven’t been satisfied with their standards. We prefer to work with our suppliers to improve their standards and sacking them is a last resort.

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All our employees are provided with the appropriate training in order to carry out their jobs in an effective, safe and legally compliant way. Several of our UK sites are registered as Investors in People.

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Our position with regard to issues of corporate social responsibility is set out in the Corporate Citizenship section of the web site.

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We are pleased to reassure our customers that our position with regard to GM ingredients for those ABF companies that supply the UK grocery trade is as follows:

Crop derived products and ingredients where we have complete control of the supply chain can be confirmed to be from non-genetically modified sources.

With other products involving ingredients where genetically modified varieties exist, our companies have worked closely with approved third party suppliers to secure future supply sourced from non-GM, identity preserved material. The supply chain in this area is closely monitored to ensure compliance.

All new ingredients are assessed for compliance with the above statements and any existing and future legislation on traceability and labelling will be fully complied with in this area.

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Yes. This policy is set out as follows:

"ABF, the UK's leading supplier of animal feeding products, recognises the concern that may be expressed by some sections of the British public over genetically modified crops. ABF must balance these concerns with its primary commitment to its customers to ensure the success, efficiency and competitiveness of UK livestock production. ABF supplies a comprehensive range of feed materials; blended and compound animal feeds into all sectors of the market and offers its customers a wide range of high quality, nutritious products.
Currently the only key feed materials marketed or used in compound and blended products , which may originate from GM crops, are those derived from soya , sugar beet and maize sourced from the major growing areas of North and South America. These are cleared by the EU and UK regulatory authorities.
The principal volume of sugar beet feed products sold in the UK are derived  from UK sugar beet and not affected by this, as the crop from which they are derived has not been the subject of genetic modification.
The EU and UK authorities have passed certain varieties of soya, sugar beet and maize as safe for both human and animal consumption and ABF is confident that their continued use does not in any way affect the wholesomeness of its compound and blended feeds.
Nevertheless, the company seeks to service all sectors of the market and sources traceable, assured non-GM maize and Soya should its customers express a serious interest in this. It must be recognised, however, that the producers of these specified feed materials expect a significant price premium over non specified feed materials and furthermore the complexities of feed material transportation, storage and manufacturing a range of alternative feeds add to the cost of livestock feed.
ABF, however, is confident that due to its purchasing scale, supplier relationships and mill configuration, it is able to maintain these premiums to the lowest industry levels. This is a similar situation as currently exists in the organic feeds market, a sector which ABF is already servicing and where the customer benefit of identity preservation attracts a price premium.”

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China's emergence as a member of the international community has led to profound changes within that country and significant political and welfare benefits for its previously isolated population. Investment and trade plays a major part in this process and as such we are proud of the contribution we are making to China's modernisation.

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