OUR CSR POLICY
As a major player in the global seafood market, Thai Union's mission is to lead its industry in and respect of people and the preservation of the planet.
Its "SeaChange® 2030" CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) programme follows a virtuous circle of real and lasting change to reshape the seafood industry with solutions across people and planet that better sustain a future for all.
In 2023 and for the next seven years, Thai Union commits to eleven interconnected goals aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aiming to reduce carbon emissions, minimise waste, protect and rebuild ecosystems, make safe, decent and fair work a reality throughout the value chain, and promote a healthier world.
Thai Union's ongoing work through its SeaChange® sustainability strategy was recognized when the company was listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) for the ninth consecutive year in 2022.
MerAlliance CSR
Historically committed to a CSR policy, in 2022 MerAlliance was awarded in 2022 for the 6th consecutive year the maximum level of performance in its CSR approach with regard to the ISO 26000 standard, namely the "Excellence" level. for its French sites.
MerAlliance is implementing the SeaChange® 2030 programme across all its activities and sites. This action plan is based on 5 major themes:
- Human and labor rights
- Health and well-being
- Climate action
- Biodiversity
- Circularity
Human and labor rights
To guarantee safe and healthy working conditions for our employees, we put safety at the top of our daily concerns. For example, a Safe & Health approach developed by Thai Union, applying the Bradley Curve Principle.
In addition, as a corporate citizen, MerAlliance plays a full role in local associations and education:
- With the association Produit en Bretagne : contribute to the economic and cultural dynamism of the region and promote employment on our territory
- With the local charities (Resto du Cœur, Secours Populaire...): provide finished products for free or at very low prices
- With the faculties and schools: reception of groups, educational interventions, coaching of tutorials...
- With the CREPI network, get involved in employment in our territory through actions with job seekers, sponsorship and business discovery
- With the Oceanopolis Fund Acts in favor of the preservation of the oceans through concrete actions in the field aiming to share oceanic knowledge with as many people as possible and to protect coastal ecosystems.
Health and well-being
We pay a particular attention to the well-being of our employees: it’s essential to preserve their health capital throughout their career in our companies and to help them reconcile work and personal life. An important QLW (Quality of Life at Work) program has been involved for more than 15 years at MerAlliance. Actions that are concrete and visible in everyday life, such as:
To reconcile work and personal life:
- A large scale day-care center
- Promotion of time-share work (employer group)
- A telework charter
- Internal car-pooling
To ensure health at work:
- A prevention program for MSDs (Musculoskeletal Disorders) including the deployment of the PRAP (Prevention of Risks related to Physical Activity) and the principle of active versatility, aimed at improving the ergonomics of positions.
- The introduction of exoskeletons for certain handling positions.
- An "Objectif Forme" action and communication plan run by our nurse, with the help of external partners (dietician, sports coach, relaxation therapist, etc.)
- A well-being program at work: shiatsu sessions offered during working hours, fruit self-service every fortnight, concierge service, sale of anti-gaspi baskets, etc.
- Promotion of soft mobility with financial assistane for the hire of electrically-assisted bicycles.
Climate action
We are setting up initiatives to minimize our environmental footprint by controlling its energy consumption and limiting releases. In line with the overall objectives of Thai Union set out in SeaChange®, our efforts in France are focused on two priorities areas:
- Reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 30%, by saving electricity and gas
- Reducing our water consumption by 20%
MerAlliance is the first company in its sector to establish a carbon footprint, and also monitors the carbon footprint of its plant and logistics platform on a monthly basis.
Biodiversity
For Thai Union, responsible sourcing involves in particular a seamless traceability and the choice of suppliers in accordance with our specifications on fishing methods and our code of conduct on ethics and working conditions. MerAlliance's 2 major actions for responsible management of marine resources:
- Focus on responsible aquaculture: by 2020, 100% of MerAlliance's salmon raw material were certified ASC, AB, Label Rouge or Global Gap.
- Foster Responsible Fishing: Thai Union is committed to sourcing tuna for its brands from MSC certified (Marine Stewardship Council) or engaged in a Fisheries Improvement Project (FIP) program aimed at MSC certification, with a target of 100% by 2030. At MerAlliance, 100% of wild fish benefit from these certifications.
Circularity
MerAlliance is working to better manage resources: contributing to the creation of a local waste methanisation process for the Quimper site, a polystyrene recycling process, valorisation of by-products from waste, etc.
We are actively exploring alternatives to traditional plastic packaging. Considerable work is underway to reduce the amount of plastic in our packaging and promote its recyclability. Our teams have rethought the design of our packaging to reduce the amount of plastic needed, while preserving the quality and safety of our products. We have developed a packaging solution for our Émincés range which reduces the plastic content of the tray by 80%, saving 40 tonnes of plastic a year!
We also offer our customers the possibility of integrating recycled material into cardboard cartons, and we are currently studying the development of mono-material plastic films.
