Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Policy

Introduction

At Agricontinental Limited (“Agricontinental”, “we”, “us”, or “our”), we recognise the significant impact that agricultural supply chains can have on various stakeholders, including local communities, workers, the environment, and consumers. We acknowledge our responsibility to respect human rights, support sustainable development, and contribute to poverty reduction, food security, nutrition, and gender equality. As a distributor of fisheries and agriproducts, we are committed to adopting and implementing the following policy for responsible agricultural supply chains. We will encourage our business partners to uphold these standards and take necessary actions to prevent or mitigate adverse impacts.

1.  Cross-cutting Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) Standards

• Impact Assessment: We will conduct regular and comprehensive impact assessments across our operations, products, and services to identify and address potential adverse impacts on human rights, the environment, and communities. These assessments will include input from relevant stakeholder groups.

• Disclosure: We will transparently, and in a timely manner, disclose information about foreseeable risk factors and our responses to environmental, social, and human rights impacts to the communities affected. Furthermore, we will provide clear and accurate information to enable consumers to make informed decisions about our products.

• Consultations: Prior to initiating any operations that may affect local communities, we will engage in good-faith, effective, and meaningful consultations with their representative institutions. We will continue these consultations during and after operations, considering gender-specific risks and consulting indigenous communities to obtain their free, prior, and informed consent.

• Benefit Sharing: We will ensure that our operations contribute to sustainable and inclusive rural development by promoting fair and equitable sharing of monetary and non-monetary benefits with affected communities, adhering to international treaties where applicable.

• Grievance Mechanisms: We will establish legitimate, accessible, predictable, equitable, and transparent operational-level grievance mechanisms to enable affected parties to seek remediation for adverse impacts resulting from non-adherence to RBC standards.

• Gender: We will work towards eliminating discrimination against women, supporting their meaningful participation in decision-making and leadership roles, and providing equal access and control over resources and services.

2. Human Rights

We will respect and uphold internationally recognised human rights, including those outlined in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and relevant domestic laws. Our commitment includes avoiding causing or contributing to adverse human rights impacts and engaging in human rights due diligence appropriate to our operations' size, nature, and context.

3. Labour Rights

We will uphold international core labour standards in our operations, including freedom of association, collective bargaining, elimination of forced or compulsory labour, and the prohibition of child labour. We will also ensure occupational health and safety, provide decent wages and working conditions, and prevent abuses of migrant workers.

4. Health and Safety

We will adopt practices that prioritise public health and safety throughout our operations, including food safety measures and the protection of communities' health and welfare.

5. Food Security and Nutrition

We will contribute to food security and nutrition by enhancing the availability, accessibility, stability, and utilisation of safe, nutritious, and diverse foods through our operations.

6. Tenure Rights Over and Access to Natural Resources

We will respect legitimate tenure rights holders and their rights over natural resources affected by our activities, including land, fisheries, forests, and water. We will prioritise transparency and information disclosure concerning land-based investments and strive to avoid or minimise displacement of legitimate tenure right holders, considering the needs of the poor and vulnerable.

7. Animal Welfare

We will support animal welfare in our operations, ensuring that the 'five freedoms' for animal welfare are implemented (for example, freedom from hunger, thirst and malnutrition, physical and thermal discomfort, pain, injury and disease, fear and distress, and freedom to express normal patterns of behaviour), and adhering to or exceeding OIE's (World Organisation for Animal Health) principles for animal production.

8. Environmental Protection and Sustainable Use of Natural Resources

We will establish and maintain an environmental and social management system appropriate to the nature and scale of our operations, continuously striving to prevent pollution, reduce waste, conserve biodiversity, control invasive species, and enhance resource efficiency. Additionally, we will contribute to the resilience of agriculture and food systems in the face of climate change through adaptation measures.

9. Governance

We will uphold principles of good governance, abstaining from corruption and fraudulent practices, complying with tax laws and regulations, avoiding anti-competitive agreements, and adhering to OECD's (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Principles of Corporate Governance.

10. Technology and Innovation

We will actively contribute to the development and dissemination of environmentally-friendly technologies that generate direct and indirect employment opportunities.

Conclusion

We are committed to the responsible agricultural supply chain policy outlined above. By embracing these principles, we aim to foster sustainable development, respect human rights, promote gender equality, and contribute positively to the well-being of communities, workers, and the environment. This policy will be widely disseminated and incorporated into our contracts and agreements with business partners, with the goal of encouraging them to adopt similar responsible practices. Should any adverse impacts arise, we will leverage our influence to prevent or mitigate them in alignment with our commitment to responsible business conduct.