Farmers

One in three of us depend on food produced by small-scale farmers, but millions of these farmers are struggling just to feed themselves. The Behind the Brands Scorecard examines what the world’s biggest companies say they are doing to support the world’s food producers to become resilient and successful - specifically whether farmers are able to achieve a living income.

How are the scores formed?

We assessed publicly available information on the policies and commitments of the 'Big 10' food companies towards the sourcing of agricultural commodities from developing countries. The Scorecard looks at seven themes, weighing each theme equally. The index tackles some cutting edge issues that will require rigorous debate and dialogue between companies, civil society and industry experts. Find out more...

What do the scores mean?

  1. 8 - 10Good
  2. 6 - 7Fair
  3. 4 - 5Some progress
  4. 2 - 3Poor
  5. 0 - 1Very poor

  1. Unilever

    Score
    8

    Unilever remains the only company to get a “good” score for farmers. Farmers are likely to get a better deal with Unilever than with many other companies. The company seems to understand farmers’ issues and it publishes its efforts in addressing these. However, the company could do more to ensure farmers earn a living income and to demonstrate that its suppliers are treating farmers fairly.

    See how Unilever score on other issues

  2. Nestlé

    Score
    7

    Nestle’s disclosure about its involvement with small-scale farmers is one of the most advanced, and the company is working with its suppliers to tackle issues faced by small-scale farmers. It requires suppliers to support farmers’ organizations, but it still doesn’t ensure that farmers earn a living income.

    See how Nestlé score on other issues

  3. Kellogg's

    Score
    5

    Kellogg has made progress in the past years in investigating its sourcing from small-scale farmers. The company has commissioned new assessments and has made new commitments to help farmers improve their situation. Now it is time the company tackles those issues that would truly make a difference in the farmer’s lives, like ensuring that they earn a living income.

    See how Kellogg's score on other issues

  4. Mars

    Score
    5

    Mars has made some progress in committing to support farmers and is now showing willingness to also pursue advocacy efforts in support of farmer’s rights. However the company needs to require its suppliers to treat farmers fairly and ensure they receive a living income. Its code for suppliers also needs a sharper farmer focus.

    See how Mars score on other issues

  5. Mondelez

    Score
    4

    Mondelez understands big issues faced by small-scale farmers, but its failure to insist that its suppliers support the farmers they buy from needs urgent attention.

    See how Mondelez score on other issues

  6. Associated British Foods plc

    Score
    3

    ABF has started to measure its impact on small-scale farmers, but now needs to consider how it can support farmers through guidance and requirements for its own suppliers

    See how Associated British Foods plc score on other issues

  7. Coca Cola

    Score
    3

    Coca-Cola still has a lot of progress to make in how it deals with the small-scale farmers in its supply chain. While the company seems to be quite aware of what it should do and has undertaken new initiatives to assess the situation of farmers in its supply chains, it has yet to make credible commitments to support the small-scale farmers from whom it sources.

    See how Coca Cola score on other issues

  8. Danone

    Score
    3

    While Danone is showing increased understanding of its supply chains, it does too little to address the hardships these vulnerable suppliers encounter in producing the commodities that form the basis of Danone’s business.

    See how Danone score on other issues

  9. General Mills

    Score
    3

    The company shows a better understanding of the situation of small-scale farmers in its supply chain and it runs projects to support farmers. However, General Mills still fails to identify the numbers of small-scale farmers it sources from – and doesn’t ask suppliers to protect farmers’ rights

    See how General Mills score on other issues

  10. PepsiCo

    Score
    3

    PepsiCo is running projects to tackle some of the issues faced by farmers in its supply chain and has made modest improvements in understanding their situation. PepsiCo still needs to make credible commitments toward supporting the small-scale farmers from whom it sources.

    See how PepsiCo score on other issues