Modern Slavery Statement
2023 Statement
Please see links to earlier statements at the foot of the page.
This statement sets out the steps taken by A.G. BARR p.l.c. during the financial year ended 29 January 2023 to ensure that its business and supply chain are free from slavery and human trafficking. This statement covers A.G. BARR p.l.c. and Funkin Limited.
Summary
We are committed to ensuring that we supply high quality products that are sourced and manufactured in a fair, ethical and environmentally responsible way. We have a zero tolerance approach to modern slavery of any kind within our operations and supply chain. Our employees are encouraged to report any concerns they may have and management are required to act upon them.
We have taken and will continue to take a number of steps to ensure that slavery and human trafficking do not take place in any part of our business or supply chain. We are proud of the steps we have taken to date which include:
- implementing a formal supplier approval process across our supply base, which includes a focus upon human rights and labour standards policies;
- directly auditing our key primary materials supply base on a periodic basis taking a risk-based approach; and
- obtaining UK Living Wage employer accreditation, which shows our commitment to ensure employees and contractors receive at least the minimum appropriate living wage rate set by the Living Wage Foundation.
Our business
At our core, we are a branded soft drinks business operating in the food and drink sector. We also operate within the cocktail mixer market through our Funkin brand and the plant-based milk market through our Moma brand. We are a business operating across the UK and with a growing international presence. We have around 1,000 employees and operate from nine locations in the UK.
Our supply chain
Our supply chain is global and includes over 77 direct material suppliers across the UK, Western Europe, Southeast Asia and South America. We buy from these suppliers on a direct basis and also through UK based supply agencies. In addition, we have several hundred indirect material and service providers.
Our policies on slavery and human trafficking
We operate a Supplier Code of Conduct that reflects our commitment to act ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships. Our Supplier Code of Conduct is an important part of our framework for controlling slavery and human trafficking risk. It sets out our standards in relation to our suppliers’ treatment of workers, child labour, legal compliance, discrimination and health & safety. We monitor and measure supplier compliance with our Supplier Code of Conduct through our supplier approval and audit processes.
In 2021, we updated our supplier on-boarding processes to make our Supplier Code of Conduct a mandatory trading requirement with our new direct suppliers.
Our policy on employee whistle-blowing
We operate a Speaking Up Policy which allows our employees to confidentially raise concerns about the activities of the company on a wide range of areas, including any failure of the company to comply with any legal obligation. Employees who raise concerns in good faith under the policy are protected from repercussions.
Due diligence processes for slavery and human trafficking
We understand the risk of modern slavery taking place in our supply chain. We take a risk-based approach to our selection of suppliers and ethical trading is an important part of our risk assessment processes. In order to identify, monitor and mitigate the risk of slavery and human trafficking taking place within our supply chain we take the following steps:
- Our contract tender process requires the completion of a formal supplier approval questionnaire which includes an assessment of our suppliers’ human rights and labour standards status; and
- Our supplier audit programme allows us to periodically assess the working conditions at key materials suppliers’ production sites taking a risk-based approach and to verify that relevant policies are being adhered to.
Training
Our Procurement team are qualified to understand the importance of ethical trading and the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking.
This statement is made in line with the requirements of section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and was approved by the A.G. Barr p.l.c. Board of directors on 26 May 2023.
Roger A. White
Chief Executive
26 May 2023
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