Food, beverage, and agriculture businesses embracing ambitious environmental and social commitments can spur innovation, meet evolving consumer preferences, navigate investor scrutiny, and create long-term value for business and society.
They have an opportunity to strengthen the international food system and support the well-being of people and communities while protecting and restoring critical ecosystems by tackling a range of issues, including:
- Farmer livelihoods and living wages for workers
- Community and worker rights, health and safety
- Forced labor
- Climate change
- Deforestation
- Single-use plastics
- Animal welfare
27%
In 2020, agriculture employed 27 percent of the global workforce.
31%
31 percent of global human-caused GHG emissions come from agri-food systems.
35%
Out of agri-food’s total GHG emissions, 35 percent comes from supply chain factors.
How We Can Help
Adding Value to Your Business and Society
We work with restaurants, retailers, processors, input suppliers, and growers through a variety of offerings, including:
Materiality assessments
Human rights impact assessments and policy development
Setting meaningful and ambitious sustainability targets
Setting science-based climate targets and implementing Scope 3
Setting living-wage standards
ESG reporting and frameworks
Developing and strengthening sustainable procurement programs
Supplier empowerment
Stakeholder engagement
Sustainability Insights

Primers
10 Human Rights Priorities for the Food, Beverage, and Agriculture Sector
This issue brief identifies the 10 most relevant, urgent, and probable human rights impacts for businesses operating in the food, beverage, and agriculture (FBA) sector. The information here is gathered from BSR’s direct engagement with FBA companies, as well as our 30 years of experience helping companies in all sectors manage their human rights risks.
Our Experts
Depth of Experience and Knowledge
Our team has extensive boardroom and field experience with food, beverage, and agriculture companies.
Let’s talk about how BSR can help you to transform your business and achieve your sustainability goals.