ACCR Company Engagement Woolworths Group Ltd

Woolworth Group Ltd. is the largest supermarket retailer in Australia. The group includes a number of well-known household brands, including BIG W, BWS and Dan Murphy’s. Their operations include retail stores, discount department stores, home improvement, petrol and hotels.

Woolworths is one of the principal buyers of fresh fruit and vegetables in Australia. Together with Woolworths, they buy over 70% of Australia’s domestic horticulture production. Since 2015, there have been frequent reports of labour abuses, wage theft and even modern slavery in Australian fresh food supply chains. ACCR has engaged Woolworths on these issues since 2017. We filed shareholder resolutions in 2017 and 2018 that called on the company to implement industry best-practice supply chain due diligence to protect the farm workers’ in their supply chains.