Sourcing that is better together

While palm oil is used in many products around the world, unsustainable farming practices in some countries where oil palms are grown can negatively impact the environment, wildlife and local communities. Coles is a member of the Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and has embraced its Principles and Criteria for Sustainable Palm Oil Production. As a member of the RSPO, our intention is to use only sustainable palm oil in Coles Brand products.

When developing new Coles Brand products, we aim to use sustainable palm oil wherever possible. This approach encourages palm oil producers to move to sustainable practices, while supporting the livelihoods of those communities dependent on the palm oil industry. Where palm oil is present in our food and drink products, we will label it accordingly. Our Palm Oil Policy requires us to identify palm oil specifically instead of using the common term ‘blended vegetable oils’.

Coles utilises independent certification programs when sourcing tea, coffee and cocoa to provide confidence that these commodities have been sourced ethically and sustainably, and also help to grow the market for independently certified products such as Fairtrade and UTZ/ Rainforest Alliance.

The following Own Brand products are already from certified sources:

• 100% Coles Own Brand solid block chocolate
• 100% Coles Own Brand Easter Eggs for 2019
• Coles Own Brand Cocoa Powder.

Coles is committed to using certified coffee in all Coles Own Brand coffee products by 2020, and to continually increase our use of certified cocoa when used as an ingredient in our Own Brand products.

Coles Sustainable Timber and Paper Products Policy sets out our expectations regarding the use and supply of timber and timber pulp-based paper products for Coles Own Brand products. Customer receipts at all Coles supermarkets, Coles Express and liquor outlets are certified to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Standard. Since FY21 we have committed to using only timber or paper sourced from sustainable forestry operations independently certified by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), FSC or recycled fibre.

To meet Coles’ Responsibly Sourced Seafood Requirements, Coles Own Brand farmed seafood products are required to be certified to the following independent third-party standards and certifications.

• Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC);
• Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP); or
• GLOBALG.A.P.

Farmed seafood products assessed against the ASC Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard carry the ASC logo. Farmed seafood products assessed against BAP or GLOBALG.A.P carry the Coles' Responsibly Sourced Seafood (RSS) logo.

The ASC or Coles Responsibly Sourced seafood logo indicates that the product has come from an independently certified farm. More information on these standards can be found on their respective websites.

To meet Coles’ Responsibly Sourced Seafood Requirements, Coles Own Brand wild-caught seafood products are required to be:

• Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified; or
• Independently assessed as meeting the Coles Wild Seafood Assessment Framework (Assessment Framework). 

Wild-caught seafood products that carry the MSC logo are:

• sourced from fisheries that are assessed and certified by independent, third parties against the MSC Fisheries Standard; and
• assessed against the MSC Chain of Custody Standard to ensure that these products are from MSC certified fisheries and are traceable and separated from non-certified products.

More about the MSC can be found on its FAQ page.

Coles’ Assessment Framework was developed in collaboration with MRAG Asia Pacific (MRAG AP), an independent fisheries and aquatic resource consulting company. The program builds on the results of supply risk assessments for Coles Own Brand and deli seafood products carried out by WWF-Australia during 2011-15.

As part of the Assessment Framework, MRAG AP conducts a risk-based assessment of our wild-caught seafood sources annually against the following three criteria:

• target fish stocks: health and robustness of the target fish population now and in the future;
• ecosystem impacts: impacts of fishing method on other species and the surrounding ecosystem; and
• fishery management: effectiveness of the fishery management system in promoting healthy fish stocks and ecosystems.

Wild-caught seafood products assessed against the Coles Assessment Framework carry the Coles' Responsibly Sourced Seafood (RSS) logo.

Responsibly sourced tuna

Tuna is among the world’s most popular fish and therefore among the most commercially valuable. With the high demand for tuna, many stocks are exploited to full capacity or overfished¹. Coles Own Brand canned Skipjack and Yellowfin tuna are responsibly sourced which means the following conditions are met:

• Fish stocks: The fish stock where Coles Own Brand Skipjack and Yellowfin tuna are caught have been independently assessed as part of our Coles Responsibly Sourced Seafood Program.
• Reduced by-catch: Coles Own Brand Skipjack and Yellowfin tuna are caught without the use of fish aggregating devices (FADs), which are essentially rafts that attract fish. This results in less by-catch.
• Traceability: Coles Own Brand Skipjack and Yellowfin canned tuna can be traced back to the approved fishing boat that caught the tuna as well as the boat that transported it to the cannery.
• Independent observers: Boats that catch Coles Own Brand Skipjack and Yellowfin tuna have independent observers on board to ensure robust data is available to help manage the fishery and monitor compliance with conservation measures specified by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). Please note, in response to the impacts from COVID-19, the WCPFC has temporarily suspended the requirement for observer coverage on purse-seine vessels until further notice.

Industry engagement

We acknowledge the potential impacts seafood production can have on the environment, and work collaboratively with our suppliers, NGOs, certification bodies and subject matter experts to look for opportunities to further improve our Coles Responsibly Sourced Seafood Program based on latest science and information.

Human Rights

We acknowledge that protecting human rights in supply chains is a global issue and we understand the important role we have in safeguarding human rights within our complex supply chains. Detailed information regarding our Ethical Sourcing Program is available here.

1 https://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/tuna <Accessed 21 September 2021>