Responsible
sourcing

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. We have committed to working towards 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 by 2020.

Launched in 2014, the Coles Farm Program provides a mechanism for us to work with suppliers to support continuous improvement. Producers involved in the Coles Farm Program must complete a regular self-assessment to identify challenges and opportunities such as on-farm energy management, animal welfare measures and integrated pest management. This helps Coles understand where producers might need support or information. As well as providing a platform for our suppliers to gather and share information on farming practices, it also supports product traceability. A key component of the Coles Farm Program are the producer days where participants are invited to attend Coles facilitated learning days where subject matter experts are invited to present on topics such as welfare, environments and production. This ensures that our suppliers are at the forefront of technological and knowledge advances.

The Coles Farm Program also helps producers gather data on ways they are supporting the environment and responding to issues such as biodiversity. For example, information provided in the self-assessment revealed that 50% of our Coles Own Brand shell egg suppliers are using renewable energy and the remaining suppliers all have plans to use it in future.

We work with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) Approved Farming Scheme to offer customers a range of humanely farmed Coles Own Brand products including fresh and frozen chicken, turkey, free range pork, and free range chicken. We are also proud to say that we currently have the largest range of RSPCA Approved products of any Australian national supermarket retailer. For Coles Own Brand producers that are RSPCA Approved, a chain of custody and a current RSPCA approval status is required to supply.

The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme establishes higher welfare standards (beyond legislative requirements) and commercially achievable production standards for hens, pigs, meat chickens, turkeys and salmon. All RSPCA Approved farms are audited on a minimum twice-yearly basis for acceptance into the program.

Animals in the RSCPA Approved Farming Scheme are housed in an environment that meets their physical and behavioural needs. For example, our free range RSPCA Approved pork is sourced from RSPCA Approved farms where pigs are provided with shelter and bedding, as well as having permanent access to outdoor areas where they can roam and forage.

Working with the RSPCA, we offer a range of humanely farmed chicken, grown on farms that must meet strict animal welfare standards and provide an enriched environment for chickens to grow. We were the first Australian national supermarket to launch RSPCA Approved Coles Own Brand chicken in 2014, and today 100% of our fresh chicken is RSPCA Approved. Our indoor RSPCA Approved chickens are provided with perching and good quality litter for dust bathing, as well as lower stocking densities compared with conventional systems so the birds have room to move. Within our network of RSPCA Approved suppliers, we have producers with naturally ventilated sheds stocking at 28kg/m2, producers with mechanically ventilated sheds stocking at 34 kg/m2, and some free range producers with mechanically ventilated sheds stocking at 30 kg/m2. This means that within our supplier network approximately 23% of the birds are raised at an internal stocking density of 30kg/m2 or less compared with approximately 77% raised at an internal stocking density of 34kg/m2 or less.

In September 2018, we launched Coles Own Brand free range RSPCA Approved Chicken in Victoria and New South Wales. Since the launch, our free range RSPCA Approved Chicken products have more than doubled in volume and the range has been expanded into the states of Queensland, Tasmania and South Australia.

In September 2019, we went on to launch a new poultry breed into Australian supermarkets for the first time called ‘Slow Hills’. This breed of bird develops muscle at a slower rate, which results in a different texture, full and succulent flavour and a taste profile different to the standard Australian chicken. Like all Coles Own Brand chickens, the Slow Hills birds are sourced from RSPCA Approved farms. In addition to this they are also raised as free range and without the use of antibiotics.

All Coles free range RSPCA Approved chickens have access to enriched environments where they are able to forage and explore the outdoors for a minimum of eight hours a day. They are provided with a barn for shelter and protection at night and are given the freedom to express their natural, innate behaviours with adequate space to move, perch and dust bathe. At least one pecking object is provided as environmental enrichment for every 1,000 birds.

Independent RSPCA Assessors perform regular on-farm assessments to ensure the RSPCA’s detailed animal welfare standards are met.

We were the first national Australian supermarket to launch RSPCA Approved Turkey in 2014, with 100% of our fresh turkey range currently being RSPCA Approved.

Turkeys on Coles’ RSPCA Approved farms have lower stocking densities compared with conventional systems, and better lighting systems to encourage activity and allow proper rest. Birds also have quality litter covering the floor to scratch and dust bathe, which cleans and maintains their feathers, and perches and toys to keep them active and entertained.

Our Own Brand free range Turkeys are raised on RSPCA Approved farms in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales. In addition to the above indoor provisions, these turkeys also have access to the outdoors to explore and forage during the day.

Under the RSPCA Approved Turkey Standard, birds must be free from de-snooding, de-winging and toe trimming.

100% of our Coles Own Brand shell eggs have been cage-free since 2013. Which means that more than 3 million birds live in either barn or free-range systems. All Coles Own Brand shell egg farms have been certified to Egg Standards Australia (ESA) Level 3 requirements and are audited by independent bodies.

Our Coles Own Brand free range and cage free/barn laid requirements incorporate the ESA Level 3 standards and align with the five freedoms. This means that hens are free to display their natural behaviours by having access to nest boxes, perches and litter for dust bathing. In addition, our Own Brand free range hens are required to have easy access to an outdoor range during the day, shade from the sun and space to roam.

All Coles Own Brand shell egg suppliers are required to avoid beak trimming by having the provision of proper environment and breed selection to avoid this husbandry procedure. If beak trimming is required, the hens must be at least one day old and the trimming be undertaken by a trained and competent operator to minimise stress placed on the bird.

We are working with our proprietary egg suppliers to increase production of cage free eggs in Australia for both proprietary and Coles Own Brand products. In line with this commitment, we have declined the total volume of caged shell eggs in the period July 2018 to June 2019 by -6%. In the same period, we have increased the volume of cage free/barn shell eggs by 52% and free range shell eggs by 4%.

We have also expanded this commitment to only sell cage free shell eggs in our supermarkets by 2023. This initiative will include a commitment to only source cage free eggs as ingredients in our Coles Own Brand products.

In 2018, Coles participated in the RSPCA’s ‘Cage Free and Proud’ campaign in recognition of our commitment to only source Shell Eggs from cage free operations.

Following extensive work with our pork suppliers, 100% of our Coles Own Brand fresh pork is sow stall free and free from artificial growth promotants which was a first for an Australian major supermarket.

This means that all Coles Own Brand fresh pork, ham and bacon is sourced from farms that only use sow (gestation) stalls for a maximum of 24 hours, as opposed to the industry standard of 10 days. This major animal welfare initiative means that approximately 49,000 mother pigs are no longer kept in small, single-pig stalls for long periods during their gestation. Further to this, all pigs raised by suppliers of Coles Own Brand pork are free to move about in pens and socialise with other mother pigs during their pregnancy and are required to be provided manipulable bedding material such as straw during their breeding cycle so they can perform their natural ‘nesting’ behaviours.

Coles Own Brand Sow Stall Free pork undergoes rigorous auditing by independent 3^rd party auditors against the Australian Pork Industry Quality Assurance Program + Customer Specifications for Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd (APIQ + CSC) Pork Standard. All Coles Own Brand pork suppliers are also assessed to more stringent requirements developed by APIQ and Coles on areas such as bedding, enrichment, husbandry practices stocking densities, antibiotics, growth promotants and hormone use. This Standard extends above the current industry standard.

All Coles Own Brand pigs are not permitted to have the following performed on them: routine teeth clipping; grinding; surgical castration; tusk trimming and nose ringing. However, if a Veterinarian deems any of these necessary for animal health purposes, they may be permitted.

Coles Own Brand free range pork is the only RSPCA Approved fresh pork stocked nationally by a major Australian Supermarket. Pigs reared to RSPCA Approved standards have space to move, forage, socialise and explore. Sows (mother pigs) are not confined to sow stalls or farrowing crates, instead they have good quality bedding which provides a comfortable area to rest and material to perform their natural nesting behaviours.

All Coles Own Brand free range RSPCA Approved pigs are free from tail docking, nose ringing, surgical castration and teeth clipping. This means that approximately 4,900 sows do not undergo these procedures which represents approximately 6% of our total pork products.

All fresh Coles Own Brand lamb is 100% Australian.

In January 2020, we launched Coles Own Brand Graze Lamb across selected stores nationally. Graze Lambs are sourced exclusively from Tasmanian farmers in partnership with Coles. Lambs raised under the Graze program are 100% Tasmanian grown, grass-fed, are free to roam on open pastures and raised without the use of antibiotics.

All Coles Own Brand beef in the meat departments has been 100% Australian sourced with no added hormones since 2011. By not adding hormones, the cattle grow and mature naturally. Coles sources cattle from both grain-fed, grass-fed and grass/grain combination systems. All of our Coles Own Brand beef cattle spend the beginning of their lives grazing freely in paddocks, with those destined for grain-fed systems moving to feedlots at approximately 14 months of age. This ensures that all of our Own Brand beef cattle have access to pasture-based enrichment during their lives.

All of our Coles Finest grain-fed beef is sourced from feedlots that are accredited and independently audited to the National Feedlot Accreditation Scheme .

Graze, our grass-fed beef speciality range, is sourced from Australian farmers in partnership with Coles. Cattle raised under the Graze program are 100% Australian grown, grass-fed, are free to roam on open pastures and free from added hormones.

In July 2019, Coles launched its own dedicated milk supply pool in Victoria and New South Wales. This initiative also includes $1.9 million for the Coles Sustainable Dairy Development Group, which will be used to drive animal health and welfare, productivity, quality and environmental impact improvements.

Coles sources all its fresh milk from Australian dairy farms. These dairy farms are predominately pasture-based systems, meaning that dairy cows have access to pasture-based enrichment for a proportion of their lives.

Globally there are dairy systems where dairy cows housed indoors are tethered for long periods of time, this is often referred to as ‘tie stall’ systems.

The Coles dedicated milk supply pool will source milk from approximately 24,000 cows, all of whom will be 100% free from ‘tie stall’ systems and free from tail docking.

We understand the responsible use of antibiotics in agriculture is an important issue for animal and human health. Coles’ position on antibiotics is one of responsible use, where we follow the guidance of the Five R’s and AMS Framework. We only allow suppliers to use antibiotics for animal health purposes under veterinary supervision.

In 2014, Coles was the first major Australian supermarket to implement a policy to remove the use of antibiotics for the purposes of promoting growth in all Coles Own Brand livestock including pigs, chickens, turkeys, cattle and sheep. Since 2014, we have also been working on producer programs that incorporate herd health plans, biosecurity measures and alternatives such as prebiotics and vaccinations to prevent the need for antibiotic treatment.

Through our work with the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme and the Australian Pork Industry Quality Assurance program, Coles also requires all Own Brand fresh chicken, pork and turkey suppliers to avoid the prophylactic use of antibiotics to suppress sub-clinical diseases.

The RSPCA standards for chicken and turkey require that any use of antibiotics are included as part of the farm’s veterinary health plan and the RSPCA is notified of any prophylactic treatment. For RSPCA Approved Pigs, any use of antibiotics must be detailed in their veterinary health plan, which must be reviewed each year in consultation with the attending veterinarian.

Coles is also a member of the Antimicrobial Stewardship working group which includes The Office of the Australian Chief Veterinary Officer, State Departments of Primary Industry, International experts in Antimicrobial Stewardship, and Australian livestock industry representatives from Beef, Dairy, Eggs, Pork and Chicken Meat.

Recognised as one of the world’s leading certification programs for sustainable wild-caught seafood, MSC is an independent, non-governmental organisation committed to maintaining sustainable oceans. 

Farmed seafood (aquaculture) allows us to provide year-round high-quality Own Brand seafood which compliments wild-caught seafood availability.

The Coles Responsibly Sourced Seafood Program for farmed (aquaculture) seafood requires suppliers to be either certified by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, GLOBALG.A.P. or Best Aquaculture Practice, or to have undertaken an independent assessment against an approved methodology.

This means that aspects of the farming production system including broodstock, seedling, feed, harvesting and processing and any potential environmental impacts (such as water quality) have been assessed and meet Coles’ standards.

While our preference is to source either MSC or certified aquaculture seafood, we also understand that obtaining certification can be a rigorous and intensive process. For those Coles Own Brand suppliers yet to obtain certification we have implemented the Coles’ Responsibly Sourced Seafood Program which applies to both wild and farmed seafood.

Coles’ program for wild caught seafood was developed with support from MRAG Asia Pacific (an independent sustainable seafood specialist). The program builds on the results of supply risk assessments for Coles Own Brand and deli seafood products carried out by WWF-Australia over the period 2011-15. Since then Coles has relied on independent auditors to assess its seafood suppliers against the following criteria:

• Target fish stocks: The health and robustness of the target fish population and the measures in place to ensure they remain healthy in the future;
• Ecosystem impacts: The impact of the fishing method on other species and the surrounding ecosystem; and
• Fishery Management: The effectiveness of the fishery management system in promoting healthy fish stocks and ecosystems.

The Program for farmed (aquaculture) requires suppliers to be either certified by GLOBALG.A.P. or Best Aquaculture Practice (BAP), or to have undertaken an independent assessment against an approved methodology.

This means that aspects of the farming production system including broodstock, seedling, feed, harvesting and processing and any potential environmental impacts (such as water quality) have been assessed and meet Coles’ standards.

Our Coles Brand canned Skipjack and Yellowfin tuna are responsibly sourced which means the following conditions are met:

• Fish stocks: The fish stock where Coles Brand Skipjack and Yellowfin tuna are caught have been independently assessed as part of our Coles Responsibly Sourced Seafood Program.
• Reduced by-catch: Coles 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 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 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 31 May 2020.