Responsible sourcing

Responsible production and consumption require that we look beyond the traditional aspects of cost and quality when making purchasing decisions. At Skretting and Nutreco, we have identified the relevant sustainability issues in two supplements in our Code of Conduct for Business Partners. With ingredients contributing a large proportion of our footprint, our procurement team is focused on minimising the impact wherever possible.

Skretting operates systematic evaluation of the sustainability risks linked to primary sources of feed ingredients and manufacturers of feed ingredients. Based on the outcome of these risk assessments the combination of primary source and manufacturer of feed ingredients must be evaluated and approved before a Skretting company can buy the feed ingredient.

Transparency and trust

Our approach is to build transparency and trust among the different stakeholders that we interact with in the value chain, which is important in a world where consumers are increasingly concerned about the food they eat. Therefore, our sustainability commitment considers safeguarding human and animal health as the core, and we choose to work with partners that share our vision that responsible sourcing is not only seen from an economic point of view, but also in connection with environmental protection and social development, including human and labour rights.

our ethics & compliance programme

Fish farmer Nigeria
Green field

How we work with suppliers

Skretting feeds include a wide variety of ingredients sourced from all over the world. We can only develop sustainable nutritional solutions if we are part of a responsible supply chain. Our Code of Conduct for Business Partners enables us to engage with our suppliers on material issues relating to their operations and to set minimum criteria relating to environmental, social and legal aspects.

All our suppliers have to accept and comply with the Code of Conduct for Business Partners. Supplier sustainability audits are primarily focused on countries and ingredients that have been identified as ‘high risk’. Currently, Skretting has approximately 1300 suppliers for ingredients located around the world.
 
Protix, Jenna Bowyer

What it takes to be a Skretting Supplier

The production of high quality feed starts with sourcing the correct high quality ingredients. To ensure that our ingredients are of the correct quality we engage into a high level of co-operation with our suppliers.

For new ingredients and new suppliers it all starts with a mandatory approval process which aligns the ingredient’s quality criteria to our own quality criteria. For this initial assessment we require potential suppliers to provide us with:

  • Product datasheets like a material safety data sheet and a certificate of analysis
  • Acknowledgment of our Nutreco Code of Conduct for Business Partners
  • Completed Skretting Questionnaires such as manufacturer and supplier questionnaires providing information e.g. on HACCP procedures

Conversion free vegetable ingredients

Skretting is committed to sourcing vegetable ingredients originating from land that has not recently been converted from natural habitat to cropland through deforestation or other forms of conversion. The planning and execution of this commitment will be a journey of several years and therefore we are currently setting the following two commitments solely for our ASC-certified businesses:

  • Skretting is committed to sourcing conversion free soy and palm ingredients by January 1st, 2025 with a cut-off date of June 30th, 2021
  • Skretting is committed to create an action plan to source the remaining vegetable ingredients conversion free. This overall action plan will be finalized by the end of 2025
Vegetable field in sunset

Nutreco soy and oil palm ingredients sourcing policy

The Nutreco-wide soy sourcing policy aims to simplify complex certification schemes for procurement teams in Skretting and Trouw Nutrition, and facilitate the complete removal of deforestation from our supply chain by 2025. The policy forms part of Nutreco’s Sustainability Roadmap 2025.

Read Nutreco soy and oil palm ingredients sourcing policy

Soy field
Pelagic sardines

Marine Ingredient Sourcing Policy

To protect the ocean and ensuring that fish stocks intended for direct or indirect human consumption are caught within clearly defined, sustainable limits, Nutreco and Skretting have published a new responsible sourcing policy that will be used as a practical guide to decide on the type of marine ingredients that can be sourced for its global operations.

Learn more about our initiatives

Supporting fishery improvement projects (FIPs)
Aquaculture dialogue advances Brazil's sustainable soy agenda
A conservation mechanism for the Cerrado

Ingredient innovation

We are always seeking to expand our knowledge of the nutritional composition of aquafeed ingredients as well as the impacts of the supply chains that create them. This helps us to deliver products that enable farmers to produce more from less.

Contact Skretting Procurement

Reach out to our procurement team for further information.