Correspondence
Email sent to the Carrefour Group press office.
The email said: "Carrefour’s own-brand ‘Classic’ fish products are supplied by Cité Marine. Cité Marine’s supplier Qingdao Tianyuan Aquatic Products has received persons from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China under a state-imposed labor transfer program. The United Nations, human rights organizations and academic experts agree that since 2018, the Chinese government has systematically subjected Xinjiang’s predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities to forced labor across the country via state-sanctioned employment programs which use coercive methods in worker enrollment. The U.S. has prohibited the importation of goods produced from state-imposed forced labor. Does Carrefour have any comment or statement to make in light of the above information? Please let me know by close of business, July 6, 2023."
Carrefour Press Office responded: "Carrefour firmly condemns the use of forced labour in its supply chain and ensures that its suppliers respect all human rights. Carrefour systematically carries out social audits in the factories that supply it. As a result, in 2022, 1,418 social audits were carried out, 17% of which gave rise to alerts that led to immediate action, particularly on working conditions, remuneration policy and occupational health. Following your alert, and in addition to the global audit policy, we will immediately carry out investigations at Cité Marine and take the necessary measures in the event of non-compliance."
The Outlaw Ocean Project emailed the Carrefour Group press office: "We have another supply chain connection to raise with you, concerning a supplier called Yantai Sanko Fisheries Co. Ltd. According to our research, Carrefour Italy stocks ‘Capitan Findus’ fish products, produced by Northseafood Holland BV.
Northseafood Holland BV has imported shipments of fish from the processor, Yantai Sanko Fisheries Co. Ltd., based in China. Yantai Sanko Fisheries Co. Ltd. has received persons from the Xinjiang region of China under the state-imposed forced labor transfer program referenced in Ian’s previous email to Carrefour Group.
Does Carrefour have any comment or clarification to make in response to the above? Also, do you have any update on your inquiry into Cité Marine? Please let us know by close of business on August 4, 2023. Thank you for your continued engagement with us on these issues."
The Outlaw Ocean Project emailed Carrefour Group: "Our investigation continues to surface questions about your company's supply chain. Further to my previous correspondence regarding your supplier Findus/Nomad Foods, our research shows that Unibond Seafood International also supplies white fish to Nomad Foods. Unibond Seafood has imported shipments of white fish, including cod and pollock, from Qingdao Tianyuan, the company mentioned in my email dated July 4, 2023. Further to my previous correspondence regarding your supplier Cité Marine, our research shows that Cité Marine also supplies products from its Cap Océan range that contain pollock, such as the Cap Océan Rillettes de thon, to Carrefour. We have identified Uyghurs working at another Chinese processing plant supplying Cité Marine with white fish: Qingdao Lian Yang Aquatic Product Co. Ltd. Qingdao Lian Yang is linked to Qingdao Tianyuan through corporate ownership, and our investigation demonstrates the presence of Uyghur workers at the site as recently as April 2023. We have the following questions:
- Could you confirm whether white fish sourced from Qingdao Tianyuan or Qingdao Lian Yang has been used in any of the Cap Océan branded products sold by Carrefour since 2018?
- Could you confirm whether white fish sourced from Qingdao Tianyuan or Qingdao Lian Yang has been used in any Carrefour own-brand products supplied by Cité Marine and sold by Carrefour since 2018?
- Could you confirm whether white fish sourced from Qingdao Tianyuan or Yantai Sanko has been used in any Findus products sold by Carrefour since 2018? Does Carrefour have any comment or clarification to make regarding the above information? Please respond by close of business September 2, 2023, and note that all interactions are fully on record."
Carrefour's press office replied: "Carrefour strongly condemns the use of forced labour in its supply chain and ensures that its suppliers respect all human rights. Following the alert we received, an investigation was immediately launched. All the suppliers mentioned were contacted. To date, the audits and traceability checks carried out indicate that there are no non-compliances linked to forced labour in the Group's supplies via these suppliers. Aware of the importance of this issue, the Group will continue its investigations and will also include the processed fish sector in the list of sensitive sectors in its vigilance plan, thereby increasing the level of monitoring of these sectors."
Email sent to Carrefour, saying: "Since we were last in contact with Carrefour, our ongoing investigation has uncovered further evidence of forced labor in China’s seafood processing industry which we want to bring to your attention. We have uncovered evidence that the Chinese company Donggang Haimeng has used North Korean labor after the December 2019 deadline for the repatriation of overseas North Korean workers required under United Nations Security Council sanctions. This evidence shows the presence of North Korean labor at Donggang Haimeng’s factory in Liaoning, China, as recently as 2023.
According to our research, Donggang Haimeng has supplied MSC-certified pollock to Delpierre.
We understand that Delpierre white fish products are stocked by Carrefour. While we understand that you may not be aware of the above issues, we want to ask if Carrefour has any comment to make in response to this email?"
Carrefour's press office replied: "We thank you for your alert which concerns a national brand product. As soon as we receive your notification, we informed the supplier Delpierre. It indicates us that none of its white fish products supplied to Carrefour come from the Chinese company Donggang Haimeng. The Group reaffirms its commitment against the use of forced labor in its supply chain and has increased the level of monitoring of elaborate fish chain by including it in the sensitive chains of its vigilance plan."
A coalition of eighteen NGOs wrote to thirteen major seafood distributors and retailers, including Carrefour, asking a series of questions connected to The Outlaw Ocean Project's reporting. Their email to Carrefour said: "Dear Carrefour,
We are writing to you on behalf of a consortium of human rights NGOs requesting an update on the steps Ahold Delhaize has taken following the investigation published by The Outlaw Ocean Project. The investigation highlighted concerns about state-imposed Uyghur and North Korean forced labor across the Chinese seafood processing facilities, including within your company’s supply chain.
Given the seriousness of these findings, we are keen to learn about the progress of your internal investigations that your company stated it would conduct. Please refer to the attached letter for detailed inquiries. We look forward to your prompt response by August 2, 2024.
Sincerely, Ethan Hee-Seok Shin, Transitional Justice Working Group Krysta Bisnauth, Freedom United"
The attached letter read:
"Dear Carrefour,
The undersigned organizations, experts on human rights, labor rights, Uyghur rights, North Korean rights, and trade law, are requesting an update on the steps Carrefour committed to take following the publication of a series of investigations published by The Outlaw Ocean Project. The findings on the investigations, which shed light on the use of state-imposed forced labor in your company’s seafood supply chain, are deeply concerning and demand immediate attention from all stakeholders in the industry.
In 2023, Carrefour stated it would investigate exposure to state-imposed forced labor in its downstream supply chains. Given the severity of the harms reported and the gravity of the situation and the potential impact on human rights and environmental sustainability, we are keen to learn about the progress of these investigations into your company's seafood supply chain.
We ask that you provide us with an update on the following points:
- The due diligence conducted to identify whether direct Chinese suppliers or sub-suppliers are using, or at risk of using, Uyghur or North Korean forced labor;
- Any preliminary findings or outcomes from these investigations, e.g., has your company identified Chinese suppliers or sub-suppliers using or at risk of using Uyghur or North Korean forced labor;
- Steps your company has taken or leverage used to cease supplier’s or sub-supplier’s participation in state-imposed forced labor programs, including poverty alleviation programs;
- Where suppliers or sub-suppliers did not cease their participation, or agree to a time bound plan to do so, whether your company disengaged, or has plans to disengage, from that business relationship;
- Steps your company has taken or plans to take to report this information to shareholders (if applicable), companies within your supply chain, consumers, or other stakeholders or otherwise make these findings publicly available.
We believe that maintaining a supply chain free from forced labor is not only a legal and ethical imperative, but also crucial for the sustainability of the seafood industry. Your prompt response and continued diligence in this matter are essential for upholding these standards. Please respond to these questions within three weeks of receipt. Information provided will inform ongoing investigations into forced labor in seafood supply chains.
Sincerely, Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG) Hubert Younghwan Lee, Executive Director
Human Trafficking Legal Center Martina Vandenberg, Founder and President
The Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK) Greg Scarlatoiu, Executive Director
Advocates for Public Interest Law (APIL) Shin Young Chung, Attorney
HanVoice Sean Chung, Chief Executive Officer
The Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights (NKHR) Joanna Hosaniak, Deputy Director General
Corporate Accountability Lab Charity Ryerson, Executive Director and Founder
International Corporate Accountability Roundtable David McKean Deputy Director
Humanity United Action Emily Risko, Associate Program Manager - Forced Labor & Human Trafficking
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) Gaelle Dusepulchre, Deputy Director - Business, Human Rights and Environment
Uyghur American Association Elfidar Iltebir, President
Anti-Slavery International Chloe Cranston, Head of Thematic Advocacy Programmes
Uyghur Human Rights Project Omer Kanat, Executive Director
Freedom United Krysta Bisnauth, Advocacy Manager
Global Labor Justice Allison Gill, Legal Director
Investor Alliance for Human Rights Anita Dorett, Director
Campaign For Uyghurs Rushan Abbas, Founder And Executive Director
Worker Rights Consortium Jewher Ilham, Forced Labor Project Coordinator"