Correspondence
Email sent to Royal Greenland's Director of Operations, Carsten Hjortshoj.
The email said: "I’m contacting you in light of our latest investigation which concerns the use of forced labor in China’s food processing industry, and a link we’ve discovered between a company engaged in such practices and your supply chain.
Shandong Meijia Group has received persons from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China under the 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 schemes which use coercive methods in worker enrollment. Shandong Meijia Group’s website says that Royal Greenland is an international partner of the group.
Does Royal Greenland have any comment or statement to make in light of the above information? Please respond to this email by close of business June 20, 2023."
Royal Greenland's director of Group Marking & Digital, Hanne Kvist, replied: "I’ve received your contact details via my colleague Carsten regarding your query about Royal Greenland’s engagement with Shandong Meijia Group.
Royal Greenland Japan Ltd., a subsidiary of the Royal Greenland Group source various raw material from Greenland for further processing at one of the Meijia Group’s facilities and final distribution in Asian markets.
The Meijia Group is part of Royal Greenland’s Supplier Code of Conduct Program, information that we validate on a regular basis."
The Outlaw Ocean Project replied: "Thank you very much for your response to my query. We have gathered evidence showing ethnic minorities from Xinjiang, including Uyghurs, have been deployed to multiple Shandong Meijia Group facilities and have continued to work at Meijia Group sites as recently as May 2023. We note that Greenland's Supplier Code of Conduct prohibits all forms of forced labor and requires suppliers to undergo social audit by the end of 2022.
Please could you:
- disclose whether Shandong Meijia Group signed your Code of Conduct to indicate their acceptance of Royal Greenland's requirements of its suppliers;
- clarify which Shandong Meijia Group site(s) underwent social audit in 2022, and which auditable standard was used;
- confirm what the audit findings showed with regards to the presence of ethnic minority and migrant workers at the Shandong Meijia Group site(s)."
The Outlaw Ocean Project emailed Royal Greenland's Director of Operations, Carsten Hjortshoj, and Director of Group Marketing and Digital, Hanne Kvist: "We have previously contacted you regarding the findings of our investigation into the use of forced labor in Chinese seafood processing plants, and are emailing you now with details of additional findings.
Trade records show that between 2019 and 2022, Royal Greenland sent dozens of shipments of seafood to a processor in China called Rizhao Rirong Aquatic Products Co. Ltd.
Rizhao Rirong is a Rongsense Group company. The Group has received persons from the Xinjiang region of China since 2017 under the state-imposed labor transfers we referenced in our email to Royal Greenland dated June 14, 2023.
Does Royal Greenland have any comment to make regarding the above information? Please let us know by close of business September 11, 2023, noting that all responses are fully on the record."