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Company Response

19 Jan 2021

Response from Wendy's

Wendy’s has an established Supplier Code of Conduct... [that] include[s] additional assurances and requirements related to human rights and labor practices. The decision to expand the Supplier Code of Conduct was due in part to the nature of certain agricultural work, its workforce, and an evaluation of various risk factors.

... For tomatoes specifically, in 2018 Wendy’s also made a change to our sourcing strategy by purchasing our North American tomato supply from indoor, hydroponic greenhouse farms. We find these tomatoes to be superior in quality and taste to outdoor, field-grown tomatoes, and we believe these changes to our supply chain are both responsible and sustainable.

... Wendy’s requirements for human rights and labor practice assurances require covered suppliers to participate in a third-party assessment... [I]n implementing this requirement, Wendy’s evaluated and subsequently authorized several human rights and labor practice frameworks that are consistent with our Supplier Code of Conduct.

... Wendy’s considers the Fair Food Program to be an acceptable certification; however, our understanding is that, at present, none of our covered suppliers use the Fair Food Program framework. Specific to tomatoes, we are not aware of the Fair Food Program operating in the hydroponic greenhouse industry, and today, that is the exclusive source of our tomatoes in North America. We simply have not sourced tomatoes from areas in which the Fair Food Program operates for several years now.

Timeline