USA: Kroger's shareholders called upon to push supermarket to implement heat protections for supply chain workers; incl. investor responses and non-responses
At Kroger's annual shareholder meeting in June 2024, farmworkers in the company's supply chain called on the US's largest supermarket to address the growing risk of extreme heat for workers growing its produce. Specifically, farmworkers are calling on the supermarket to publish a "just transition" report, examining these risks. The proposal was introduced by Domini Impact Investments and directed towards Kroger's top investors - Vanguard, BlackRock and Berkshire Hathaway, according to reporting by Civil Eats.
In August 2024, the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre requested a response from the three investors. None responded.
The latest demands from farmworkers come after years of pressure on Kroger to establish stronger labour protections on supplier farms - including by joining the Fair Food Program.