Source: BL
Context:
India’s listed food companies are making faster progress in managing protein-related supply chain risks across meat, dairy, poultry and seafood. However, climate action and animal welfare remain major gaps, according to the Asian Protein Buyers (APB) 100 benchmark released by Asia Research and Engagement (ARE).
What is APB100?
- An investor-backed benchmark assessing how 100 major Asian protein-buying companies manage:
- Environmental
- Social
- Governance (ESG) risks
- Covers companies across Asia including India, China, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and others.
India’s Performance
- Average score of Indian companies rose from ~7% (2023) to 16% (2025) — more than doubling.
- Based on 13 listed Indian food companies (manufacturers and restaurant chains).
- 11 of 13 companies improved year-on-year.
- Overall performance now broadly matches the Asia average, but India is improving faster than many peers.
Areas Where India Performs Strongly
India shows strongest progress in foundational supply chain governance, including:
- Traceability systems
- Supplier codes and sourcing policies
- Labour standards and due diligence frameworks
These indicate companies are building basic oversight of protein supply chains.
Major Gaps: Climate and Animal Welfare
Climate
- Over half of companies do not disclose climate-related indicators such as:
- Scope 3 emissions
- Transition plans
- Reduction targets
- Limited use of recognised disclosure frameworks.
- Rare commitments to absolute emissions cuts.
Animal Welfare
- Most companies lack:
- Formal policies
- Species-specific standards
- Measurable targets or timelines
- Few reference higher-welfare sourcing (e.g., cage-free or tether-free).
- Limited reporting of actual progress.
These weaknesses mirror broader challenges across Asia.
