Darden Restaurants

Darden provides a percentage breakdown of the top items in its food basket on its company website which it updates on an annual basis. This disclosure is considered best practice and identifies beef as its top-purchased protein representing 22% of its food basket, followed by seafood which represents 10%, poultry and dairy which each represents 9%, and pork which represents 2%. It is unclear what species are represented by poultry, but it is assumed to be majority chicken and eggs as chicken is repeatedly cited in the company’s ‘2023 Annual Report’ as a menu item used in Darden restaurants and the company has an animal welfare policy in place for cage-free eggs.

In 2019, Darden established an Animal Welfare Council which is responsible for continued efforts to improve its animal welfare outcomes. As part of these efforts, the company reports that it has mapped out a framework to work with chicken suppliers on key welfare areas including MIAs. The company does not currently provide details of the goals or objectives outlined in its framework. However, Darden disclosed that in FY23, it engaged with and surveyed all its broiler suppliers on MIAs and found that all of Darden’s vertically integrated supply chain were compliant with FDA guidance for MIAs and most were compliant with guidance from the WHO. Darden does not currently provide further details on which of the five WHO recommendations its vertically integrated chicken supply chain is compliant with. However, in early 2023 the company’s website included a target that Darden is committed to purchasing chicken raised without the use of MIAs by 2030. This commitment has since been removed from the company’s website. If this commitment is still in place, the company can be considered to have a more robust antibiotic policy. Furthermore, Darden reports in its animal welfare policy that it supports FDA guidance that MIAs should no longer be given to farm animals for growth purposes and that all shared-class antibiotics should be used only to treat, prevent, and control disease in farm animals under the supervision of a veterinarian. FAIRR however does not consider this a robust antibiotic policy for the company’s other purchased proteins as it has not banned or restricted any classes of antibiotics beyond complying with local regulations.

This is not applicable as Darden does not have an antibiotic policy in place for any of its purchased proteins; broilers, beef, pork, egg, dairy, and seafood.

For its chicken supply chain, Darden disclosed that there is some tracking of antibiotic data ongoing as in FY23, it surveyed all its broiler suppliers on MIAs and the majority of its vertically integrated supply chain is in compliance with guidance from the WHO for MIAs. The company however has not publicly disclosed its antibiotic usage data. The company does not disclose that it is tracking antibiotic usage data for any of its other purchased proteins.

The company discloses evidence of auditing antibiotic use within its chicken supply chain as in FY23, it surveyed all its broiler suppliers on its compliance with FDA and WHO guidance for MIAs. It is unclear if this included its company-owned and franchised restaurants and both its domestic and international restaurants.

The company does not disclose evidence of a non compliance procedure for its antibiotic use.

The company previously disclosed a target to purchase chicken raised without the use of MIAs by 2030 on its company website. This target was removed sometime during 2023 and it is unclear if it is still in place. The company does not currently disclose evidence of an antibiotic's reduction target for any of its other purchased proteins.

This is not applicable as the company does not currently disclose evidence of an antibiotic's reduction target for any of its purchased proteins.

This is not applicable as the company does not currently disclose evidence of an antibiotic's reduction target for any of its purchased proteins.

Darden acknowledged receipt of the engagement letters, but did not provide a written response to the engagement questions, participate in a dialogue with investors, or provide feedback on its assessment. The company did initially commit to a call with FAIRR, however, this meeting did not materialise.