Associated British Foods (ABF) — Ethics Grade C+

Associated British Foods (ABF) receives an overall ethics grade of C+ (58/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Food & Beverage. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 40
• privacy: 85
• consumer: 65
• environment: 50
• humanRights: 45

Documented incidents (3)

• Wage Theft Allegations (high, 2023) — The Primark brand has been repeatedly linked to labor rights violations in its supply chain, including unpaid wages and excessive overtime in South Asian factories.
• Zambian Tax Avoidance (medium, 2013) — Reports alleged the company avoided millions in taxes in Zambia, one of the world's poorest countries, through complex internal accounting of its sugar operations.
• Sugar Beet Pesticide Use (high, 2021) — The company lobbied for the use of emergency neonicotinoid pesticides in the UK, which are known to be harmful to bee populations.

Documented good deeds

• Sustainable Cotton Program — Primark expanded its sustainable cotton program to train 160,000 farmers in more environmentally friendly farming methods.

Ethical alternatives

• Patagonia — Unmatched commitment to environmental and fair labor practices.