Social Responsibility

Three pillars underpin sustainable development:

1. Economics: Healthy profits
2. Environment: Healthy planet
3. Social: Healthy people

Without social responsibility, sustainable development is not possible.

What does social responsibility mean to the GSI?

For the GSI, social responsibility means businesses proactively managing the impacts of their operations and supporting employees, customers, local communities, and individuals within their value and supply chains to ensure we are having a positive contribution to the places where we operate.

Many factors make up social responsibility, and the GSI sees the following as most critical to ensuring inclusive social stability and growth within the salmon farming industry:

• Decent work for all
• Access to quality education
• Thriving communities
• Good health and wellbeing
• Healthy environments

Within the GSI, we want to support our members in promoting the highest levels of social responsibility across their operations. But on the ground, each company has a number of initiatives in place to promote social responsibility. You can find some examples of this as part of our community engagement section in the GSI Sustainability Report.

Trust as a cornerstone for social responsibility

Trust is vital in all aspects of social responsibility. Without trust, it would be impossible to support our employees, partners and community members. For GSI, responsibility is built through trust, transparency and accountability.

Transparency is one of the GSI’s guiding principles, and each GSI member is required to transparently reports on social performance via the annual industry wide GSI Sustainability Report.

Within the annual GSI Sustainability Reports, members share details and data on a variety of social indicators - which are connected to the ASC certification and Standard to ensure we are meeting the highest social standards.

1. Direct Labor: GSI member operations cover many regions, and their employees are a diverse group, in terms of both culture and areas of work. Nevertheless, all of our members share a common set of core values that promote fair treatment and safe working conditions for all employees across all their operations.
2. Compliance: Salmon farming is a highly regulated industry and all companies must act in accordance with local laws and regulations. GSI members report on their adherence to these regulations.
3. Occupational Health and Safety: Health and safety performance is a key measure of a company’s duty of care, and GSI members aim to ensure the highest levels of occupational health and safety for all employees.
4. R&D Investment: GSI members recognize the importance of investing in R&D as an opportunity to foster innovation and expand knowledge and tools to help improve our farming operations, reduce possible operational risks and ensure continuous progress towards sustainable salmon farming.
5. Community Engagement: GSI’s local operations actively engage with local communities and stakeholders to ensure we act as responsible corporate citizens and support development of the communities in which we operate.

The work of the GSI is powered by the people within it. From our member’s leadership, to R&D teams, fish health experts, feed specialists, and of course the farmers; it is their work which is shaping the future of the industry. Social responsibility is therefore a priority to our members, who continue to respect the values, health and wellbeing, and the rights of their employees and the communities in which they operate.

Sophie Ryan, Chief Executive Officer, GSI