Together for Positive Impact: Bolton, WWF, and Oxfam Come Together to Share Transformative Partnerships for Ocean Protection and Human Rights in the Seafood Supply Chain

The event “Together for Positive Impact” was held at IBM Studios in Milan, organized by Bolton, WWF, and Oxfam to showcase the concrete results achieved through transformative partnerships aimed at promoting more sustainable fishing practices, protecting ocean ecosystems, and safeguarding human rights throughout the seafood supply chain. The event also served as an opportunity to announce the renewal of both partnerships through 2028, with even more ambitious goals for the future.

The event opened with speeches by Luca Alemanno, CEO of Bolton Food, Alessandra Prampolini, Director General of WWF Italy, and Roberto Barbieri, Executive Director of Oxfam Italy. Building on their ongoing collaboration, the speakers shared an integrated and holistic vision of sustainability, economic, environmental, and social. The discussion explored how transformative alliances can foster a more responsible business model, capable of driving systemic change across the entire sector.

“Today, a company that truly wants to embrace sustainability in all its dimensions must take full responsibility for its impact: not only by improving its own performance, but by actively contributing to broader, systemic change,” says Luca Alemanno, CEO of Bolton Food. “At Bolton, sustainability is an integral part of the way we do business—guided by a long-term vision and focused on creating lasting value for all stakeholders. In a complex industry like seafood, where environmental and social challenges are deeply interconnected, we have chosen not to walk this path alone. We have built strong alliances—such as those with WWF and Oxfam—that have guided us with expertise and integrity along a transformative journey. For us, this is the essence of responsible leadership: setting a clear direction, joining forces to create the conditions for real impact, and having the courage to tackle even the most difficult challenges.”

“The major environmental challenges our planet faces today require immediate, bold—and most importantly—collective responses,” said Alessandra Prampolini, CEO of WWF Italy. “At WWF, we’ve always believed in the value of strategic partnerships with the private sector, provided they are built on concrete, measurable commitments. Projects like our collaboration with Bolton are virtuous examples of how companies can be guided through complex but impactful sustainability journeys that make a real difference for ecosystems and supply chains. Working together also means joining forces to advocate for ambitious policy decisions on ocean management—ensuring that change doesn’t remain isolated, but becomes an inspiration and a benchmark for the entire industry.”

“In a world marked by rising inequality, companies must take an active role in promoting human rights, equity, and inclusion across their supply chains,” said Roberto Barbieri, CEO of Oxfam Italy. “At Oxfam, we work daily to build alliances that raise these standards, challenging the private sector to do its part transparently and responsibly. We recognize the regulatory and operational challenges companies face, which is why we promote a realistic, step-by-step approach—one that acknowledges concrete progress, tackles root causes, and engages all stakeholders. Partnering with companies like Bolton enables us to build tangible pathways that can serve as positive benchmarks, contributing to systemic change that benefits millions of workers and communities around the world.”
 

COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES AND OCEAN PROTECTION

Context
Often called the blue lungs of our planet for their role in regulating the climate and producing oxygen, oceans are facing an increasingly severe crisis. According to WWF’s Living Planet Report 2024, monitored marine populations have declined by 56% between 1970 and 2020—mainly due to overfishing, habitat degradation, and climate change. This decline threatens not only marine biodiversity but also food security and the socioeconomic resilience of coastal communities. (Source: LPR 2024)

The Bolton–WWF Partnership
In this context, the renewal—now in its third consecutive cycle—of the Bolton–WWF partnership for another four years is more relevant than ever. The partnership between WWF and Bolton’s Food Business Unit (including well-known brands such as Rio Mare and Saupiquet) stands as one of the longest-standing and most advanced collaborations between a company and a global NGO in the seafood sector.

Launched in 2017, the partnership focused on building a roadmap to make Bolton’s entire tuna supply chain more sustainable.
Starting from 50.8% in 2017 and with the goal of reaching 100% by the end of 2024, the company has, after eight years of sustained effort and investment, achieved a significant milestone: today, 99.7% of Bolton’s tuna is responsibly sourced, either certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or coming from credible and robust Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs).

This milestone reflects the substantial progress made and the concrete impact of the joint commitments, demonstrating how long-term, science-based collaboration can transform seafood supply chains and inspire broader industry change.
The partnership also included advocacy efforts with global decision-makers and institutions responsible for ocean and fishery management, aimed at driving concrete actions to protect tuna stocks, enhance traceability and transparency, and conserve marine ecosystems.

Today, 100% of Rio Mare and Saupiquet branded tuna products are fully traceable “from ocean to plate,” with real-time information available to consumers. Since 2018, consumer awareness campaigns have also been implemented under the “Together for the Oceans” initiative, which has reached 11 countries and has become an official educational project in Italy—approved by the Ministry of Education and reaching 70% of Italian primary schools over six years.

Additionally, the partnership has supported biodiversity conservation projects, such as the protection of 8,000 hectares of mangrove forest in Ecuador—a vital ecosystem for the planet.

New Goals
Over the next four years, the partnership will significantly expand its scope. Bolton will apply sustainability criteria not just to branded tuna, but to all the tuna it sources—scaling from about 130,000 to 700,000 tons per year, representing roughly 12% of global tuna catch.

By 2028, Bolton aims to source at least 95% of its tuna according to newly defined sustainable fisheries criteria, aligned with top international standards (e.g., MSC certification, ISSF conservation measures). These criteria cover stock health, abundance, and responsible management practices—with the ambition of creating a replicable model to help advance the entire industry.
By 2030, Bolton also aims for 100% of Rio Mare tuna to be certified by the MSC.
 

COMMITMENT TO HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Context
According to a 2023 survey conducted by Oxfam Italy, nearly one-third of Italian companies do not adequately assess the risk of human rights violations in their operations. Only 12% have adopted due diligence tools, and in more than 60% of cases, human rights are solely managed by HR, without involvement from key functions such as procurement or operations.

The Bolton–Oxfam Partnership
In this context, Bolton was the first Italian company to establish a multi-country partnership with Oxfam, starting in 2020, with the goal of protecting and empowering people and communities in the seafood supply chain.

Over the past four years, the two organizations have worked together to assess and strengthen Bolton’s human rights policies. They also conducted Human Rights Impact Assessments (HRIAs) in three of Bolton’s major tuna sourcing countries—Ecuador, Morocco, and Colombia (ongoing)—using Oxfam’s methodology.

A central element of these assessments was the development and implementation of three-year action plans to prevent, mitigate, and remediate actual and potential risks identified during the HRIA process.

New Goals
To continue leading this change, Bolton and Oxfam have renewed their partnership through 2028, with the aim of extending HRIA work to other Bolton’s key sourcing geographies, such as Indonesia.

Oxfam will continue to support the implementation of action plans in Ecuador, Morocco, and Colombia—addressing gender equality, diversity, freedom of association, access to grievance mechanisms, and living wages.
Bolton will also continue to roll out its due diligence system, developed with Oxfam’s support, to monitor and ensure compliance with its human rights policies across its entire supply chain.

Finally, Oxfam will work alongside Bolton to identify opportunities for public advocacy that can help shift the entire industry toward stronger social sustainability and human rights protection.

Transformative partnerships like those Bolton has forged with WWF and Oxfam offer a tangible, replicable model for any company that views sustainability not as a constraint, but as a lever for value and competitiveness. These alliances show that true leadership is expressed through collaboration—by addressing the most pressing environmental and social challenges with rigor, and turning supply chains into engines of positive change.