The “Together for Positive Impact” event took place at IBM Studios in Milan, bringing together Bolton, WWF, and Oxfam to present the results of their partnerships focused on sustainable fishing, ocean conservation, and human rights within the seafood supply chain. During the event, the organizations announced they would extend both collaborations through 2028 with expanded objectives.
Opening remarks were delivered by Luca Alemanno, CEO of Bolton Food; Alessandra Prampolini, Director General of WWF Italy; and Roberto Barbieri, Executive Director of Oxfam Italy. The speakers emphasized a comprehensive approach to sustainability that integrates economic, environmental, and social factors. They discussed how strategic alliances can drive responsible business practices and sector-wide change.
“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,” said Luca Alemanno. “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.”
Alessandra Prampolini stated: “The major environmental challenges our planet faces today require immediate, bold—and most importantly—collective responses. 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.”
Roberto Barbieri added: “In a world marked by rising inequality companies must take an active role in promoting human rights equity and inclusion across their supply chains. 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.”
Oceans play a key role in climate regulation but are facing significant threats due to overfishing habitat loss and climate change. Data from WWF’s Living Planet Report 2024 show monitored marine populations declined by 56% between 1970-2020 impacting biodiversity food security and coastal community resilience.
Bolton’s partnership with WWF began in 2017 targeting greater sustainability in tuna sourcing across brands such as Rio Mare and Saupiquet. Over eight years efforts increased responsibly sourced tuna from 50.8% in 2017 to 99.7% currently using Marine Stewardship Council certification or Fishery Improvement Projects criteria.
The collaboration has included advocacy work aimed at improving traceability protecting tuna stocks enhancing transparency in supply chains conserving marine habitats such as mangrove forests in Ecuador (8 000 hectares protected) as well as consumer education campaigns reaching eleven countries.
Looking ahead Bolton plans by 2028 to apply new sustainability criteria aligned with international standards—including MSC certification—to at least 95% of its total annual tuna sourcing scaling up from about 130 000 tons per year previously covered under branded products up to roughly 700 000 tons annually which accounts for approximately twelve percent of global tuna catch volume.
By 2030 Bolton aims for all Rio Mare branded tuna products to achieve MSC certification.
On human rights according to an Oxfam Italy survey conducted last year nearly one-third of Italian firms lack proper assessment tools against potential abuses within their operations while only twelve percent have adopted due diligence measures beyond HR departments.
Bolton was first among Italian companies starting multi-country cooperation with Oxfam since 2020 focusing on human rights risk assessments (HRIAs) across key supplier countries including Ecuador Morocco—and ongoing work in Colombia—with action plans developed based on findings addressing gender equality diversity labor freedoms grievance mechanisms living wages among other issues.
The renewed agreement extends these initiatives through at least four more years expanding HRIA coverage into additional regions such as Indonesia continuing system-wide monitoring advocacy efforts alongside implementation support from Oxfam aiming toward broader social responsibility throughout global seafood supply networks.