In their responses to BHRRC, HP Hood, Ahold Delhaize, and Agri-Mark all reference the “Farmers Assuring Responsible Management” (FARM) program, created by the National Milk Producers Federation. As has previously been demonstrated by Migrant Justice in a detailed rejoinder to past company claims, FARM does not provide human rights due diligence.

The “on-farm assessments” referenced in company responses are not designed to ensure supplier compliance with Ahold Delhaize’s Standards of Engagement or any other human rights standards. By FARM’s admission, the evaluations do not result in any corrective action plans…

In its response, Ahold Delhaize additionally states that “third-party audits” in Hannaford’s dairy supply chain constitute “thorough due diligence review.” At Ahold Delhaize’s Annual General Meeting on April 9th, 2025, the company claimed to have conducted “six to seven audits between [20]23 and [20]24,” yet farmworkers in Hannaford’s dairy supply chain have seen no evidence of any audits occurring, nor of any changes to farm conditions resulting from the alleged audits. The company has not made public any information regarding the results of any audits conducted.

Thankfully, an alternative does exist: the Milk with Dignity Program has a demonstrable track record of human rights due diligence in the Northeast dairy sector…