Read as pdf: BCorp Work  Public Advocacy.pdf

We are committed to running a business that would make your pet proud. One that takes a transparent, ethical, and responsible approach to our involvement in government affairs.

Get ready for this next sentence… This policy guides Edgard & Cooper in ensuring our advocacy activities are based on reliable and, where applicable, scientific data and support positive social and environmental impact, reflect our organizational values, and maintain our ambition to create long-lasting benefit for our industry, by establishing clear principles for policy engagement.

So what’s this policy cover? It applies to the entire Edgard & Cooper Group, including all four Healthy Pets subsidiaries across Europe and the United Kingdom. It covers all forms of direct and indirect advocacy, including participation in trade associations, industry bodies, intermediary organizations, and multi-stakeholder platforms where policy influence or public representation may occur.

If you’re a big fan of memorizing corporate documents, you’ll notice this policy aligns well with our strategic purpose. Edgard & Cooper exists to raise the bar on nutritional standards for pet food and animal welfare, and to reduce our negative impact on the environment.

We only advocate for public policies and regulatory positions that we reasonably expect to deliver a net positive social or environmental impact, even where this may not maximize our short-term commercial interests. All engagements must align with our values and responsible governance expectations.

We use the B Lab Standards as a holistic impact management system to guide our commitments.

By “advocacy” we mean:

This applies whether the activity is carried out by our employees, by contracted lobbyists, or by trade associations and other intermediary organizations that act on our behalf or of which we are a member.

Edgard & Cooper’s direct involvement in advocacy is currently limited. This policy nonetheless applies to any such activity, now or in the future, including through the organizations we belong to.

All advocacy positions and policy engagements are based on precise, truthful, and reliable scientific data.

Reliable data refers to information that is evidence-based, transparent, and derived from credible sources — including peer-reviewed scientific research, recognized international standards, relevant EU food safety and food manufacturing regulations, independent market research, industry expert input, and reputable publicly available datasets from the European Pet Food Industry Federation, UK Pet Food, and the Belgian Petfood Association.

Or as their friends call them, FEDIAF, UKPF, and BEPEFA.

We use these sources to inform our positions and advocacy, ensuring our recommendations are grounded in established scientific knowledge, regulatory best practice, and real-world evidence.

Edgard & Cooper does not make direct financial or in-kind contributions to political parties, political candidates, or political campaigns.

Any potential future involvement of this nature would require prior approval from our Directors and must comply with the principles set out in this policy and applicable law.

All advocacy activities must comply with this policy and align with General Mills’ Public Policy for Greater Good.

Compliance with the Code of Conduct — including its anti-corruption and anti-bribery provisions — is reinforced through mandatory annual training completed by all employees, giving them a recurring touchpoint to refresh their understanding of expectations around gifts, hospitality, and dealings with government officials.

Any suspected cases of bribery, corruption, or unethical conduct must be reported promptly through our grievance procedure.

It’s important to us to partner with others who share our goals in order to advance policy outcomes. Trade associations and independent groups help advance our mission and provide benefits including professional development, best-practice sharing, and business support.

We are active members of the following associations:

Our Managing Director periodically reviews the policy positions and activities of these organizations to assess alignment with Edgard & Cooper’s values, commitments, and responsible advocacy approach.

Where differences in position arise, we make a record of these internally, assigned to an owner, and track through to resolution as part of our broader governance review processes. We also communicate our own stance and seek constructive dialogue to encourage alignment.

If material misalignment persists and cannot be resolved, Edgard & Cooper may reconsider, suspend, or discontinue its participation in the intermediary organization.

At the date of publication, Edgard & Cooper does not conduct direct lobbying of public officials and exerts policy influence primarily through participation in the intermediary organizations listed in this policy.

If this changes, we will update this policy and our public disclosures accordingly.

Potential red lines that would lead us to terminate a collaboration include, but are not limited to:

This policy is approved by Edgard & Cooper’s highest governing body, and is formally reviewed at least annually.

Ongoing accountability for its enforcement is held by the Managing Director, who ensures all advocacy activities are conducted in line with Edgard & Cooper’s values and responsible governance expectations.

The Senior Pet Nutritionist holds operational oversight, coordinating implementation across relevant functions and ensuring advocacy activities remain consistent with our responsible advocacy commitments.

We embed responsible advocacy practices through internal communication and training, so relevant employees understand what’s expected of them in policy engagement.

Governance oversight through periodic review and monitoring keeps advocacy activities aligned with our strategic commitment to positive social and environmental impact.

This policy is also published on our website.

This policy is reviewed at least annually and updated as needed to reflect new advocacy activities.

As part of this review, we consider breaches and non-compliance with respect to:

Alongside the annual review by our highest governing body, our grievance procedure and other governance processes help evaluate the effectiveness and compliance of this control framework.

Identified risks are documented, reviewed, and addressed through corrective action where necessary.

Oversight of compliance monitoring sits within Edgard & Cooper’s broader governance review processes, and is reported at Board level — this reporting is how we evaluate ongoing compliance with the framework itself.

Employees, customers, partners, affected communities, investors, and civil society organizations can all raise concerns about our advocacy or policy engagement through our Stakeholder Grievance & Feedback Procedure, published on our website.

Last updated: 19th September 2026