Regulatory Impact on the Sustainability Information of Mexican and Spanish Agri-Food Companies: An Exploratory Analysis

Abstract

In recent decades, increasing concern for the environment and climate change has led society to demand that companies adopt sustainable practices in their operations. In response, some countries are driving various initiatives and laws to ensure the good performance of companies in terms of sustainability. This study aims to conduct an exploratory analysis comparing the quantity of sustainability information disclosed by Mexican and Spanish agri-food companies operating within different regulatory contexts. For this purpose, content analysis is applied to 12 sustainability reports that follow the Global Reporting Initiative standards. Analysis reveals a generally low level of disclosure of sustainability information across all companies, with a higher level of disclosure noted for those that are not audited. The level of disclosure increases slightly for less sensitive information, such as that related to Social and Employee Local Communities. Consequently, agri-food companies should exert greater effort to ensure that the disclosed information ensures transparency. Furthermore, audit systems may have enhanced the quality of sustainability reports.