Tyson Foods, one of US’ largest meatpackers, will hire an independent group to carry out its racial (or equity) audits. Following the pandemic, which impacted already marginalized groups, and the racial justice protests in 2020, investors had filed proposals for Tyson to carry out a racial audit.

So what?

Tyson Foods faced numerous complaints and legal actions regarding its treatment of workers, especially those staffing the slaughterhouses, following findings of discriminatory behaviour whose effects became exacerbated during the pandemic.

The audits analyse the business practices of companies to determine whether they contribute to racial discrimination and inequity. The results of the audits can lead to changes in company practices. Following Airbnb’s audit in 2016, the company implemented a Community Commitment and Non-Discrimination Policy and denied 1.3 million people access to the platform for refusing to agree to the policy.

Changes in the workplace in industries such as meatpacking and other similar labour-intensive industries is long overdue. Following the change in the US landscape following the racial protests in 2020, niche practices such as racial audits might finally be entering mainstream.