Isabel
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 23 October 2026 · 9 sources
Spanish canned tuna brand of Conservas Garavilla, part of Bolton Group.
Isabel can't show that the workers who make its products in Ecuador and Morocco earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Also worth knowing
It has no full independent audit.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and unaudited production in high-risk countries. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 2 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsSome of its products are made in countries such as Ecuador and Thailand, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listMakes its products in its own factories
- Not met: Traces its catch to the boat or farm and has crews' or farm workers' conditions checked independently
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made partly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Isabel's own disclosure: it makes its products in its own factories. Its list covers only part of its range. The rest is shown as where fish and seafood are usually processed.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecuador | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Spain | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Morocco | Regular violations | Well below a living wage | Low |
| ThailandUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| AustraliaUsual for the industry | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| NorwayUsual for the industry | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: fishing fleets and processing plants have some of the worst documented forced labour, including trafficked crews held at sea for years.
- Owns or runs its own production
- Has crews' and farm workers' conditions checked independently (e.g. a vessel standard such as RFVS, or third-party crew interviews)
- It traces some of its catch or holds environmental labels such as MSC, ASC or BAP, but doesn't show both that its catch is traced to the boat or farm and that crews' or farm workers' conditions are checked independently.
Research notes Garavilla makes Isabel in its own plants at O Grove and Cabo de Cruz (Spain), Agadir (Morocco) and Manta (Ecuador), and runs four tuna seiners flagged in Spain and Ecuador. Isabel in Spain is 100% certified to AENOR's Atún de Pesca Responsable vessel standard, which checks crews' conditions against ILO Convention 188. Oxfam assessed plant workers and crews in Ecuador and Morocco and an action plan on wages, agency work and grievances followed, but findings were not published. No vessel list is published and only 12 products carry MSC.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| KnowTheChain | Not covered | Bolton Group is not among the companies assessed in the 2026 KnowTheChain food and beverage benchmark. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 9
Show all 9 sources
- 2026 KnowTheChain Food and Beverage Benchmark (BHRRC) · search the archive · List of companies assessed in 2026; Bolton not included
- Bolton Food first-year assessment shows stronger efforts needed on human rights (Greenpeace, 2021) · May 2021: Greenpeace says Bolton Food (owner of Isabel) human rights progress remains to be seen; Tri-Marine vessels lacked evidence of compliance
- Grupo Conservas Garavilla non-financial report 2022 (EINF) · search the archive · Plants at O Grove and Cabo de Cruz (ES), Agadir (MA, Nouvelle Cosarno), Manta (EC); four own vessels; 2,924 staff; APR covers ILO 188 crew rights; 12 MSC products
- Conservas Garavilla publica su EINF 2022 (Corresponsables) · search the archive · Isabel brand 100% APR certified in Spain; vessel code aligned with ILO C188; Ecuador human rights impact assessment with Oxfam
- Las primeras latas con el sello APR Aenor Conform llegarán de la mano de Isabel (Alimarket, 2019) · search the archive · APR standard covers labour conditions on board under ILO Convention 188; Isabel among first brands certified
- Spanish tuna sustainable from sea to can (World Fishing, 2019) · search the archive · AENOR-certified UNE 195006 standard guarantees ILO C188 working conditions on OPAGAC tuna seiners
- Where do Isabel cans come from? (Ara in English, 2025) · search the archive · Isabel plants in Spain, Ecuador and North Africa; own fleet since 1970; owned by Bolton since 2015; sold mainly in Spain
- Oxfam-Bolton Partnership Report 2020-2024 · search the archive · HRIA of Conservas Isabel Ecuatoriana (1,600+ workers) and fleet; three-year action plan on living wage, agency workers, grievances, bargaining
- Human Rights Impact Assessment of Bolton Food's Canned Tuna Operations in Morocco (Oxfam, 2025) · search the archive · HRIA of Nouvelle Cosarno, Agadir: over 400 workers, 71% of manual workers women
Company details
- Headquarters
- Spain
- Employees
- About 2,924
- Last researched
- 23 October 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Isabel ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/isabel, last researched 23 October 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
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Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Isabel.