Despite the strategic and economic importance of the agri-food sector, sector-specific environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues are still relatively unidentified. Definitions are often quite broad and the relevance of ESG risks is seen rather elastically. The diversity of risks and interdependencies inherent to the agri-food sector are not fully explained, and are therefore poorly understood by stakeholders. Yet, this sector alone is responsible for 10% of Quebec’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In addition, there are issues of food waste, consumption habits, waste management, working conditions and compliance with standards. This represents potentially significant financial and reputational risks for companies. In this study, the authors examine the issues associated with ESG risks in the agri-food sector, and put forward elements that could improve the monitoring of companies' ESG performance and thus help to mitigate these risks. The authors provide an overview of the issues and practices in this field, in order to better understand the motivations for implementing these practices, the key issues in the agri-food sector and the main initiatives adopted by companies.