Fairtrade’s New Human Rights & Environmental Risks Map
Published 20 February 2023
To help FMCG companies and agricultural organisations meet tightening legal obligations regarding their human rights and environmental standards, global certification body Fairtrade has launched a risk map. The online framework outlines a company’s due diligence responsibilities, especially in terms of identification, prevention and reduction of potential harms and risks.
The map covers people- and planet-related risks – and associated root causes (such as poverty, inequality and exploitation) – presented by the production of commodities like bananas, cocoa, coffee, honey and wine grapes, with more products to be added in the coming months.
It outlines the issues that currently affect the 129 countries where Fairtrade operates, including human concerns, such as gender rights, living wage and forced labour, and environmental matters, such as water, biodiversity and climate change.
The framework is applicable to products and their related origin countries in all supply chains – not exclusively those that are Fairtrade-certified. This means all farmers and companies can address these risks and causes.
“The risk map can facilitate a transparent dialogue between supply chain actors and help companies in building effective responses to address the greatest risks, avoiding further harm to farming communities and the planet,” said Marike de Peña, president of the Fairtrade Producer Network for Latin America and the Caribbean.
With agriculture demanding 70% of freshwater withdrawals globally, and one in five employed people living in poverty (Fairtrade, 2023), initiatives like this are crucial to establish a more sustainable and equitable food and beverage industry.
Want to know more?
This article is an example of Stylus' expert research into how trends are evolving. Get in touch so someone from the Stylus team can explain how your business can harness the power of trends and insights like these – and more.
