![]() ![]() ![]() Ethical sourcing, of type demonstrated by Princes signing pre-harvest tomato supply contracts in southern Italy to stamp out exploitation of migrant workers, can further assist food and drink companies to counter the problem.īut Clarke warned the cost-of-living crisis is widening the gap between the sector’s profit margins and the working conditions of those who make those profits possible. Cooperative models can support responsible and sustainable sourcing, for example, while Human Rights Impact Assessments (HRIAs) identify and respond to human rights impacts in value chains. Solutions exist for global food and beverage manufacturers to identify labour abuses in their supply chains. “At a time when forced labour risks are being exacerbated by the converging geopolitical, economic and climate crises, it is alarming to see how little is being done by companies to protect the workers in their supply chains.” People who harvest, pick, catch, process and pack commodities and products in global food supply chains are relied upon as essential workers – but the critical role played by workers in this sector is not reflected in corporate approaches to protect them,” said Áine Clarke, Head of KnowTheChain and Investor Strategy, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. “The food system is a cornerstone of the global economy, accounting for up to two thirds of all jobs. These companies have ‘consistently failed to demonstrate even basic relevant policies and practices to address worker exploitation which is inherent in the sector’. Meanwhile, some companies have disclosed little to no improvement in six years, the report added. Only half the benchmarked companies scored more than 10/100, in stark contrast with the top-scoring companies such as UK supermarket Tesco (52/100) and Australian retailer Woolworths (56/100). More than a third (37%) of companies have yet to disclose how they carry out a human rights risk assessment on their supply chains, the report said, including meat companies Hormel (9/100), JBS (4/100), Tyson (3/100) and WH Group (0/100).ĭespite momentum building for human rights due diligence legislation around the world – which threatens to bring legal, financial and reputational consequences for companies failing to comply – there is a complete absence of a level playing field in the sector when it comes to addressing forced labour exploitation, according to the analysis. Furthermore, companies fail to identify and report human rights risks, despite high-risk sourcing. The report added not nearly enough is being done by companies to address exploitative recruitment practices (13/100), which often leave already vulnerable workers indebted and struggling. Emulsifiers, stabilisers, hydrocolloidsĪnalysis from the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre has revealed companies in the sector are failing to identify and prevent abuses, with migrant workers – who are frequently hired in food and beverage supply chains – often facing the worst consequences of this inaction.Īfter six years of benchmarking progress is stagnating in the sector, the group said, which is cause for concern, especially against the backdrop of current geo-political and climate crises.įorced labour incidents and exploitative practices are frequently reported in high-risk commodities such as fish, beans, cattle, coffee, rice, tea, tomato and wheat.Ĭompanies also perform particularly poorly when it comes to preventative measures, such as supporting freedom of association and collective bargaining, incorporating the voices of workers into due diligence processes (9/100) and remedy efforts, including fee repayments and remediating harm to workers (6/100).Chocolate and confectionery ingredients.Carbohydrates and fibres (sugar, starches). ![]()
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