Four key elements for streamlined reporting
The Framework’s Operational Guidance identifies four key elements of reporting that apply to all agricultural and forestry commodities.
Read MoreTwo years. One coalition.
We have built the consensus and clarity around ethical supply chains that companies need to meet their goals for forest & ecosystem protection, human rights, and emissions reductions. Explore how the Accountability Framework initiative can support your journey to sustainability and sign up to our newsletter for regular updates.
SubscribeWe’re celebrating two years of the Accountability Framework. It is now used by producers, processors, traders, and manufacturers around the world to build ethical supply chains for agricultural and forest products. It has been adopted by some of the world’s biggest companies, such as McDonald’s, and influential industry groups like the Consumer Goods Forum, as well as by upstream companies in producing regions that are just beginning their sustainability journey.
The Framework supports streamlined and simplified reporting, as major reporting platforms such as CDP Forests and the Global Reporting Initiative align with its principles and guidance. Companies also use the Accountability Framework to improve their sustainability ratings on Framework-aligned corporate performance assessments like Forest 500, WWF commodity scorecards, and ZSL SPOTT.
Contact us to find out about the Framework and how to use it in your organization.
The Accountability Framework can help everyone to speak the same language, making it faster and easier for all of us to deliver on commitments.
Michel Santos
Senior Director, Global Sustainability, Bunge
It meant that we didn't have to hash out all of the definitions right then and there and could focus instead on key principles...It was that powerful.
Rose McCulloch
Senior Consultant, Efeca
What does the Framework offer? It addresses deforestation. It addresses responsible acquisition of land. It addresses responsible engagement of stakeholders, including local or indigenous communities. It addresses workers’ rights and land rights. It's an extremely important tool to support the effective implementation of these processes.
Nana Darko Cobbina
Director of Africa Regional Programmes, Proforest
As companies, we all want rules of the game. We all want to know what we can report against transparently to demonstrate to stakeholders that we're really making these efforts in our supply chains. The Accountability Framework allows us to do that in a really clear and detailed way.
Rachael Sherman
Director Global Sustainability, McDonald's Corporation
...the ECCAS Commission endorses the Core Principles and definitions proposed by the Accountability Framework initiative and considers them extremely important to support decision-making around economic investment, human well-being, environmental protection and the fight against climate change in ECCAS member states.
Honoré Tabuna, PhD
Commissioner, Department of Environment, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Rural Development, Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)
The AFI represents a vision of addressing human rights and ecological concerns concurrently and in a way that values them as inexplicably linked – not competitive – goals.
Shawn MacDonald
CEO, Verité
The Framework offers some practical guidance about how you can make progress on a difficult task: eliminating deforestation in your supply chain.
Rod Taylor
Global Forests Director, World Resources Institute
We see an opportunity to use the Accountability Framework as a litmus test to check some of the commitments that the private sector has made.
Obed Owusu-Addai
Campaigner, EcoCare Ghana
[The UK Roundtable on Responsible Soya and AFi definitions] helped to bring industry together in the same room and move forward, confident that we were taking an approach consistent with other global actors and markets.
Laura Falk
Group Sustainable Sourcing Manager, Sainsbury's Group
The Accountability Framework provides a common baseline that makes it simpler for companies to understand what they need to do in response to major environmental issues, and easier for conservation groups to align around a common approach.
Glenn Hurowitz
CEO, Mighty Earth
The Accountability Framework will enable companies to feel confident that the actions they're taking to address deforestation and conversion will satisfy their stakeholders' expectations and have a positive impact.
Akiva Fishman
Manager, Forests, WWF
The AFi set the bar for the level of accountability that environmental NGOs expect from forest product companies. This has helped make the case for a more detailed assessment of paper mills, through direct visits, in potentially high-risk areas.
Neil Everett
Senior Partner, Carnstone
One of the biggest added values of the Framework is that it reflects the consensus of a wide group of NGOs. Companies now have a standard ask they can refer to when setting and implementing commitments.
Mike Senior
Deputy Director - Conservation & Land Use, Proforest
Being a part of the AFi has been very positive for us because we were able to bring the context of our regions into the process of developing the Accountability Framework.
Joseph Osei
Director, Resourcetrust Network Ghana
CDP is a member of the AFi coalition and, since 2019, has specifically designed the Forests Questionnaire around the AFi principles and terminology and guidance. Companies familiar with the AFi will be better able to report to, and score well on, the CDP questionnaire and companies completing the questionnaire will be simultaneously reporting against the Framework.
Nikki Bartlett
Executive Director, CDP
Messages from our coalition
A key tool for commodity roundtable members
Efeca has worked to integrate the Framework’s guidance into UK Sustainable Palm Oil and Soya initiatives.
Auditing beef and soybean supply chains in the Amazon and Cerrado
Imaflora uses Accountability Framework criteria in its Beef on Track and Soy on Track programs.
Verité helps to develop Framework guidance on workers’ rights
Supply chain “sustainability” is best pursued by considering the needs of people, communities, and ecosystems combined.
How CDP aligned with the Accountability Framework
CDP collaborated with other AFi coalition members to provide clarity on best practice for corporate reporting.
Two tools for more responsible supply chains
Companies benefit from using Rainforest Alliance certification alongside the Framework.
Companies are changing to make cocoa ethical
Supply Change found companies are using the Accountability Framework to drive positive outcomes in cocoa-producing regions.
Mighty Earth's campaigns build on the Framework
The Accountability Framework emboldens Mighty Earth’s campaign for private sector action.
Applying the Framework worldwide
Podcast: Solving the traceability challenges for uncertified palm oil
How to work with suppliers to improve traceability and transparency from non-certified sources.
Book Chain Project case study
Developing a methodology to assess paper mills’ forest-sourcing practices.
UK Roundtable on Sustainable Soya
Creating an umbrella for sustainable sourcing goals across the soy sector.
McDonald's case study
Building deforestation- and conversion-free supply chains for a global business.
Supporting multi-stakeholder efforts in Colombia
AFi partners help dairy company Alquería to set short- and medium-term ethical targets.
Building an ethical oil palm supply chain in Ghana
Benso Oil Palm Plantation in Ghana used the Accountability Framework to manage their certified and non-certified supply.
The power of collective action in Southeast Asia
The AFi Southeast Asia regional coalition is addressing critical gaps in the mainstreaming of ethical supply chains.
Cargill’s Connected4Change platform
Managing supplier compliance consistent with the Accountability Framework.
Delivering the right tools for the job
Pathway for companies to raise their ambition
CDP highlights 15 key performance indicators that companies should use to address deforestation.
Read More
Company training webinar series
Webinars introducing the Framework and its value for companies. Learn how to set supply chain goals, implement them and report on progress.
Read MoreGet in touch
Would you like personal support as you get started with the Framework? Do you have a question, comment, request, or feedback? We want to hear from you!
Contact us