Catalysing progress towards responsible supply chains

What is the Accountability Framework and why was it created?  

The Accountability Framework is a roadmap for achieving responsible supply chains in agriculture and forestry. It guides companies on effective ways to end commodity-driven deforestation, conversion, and human rights abuses. Additionally, the Framework enables civil society groups, financial institutions, policymakers, and other stakeholders to strengthen and align policies, guidelines, and metrics for corporate action. 

We developed the Framework because we saw that despite pledges from companies to transform their commodity supply chains, implementation was falling short. This was partly because stakeholder expectations and assessment methods were not well aligned, so companies lacked the clarity they needed to act. To help close that gap, we created the Accountability Framework to establish a common approach for achieving responsible supply chains that is applicable worldwide and across all agricultural and forestry commodities.  

How were different perspectives incorporated into the Framework?  

The Accountability Framework is based on international norms and reflects broad consensus about good practices for responsible supply chains. It integrates inputs from companies, civil society, industry groups, investors, regulators, scientists, and many others. The Framework combines these perspectives and expertise into a single resource for effective action.  

When developing the Framework, we conducted consultation events in numerous locations around the world, including tropical commodity-producing countries such as Cameroon, Ghana, Indonesia, Liberia, and Malaysia. This process generated insights on key topics addressed in the Framework, such as smallholder inclusion, traceability, and supplier engagement.  

Companies themselves are also important sources of ideas and innovation for addressing complex supply chain challenges. These advancements are often developed alongside the service providers they work with and the multi-stakeholder initiatives in which they participate. The AFi engages continuously with these stakeholder groups to share insights with the aim of accelerating progress towards common goals.  

How does the Framework help drive improvements in supply chains and production landscapes?  

The Accountability Framework helps companies that produce or source agricultural and forestry commodities to set clear policies, take effective action, and credibly report progress. It offers a holistic and integrated approach to managing deforestation, conversion, and human rights risks across an entire business. It also helps align action on these core topics with broader goals for climate, nature, and sustainable development. 

Other stakeholders also use the Framework to support long-term protection nature and benefits for producers in commodity-producing landscapes. For example, governments use it to inform policies for more sustainable production and trade of forest-risk commodities. And civil society groups use it to guide how they engage with companies, advocate for improvements, and hold supply chain actors accountable for their impacts. By helping to strengthen the enabling environment through pathways such as these, the Framework supports protection of forests, natural ecosystems, and human rights on the ground.  

How do companies benefit from using the Accountability Framework?  

The Accountability Framework offers companies a ‘one stop shop’ for understanding what’s required to address deforestation and human rights across their agricultural and forestry supply chains. It supports companies in taking an integrated approach to addressing the growing set of mandates that they face. These include new regulations, investor action, disclosure obligations, buyer requirements, and civil society expectations. Because the Framework incorporates all these perspectives, following it gives companies confidence that their actions will fulfil multiple obligations and stakeholder expectations while driving meaningful progress.  

Behind the scenes, the AFi is also an important force for creating broad alignment in supply chain requirements, good practices, and metrics. This saves companies time and reduces confusion as they navigate the multitude of guidelines and initiatives pertaining to responsible supply chains. Having this common reference has contributed to scaling-up ambition, action, and progress towards achieving responsible supply chains worldwide.  

What are some examples of how the Framework has supported companies?  

Hundreds of companies have directly applied the Accountability Framework to help set and achieve responsible supply chain goals. These include Bayer, BMW Group, Kingfisher, L’Oreal, Mars, Musim Mas, Neste, Nestlé, Walmart, and many more. UK grocery retailer Sainsbury’s, for example, used the Framework's definitions and cutoff date guidance in the company’s sustainable sourcing policies for a range of agricultural commodities. The policies support the grocer’s commitment to being deforestation- and conversion-free across its own brand supply chains by 2025. Sainsbury’s also used the Framework to guide its engagement in landscape and jurisdictional approaches.   

Thousands more companies use industry guidelines, tools, and standards that have aligned with the Framework. One example is The Consumer Goods Forum Forest Positive Coalition of Action (FPC), a group of 21 food and beverage manufacturers, packaged goods companies, and retailers. With support from the AFi, FPC members developed a theory of change, agreed key definitions, set cutoff dates for deforestation, and established sourcing guidance for key forest-risk commodities. The FPC also published Framework-aligned commodity roadmaps for beef, palm oil, soy, and pulp, paper and timber. Members and their suppliers use these roadmaps to take action and report on progress in a systematic and transparent way.