Companies conduct or support responsible management of production and primary processing sites commensurate with their roles in the supply chain. This includes protecting each site’s conservation and cultural values and fully respecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and workers.
These actions are critical to help fulfil commitments related to forests and other natural ecosystems (Core Principle 1), respect for land rights (Core Principle 2.2), and respect for workers’ rights (Core Principle 2.3). Companies that own, control, or manage commodity production or primary processing operations are most directly responsible for applying this Principle. Companies that source from producers or suppliers should ensure that these practices are applied by their suppliers in line with Core Principle 8.4.
8.1 The company conducts or supports management activities necessary to ensure long-term protection of the above-mentioned values and rights on production units, primary processing operations, and adjacent areas. If mechanisms for management, monitoring, and long-term protection were defined as part of the site establishment process, these are implemented and adapted as needed to remain effective. If such mechanisms were not defined, the company develops management and monitoring plans to ensure effective long-term protection of these values and rights.
8.2 The company effectively implements its obligations to respect workers’ rights, as specified in Core Principle 2.3. This includes measures to assess risk, detect adverse impacts, take precautions, and remedy harms specifically with respect to migrant workers, other vulnerable workers, child labour, recruitment practices, and dangerous work tasks.
8.3 In the case of ongoing conflict or negative social or environmental impacts associated with the company’s prior actions or site management practices, the company takes steps to address and remedy such harms, consistent with Core Principle 9.
8.4 The company ensures that its direct and indirect suppliers that own or manage land are fulfilling the preceding elements or following a time-bound plan to do so. This may require the buyer to support effective site management and long-term protection through financial, technical, or other effective means.
Additional detail related to Core Principle 8 is available in the following Operational Guidance: