
FOR COMPANIES
The Accountability Framework is a roadmap for companies to set goals, take action, and report on progress towards addressing deforestation, ecosystem conversion, and human rights in their agricultural and forestry supply chains. It is designed to guide companies from start to finish as they work towards their ethical supply chain goals.
There are seven actions companies can take to improve their sustainability policies and practices. These seven actions are organised around the 12 Core Principles of the Accountability Framework. See below how the Accountability Framework can support your company in carrying out each of these actions.

Learn
Use the Framework as a reference to understand good practice based on the consensus of leading NGOs, key market expectations, and international norms. Different components of the Framework can guide each step of your ethical supply chain journey.
Watch the AFi's webinars on topics like setting goals, collaborating for landscape level impacts, and engaging with suppliers.
Assess
Use the Framework as a benchmark to assess company policies, systems, and actions to achieve ethical supply chains. The AFi’s self-assessment tool facilitates this benchmarking and includes a template for developing an action plan to close any identified gaps.
Design
Use the Framework to guide the creation of company policies, systems, tools, and reporting practices for ethical supply chains.
E-learning platform
The AFi’s e-learning platform gives access to more in-depth training oriented around the action areas featured on this page. It is free and open to all. Learn more or visit the platform today.
Sector-specific action guidelines
The Accountability Framework is a globally-applicable roadmap for ethical supply chains, covering all agriculture and forestry commodities. Several industry and multi-stakeholder initiatives focused on specific commodity sectors have used the Framework to develop or strengthen the guidelines for their member companies to follow. These Framework-aligned guidelines can be used to support commodity-specific goal-setting, implementation, and reporting.
- The Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) modelled its Sustainable Rubber Policy Framework after the Accountability Framework. Companies may use GPSNR’s rubber-specific policy, guidelines, and resources to achieve responsible rubber supply chains in alignment with the Framework.
- The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) Forest Positive Coalition (FPC) developed commodity roadmaps for the palm oil, beef, soy, and pulp/paper/fibre sectors that align with the Accountability Framework’s elements on deforestation- and conversion-free supply chains. Downstream companies such as consumer goods manufacturers and retailers can use these roadmaps and the associated sourcing guidelines to establish policies, source products, and engage suppliers in accordance with those elements of the Accountability Framework.