Manage commodity production

Ethical supply chains begin with practices on the ground – at the sites where commodities are produced and processed. Companies that own or manage farms, plantations, forests, and primary processing operations play a lead role in implementing these practices. This page explains how the Accountability Framework can be used to guide policies and actions related to responsible commodity production.

The Framework can help your company to understand and implement key elements of responsible land acquisition and management, following Core Principles 7 and 8. These include:

• legal, environmental, and social due diligence processes
• free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) processes prior to initiating practices related to commodity production
• mechanisms to ensure long-term protection of conservation and cultural values on and around production units
• respecting workers´ rights in production and primary processing

The Framework’s Core Principle 9 and associated guidance can help your company design and implement appropriate remedy in the case of adverse impacts to human rights. It also guides effective restoration or compensation actions in the case of non-compliant deforestation or ecosystem conversion. It defines good practice for developing effective grievance mechanisms to detect and address environmental and social harms in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.