Tools for responsible land use planning, land acquisition, and land management are crucial to protecting natural ecosystems and human rights in a supply chain context. This page summarises some leading tools that can help companies implement responsible production systems in accordance with the Accountability Framework’s Core Principles 1, 2, 7, 8, and 9.
High Carbon Stock Approach (HCSA)
The High Carbon Stock Approach is a methodology for integrated land use planning that helps companies to identify natural forests (aligned with the AFi’s definition) and develop measures for their protection. It includes a multi-step site planning process that integrates spatial and ecological planning, participatory land-use planning, environmental and social impact, and other relevant assessments. Companies can use the HCSA to support responsible site acquisition, site establishment, and land management.
The HCSA methodology can be applied for any commodity and in any tropical moist forest landscape. In addition to natural forests, its scope includes certain other natural ecosystems that are found within tropical moist forest landscapes. These include peat soils of any depth as well as High Conservation Value (HCV) areas such as riparian zones. The HCSA is not currently applicable outside of tropical moist forest landscapes and therefore does not address the no-conversion elements of the Accountability Framework (Core Principle 1.2) outside of these contexts, for instance in grassland and savannah biomes.
The HCSA also includes social requirements that align with the Accountability Framework’s Core Principles on respecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and workers. The HCSA methodology for developing an Integrated Conservation and Land Use Plan (ICLUP) further supports putting these principles into practice.
The HCSA Restoration and Remediation Guidance outlines principles and criteria for ecological restoration and social remedy in situations where High Carbon Stock forests, HCV areas, peatlands, or community lands were cleared or degraded contrary to the requirements or process of the HCSA. This restoration and remediation guidance is closely aligned with the Accountability Framework’s Core Principle 9.
High Conservation Value (HCV) Approach
The High Conservation Value Approach is a methodology to identify, protect, and monitor biological, ecological, social, and cultural values of outstanding significance or critical importance. There are six categories of HCVs:
- HCV 1: Concentrations of biological diversity including endemic species and rare, threatened, or endangered species that are significant at global, regional, or national levels.
- HCV 2: Large landscape-level ecosystems, ecosystem mosaics and Intact Forest Landscapes (IFL) that are significant at global, regional or national levels, and that contain viable populations of the great majority of the naturally occurring species in natural patterns of distribution and abundance.
- HCV 3: Rare, threatened, or endangered ecosystems, habitats, or refugia.
- HCV 4: Basic ecosystem services in critical situations, including protection of water catchments and control of erosion of vulnerable soils and slopes.
- HCV 5: Sites and resources fundamental for satisfying the basic necessities of local communities or Indigenous Peoples (for livelihoods, health, nutrition, water, etc.), identified through engagement with these communities or Indigenous Peoples.
- HCV 6: Sites, resources, habitats, and landscapes of global or national cultural, archaeological, or historical significance, and/or of critical cultural, ecological, economic, or religious/sacred importance for the traditional cultures of local communities or Indigenous Peoples, identified through engagement with these local communities or Indigenous Peoples.
The HCV Approach is widely recognised in certification schemes, industry and multi-stakeholder guidelines, company commitments, investment policies, and for conservation priority setting by NGOs and governments.
Companies can use the HCV Approach to help fulfil elements of the Accountability Framework in the following ways:
Protection of forests and other natural ecosystems (Core Principle 1)
Since there is generally considerable overlap between areas that contain HCVs and areas of natural forest and other natural ecosystems addressed in Core Principle 1, companies can apply the HCV Approach as a structured methodology to protect, restore, and monitor conservation values of natural ecosystems in production landscapes. When it is combined with methodologies that identify areas that should not be converted under no-deforestation and no-conversion policies, the HCV Approach can be part of a holistic approach for protecting conservation values both within and outside of natural ecosystems. For example, the HCV Approach is integrated into the High Carbon Stock Approach to provide an overall process for implementing no-deforestation commitments while protecting and managing conservation values and the rights and livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in humid tropical forest regions.
Respect for the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (Core Principle 2)
Companies may use the HCV approach to guide actions needed to respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in a manner consistent with the Accountability Framework’s Core Principles 2.1 and 2.2. The HCV Approach includes three categories of social HCVs. Prior to any company activities that may affect the lands, resources, or livelihoods of Indigenous People or local communities, the HCV Approach requires using participatory approaches with affected stakeholders, following a process of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC).
Site establishment, management, and long-term protection (Core Principles 7, 8 and 9)
Companies may use the HCV approach to help guide the protection and management of forests and other natural ecosystems around production units in a manner consistent with the Accountability Framework’s Core Principles 7 and 8. Landscape level application of the HCV Approach supports companies to screen potential risks to HCVs and guide the siting of new production sites in a manner that will allow for the protection of HCVs. Site-based HCV assessments can guide effective protection, management, and monitoring of identified HCVs.
The HCV Approach can also support companies in identifying areas where natural forests and other natural ecosystems were destroyed or degraded, thereby guiding actions to restore such areas consistent with the Accountability Framework´s Core Principle 9.
Collaboration for landscape and sectoral sustainability (Core Principle 10)
Landscape-level application of the HCV Approach can help build stakeholder consensus and collaboration regarding land-use designations, protection of natural ecosystems and other areas containing HCVs, and management of both production units and natural ecosystems to safeguard ecological, social, and cultural values across the landscape.
Tools for implementing FPIC processes
Free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) is a framework for ensuring respect for the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities related to any decision that may affect their lands, territories, or livelihoods. Companies are expected to implement FPIC processes, and abide by the outcomes of such processes, in all cases where company operations may affect the rights of Indigenous Peoples or local communities. This includes land acquisition, land development, and land management activities. FPIC processes can be complex and, if not conducted properly, will not fulfil their intended purpose. It is therefore essential for companies to follow recognised guidelines and best practice.
Section 3 of the Operational Guidance on Free, Prior, and Informed Consent includes a list of resources for implementing FPIC processes. Companies are also encouraged to seek FPIC guidelines and other technical resources tailored to the specific contexts of their operations.
Tools to support full respect for workers’ rights
Many resources are available to guide responsible labour practices in production or primary processing operations in accordance with the Accountability Framework’s Core Principle 2 (Respect for human rights). Because best practices can vary by context, many of the most useful tools pertain to individual commodities and workers’ rights (e.g., responsible recruitment, no child labour, and no discrimination). Companies are encouraged to use tools that are tailored to the specific contexts and workers’ rights challenges of their operations. As a starting point, the AFi’s Operational Guidance on Workers’ Rights includes a set of useful tools and organisations that can support efforts to respect workers’ rights.
Related Core Principle
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