 |
 |
CODES OF PRACTICE
Social codes of practice: such as Social Accountability 8000 and the Ethical Trading Initiative's base code
- National and international sector-specific codes: such as the Milieu Project Sierteelt and Flower Label Programme codes for the world cut flower industry, the Kenya Flower Council code for the cut flower industry, and the Horticulture Promotion Council code for the Zimbabwe horticulture industry
- In-house, company-specific codes: such as those of the UK supermarkets J. Sainsbury, Waitrose and Tesco
- Environmental codes: such as ISO 14000 series, EUREP (Euro-Retailer Produce Working Group) good agricultural practice framework, IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements) organic standards, and EU Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) pesticide legislation.
Many of the major European supermarkets as well as other standard-setting bodies are developing codes of practice as a result of growing consumer concern about food production methods and their impact on poor people and the environment. These codes of practice cover:
- Food quality: there has to be complete traceability from the field to fork with an agreed set of standards at every step along the production chain, and an audit system for verification.
- Social impact: there must be due reward for smallholders, and conditions for workers must be reasonable.
- Environmentally friendly production: food must be produced in farming systems that are sustainable and do not cause damage to the environment.
More
information:
Social Codes of Practice: Social Accountability (www.sa-intl.org);
ETI Base code (www.ethicaltrade.org);
National and International Codes: Milieu Project Sierteelt (www.st-mps.nl/ukdefault.asp)
Flower Label Programme (europa.eu.int/comm/environment/ecolabel);
Kenya Flower Council (www.kenyaflowers.co.ke);
Zimbabwe Horticulture Promotion Council (www.samara.co.zw/cfu/commodity/hpc.html)
In-House Company Codes: Sainsbury (www.sainbury.co.uk);
Waitrose (www.waitrose.co.uk);
Tesco (www.tesco.com);
CWS (www.co-op.co.uk)
Environmental Codes: ISO 14000 series (www.iso.ch);
EUREP-GAP (www.eurep.org);
IFOAM (www.ifoam.org)
SA8000: The Definitive Guide to the New Social Standard (2000) by Deborah Leipziger. A practical guide to enhancing working conditions through the SA8000 and related social codes of conduct management systems, strategy and training. Includes case studies of companies who have adopted SA8000, examples of benefits, guidance on conducting risk assessments of suppliers. Can be ordered from this Web page: http://www.sa-intl.org/
COLEACP Harmonised Framework 2000: This is effectively a harmonised code of practice for African export horticulture industries, which aims to incorporate the main issues covered by the key European codes of practice affecting the fresh produce industry. Contact COLEACP (email: coleacp@coleacp.org), or download directly from this Web page: http://www.coleacp.org/en/cadre/index.html.
Related information: Ethical and environmental responsibility
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|