Updated December 2008
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Updated
January 2002 Background
Many of the major
European supermarkets are developing ethical 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 can help
improve the environment and the lives of poor people in third world
countries if they are implemented sensitively and with real commitment
from all stakeholders along the supply chain. However, if handled insensitively,
codes at best will have little effect, and at worst can harm rather
than help poor people. The Ethical Trade and Export Horticulture
Project has aimed to explore the constraints to effective implementation
of codes, and provide practical guidance on how these constraints can
be overcome.
Building on the first phase
(1998-99), this project has been working with private sector and civil
society organisations in Europe and Africa to develop approaches and
tools that will allow direct participation of poor people in developing
and implementing ethical codes of practice in the export horticulture
sector. Tools developed include: practical indicators of ethical standards
which reflect the priorities of smallholders and workers; monitoring
systems appropriate for smallholders; and participatory institutional
frameworks for promoting and monitoring ethical standards.
Achievements
The project has
developed models and methods for drawing up and implementing
codes of practice in ways that benefit poor people. Models and methods
developed include:
- how to build
stakeholder awareness and support for codes of practice;
- how to build
multi-stakeholder institutions for developing and implementing codes;
- how to develop
practical criteria, indicators and verifiers that meet the priorities
and constraints of workers, smallholders and employers/exporters;
- how to carry
out an integrated social and environmental audit on small to medium
scale farms, where there are few formal management systems and record-keeping
is not well practised.
The project has
generated knowledge in the following areas:
- a set of example
indicators and verifiers for measuring compliance against social and
environmental standards, that are appropriate to African export horticulture,
practical, and reflect the real interests of workers and smallholders
as well as being acceptable to employers/exporters;
- a systematic
assessment of the level of compliance of smallholder vegetable farmers
in Zimbabwe to codes of practice, and management recommendations for
improving and monitoring smallholder compliance;
- a better understanding
of future strategies, options and constraints vis-à-vis the further
development of codes of practice for the benefit of poor people.
Impact
Overall, the Project
has made a significant contribution towards making the content and implementation
of existing codes more sensitive to the priorities and constraints of
developing country stakeholders. This has been demonstrated by uptake
of Project findings by those developing and implementing codes. Examples
of uptake include:
- In Ghana, the
results from field work on development of criteria, indicators and
verifiers was summarised into a draft Ghanaian code of practice. The
Horticulture Association of Ghana (HAG) have now stated the intention
to adopt this draft Code for the Ghanaian export horticulture industry.
The Project has had a large part to play in raising awareness and
support for a national code, as well as providing the content of the
Code.
- The implementation
of the Zimbabwe national code - which was established by HPC prior
to the initiation of the Project - has also been influenced by the
Project findings. The environmental criteria, indicators and verifiers
developed by the Project were used in revising the Zimbabwe code's
Self Audit Questionnaire for growers. The work on smallholder compliance
has also convinced the implementing institution to seek specific funding
for training and supporting smallholders on code compliance.
- Because of our
work in Zimbabwe, the Project team was invited to join the Ethical
Trading Initiative (ETI) Zimbabwe pilot working group, and through
this channel has contributed to ETI thinking and development.
- Two Project
team members were instrumental in writing the labour and smallholders
standards for the current version of the COLEACP Harmonised Framework,
which aims to provide a common framework for African and Caribbean
national horticulture codes. At present 12 national codes are signed
up and have agreed to align their own codes to the Framework. The
labour and smallholder standards and their interpretation draw directly
from the findings from this Project.
- A major international
distributor of fresh fruit and vegetables wrote to the Project Leader
to express appreciation for receiving the Project briefing sheets,
and asked for further copies to distribute to all their suppliers
in the Caribbean and Pacific region.
Publications
Theme Papers
Each of the 8 theme papers
address key challenges in the implementation of codes in the fresh produce
industry. They present key lessons and findings from the project on
a theme-by-theme basis. To download a theme paper, click on the title
of interest below:
Summary Papers
The Project Team has prepared
5 summary papers, one each for European code (standard-setting) bodies,
supermarkets, importers, exporter-grower associations, and exporters
& growers. Each summary paper highlights issues that are of specific
interest to that particular type of business. To download a summary
paper, please click on the relevant title below:
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