Standards to help enterprises observe responsible business standards along agricultural supply chains have been developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
The standards include OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems, and the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the context of national food security. Observing these standards will help enterprises mitigate adverse impacts on our natural resources and contribute to sustainable development.
The standards, known as Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains (Guidance), target all enterprises operating along agricultural supply chains, including domestic and foreign, private and public, small, medium and large-scale enterprises. It covers agricultural upstream and downstream sectors from input supply to production, post-harvest handling, processing, transportation, marketing, distribution and retailing.
The following areas of risk arising along agricultural supply chains are addressed: human rights; labor rights; health and safety; food security and nutrition; tenure rights over and access to natural resources; animal welfare; environmental protection and sustainable use of natural resources; governance; and technology and innovation.