De Lier, The Netherlands
July 24, 2024
As Rijk Zwaan, we produce seeds all over the world – not only at our own facilities, but also in collaboration with third-party seed producers. In the case of external producers, we carry out annual Fair Labour audits to make sure that these companies work to the same standards that we uphold for our own employees.
Principles of Fair Labour
Our Principles of Fair Labour form the basis for the audits. These principles cover topics including the equal treatment of all employees, zero tolerance for child labour under any circumstances, and the provision of a safe and clean working environment. We place importance on a pleasant atmosphere, in which people work together based on openness and respect for others. Our Principles of Fair Labour are based on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Currently, our main focus is on India and Thailand, which are two high-risk countries according to the Global Rights Index. However, we are expanding our audits to seed producers in other countries where there is a plausible risk of labour abuses.
Results and next steps
We discuss the results from the Rijk Zwaan audits with our external seed partners. If the audits reveal the need for improvements, we reach agreements with the producers on which steps will be taken. In 2023, the results from the audits of our partners in India were positive: the seed producers pay adequate wages, treat men and women equally, and are not involved in forced labour or child labour.
Additionally, in both 2022 and 2023, we organised workshops on the Rijk Zwaan Principles of Fair Labour. These workshops, which were attended by the directors of almost all our subsidiaries, discussed the principles and identified possible further improvements for the subsidiaries.
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