The Farm Labor Due Diligence Initiative is a Verité-led collaboration with companies and civil society organizations to define good practices and provide resources to help companies, suppliers, and other stakeholders eliminate labor abuses from global agricultural supply chains through comprehensive due diligence.

Just Released!
Farm Labor Due Diligence Toolkit


In September 2024, Verité launched the Farm Labor Due Diligence (FLDD) Toolkit, a groundbreaking, free resource to help companies tackle challenging human rights issues – including on farms and in the “first mile”. The framework used in the FLDD Toolkit aligns with and builds on the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains, and other human rights due diligence touchstones.

The framework comprises six elements, each with supporting components. The elements are:

    • Embed Human Rights in Business Management Systems
    • Assess Human Rights Risks & Harms
    • Cease, Prevent & Mitigate Human Rights Risks & Harms
    • Track & Improve Human Rights Performance
    • Remediate Human Rights Harms
    • Report on Progress

FARM LABOR DUE DILIGENCE ELEMENTS

(Click on the buttons below to explore each FLDD element)

FLDDI Step 1


Element 1: Embed Human Rights in Business Management Systems

 

    • 1.1 Policies & Performance Standards
    • 1.2 Governance & Oversight
    • 1.3 Procurement Practices
    • 1.4 Internal Capability
FLDDI Step 2


Element 2: Assess Human Rights Risks & Harms

 

    • 2.1 Supply Chain Mapping
    • 2.2 Saliency Assessment
    • 2.3 In-Depth Assessment of Risks & Harms
FLDDI Step 3


Element 3: Cease, Prevent & Mitigate Human Rights Risks & Harms

    • 3.1 Strategy & Objectives

    • 3.2 Indicators & Targets

    • 3.3 Action Plans

    • 3.4 Ceasing Internal Drivers of Risk

    • 3.5 Capability Building for Suppliers

    • 3.6 Capability Building in the First Mile

    • 3.7 Collaboration for Prevention & Mitigation

FLDDI Step 4


Element 4: Track & Improve Human Rights Performance

 

    • 4.1 Grievance Mechanisms
    • 4.2 Monitoring of Suppliers
    • 4.3 Farm Monitoring & Auditing
    • 4.4 Continual Improvement of Due Diligence
FLDDI Step 5


Element 5: Remediate Human Rights Harms

 

    • 5.1 Response Protocols & Processes
    • 5.2 Remediation of Harms
FLDDI Step 6


Element 6: Report on Progress

 

    • 6.1 Supply Chain Transparency
    • 6.2 Public Reporting on Implementation
    • 6.3 Public Reporting on Impact

Tailored Guidance for the First Mile

The first mile of an agricultural supply chain begins at the farm and includes the first point where commodities from different farms are aggregated. Examples of first mile operations include palm oil mills, sugar mills, coffee wet mills, cocoa cooperatives, cotton gins, and fruit packing plants. Companies that use the FLDD Toolkit to guide their own due diligence actions can use the First Mile Toolkit to align suppliers’ practices to their own and help suppliers meet HRDD requirements.

FLDDI First Mile Toolkit

Just Released!
First Mile Toolkit

This First Mile Toolkit is a companion to Verité’s Farm Labor Due Diligence (FLDD) Toolkit. It provides guidance on human rights due diligence (HRDD) specifically targeted for first mile operations in agricultural supply chains.

FLDDI Kit de Herramientas para el primer eslabón

¡Recién lanzado!
Kit de herramientas para el primer eslabón

Este Kit de herramientas es para el primer eslabón de la cadena de suministro (entendiendo por “primer eslabón” “primer eslabón de la cadena de suministro” al primer enlace de la cadena de suministro en el que se almacenan, empacan y/o procesan los productos provenientes de los campos de producción). Este Kit es un complemento del Kit de herramientas de la debida diligencia en el sector agrícola (FLDD) de Verité.

Implementation Guidance for Companies at Different Stages of HRDD Maturity

The FLDD Maturity Benchmarking Tool describes maturity pathways from “Basic” to “Established” to “Leadership” for each component of the Verité Farm Labor Due Diligence Toolkit framework. Companies can use the tool to evaluate their existing HRDD system maturity, identify gaps and opportunities, and prioritize efforts and investments.

FLDDI Maturity Benchmarking Tool

FLDD Toolkit: Maturity Benchmarking Tool

 The Maturity Benchmarking Tool describes developmental pathways from “Basic” to “Leadership” for each component of the Verité Farm Labor Due Diligence framework. Companies can use the tool to evaluate their existing HRDD system maturity, identify gaps and opportunities, and prioritize efforts and investments.

About the Farm Labor Due Diligence Initiative

Verité’s Farm Labor Due Diligence Initiative (FLDDI) is a Verité-led collaboration with companies and civil society organizations to define good practices and create tools to help companies, suppliers, and agricultural producers eliminate labor abuses from global agricultural supply chains.

Verité established the FLDDI during the ILO’s International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour, as an Action Pledge to disseminate learnings from our long-term collaborations on farm labor due diligence with private sector and civil society partners.

International Year for Elimination of Child Labour logo

About our Partners

The Farm Labor Due Diligence Initiative is funded and supported by generous private sector and civil society partners, including Cargill; ECOM; Jacobs Douwe Egberts; Fairtrade International; Mars, Incorporated; McDonald’s; Philip Morris International; and the Rainforest Alliance. In addition to financial and/or in-kind contributions, these partners serve as an Advisory Council, providing input on the development of the Initiative’s framework and tools. Special thanks go to Philip Morris International, Mars, Incorporated, and the Rainforest Alliance, who participated in the Technical Working Group that drafted the Farm Labor Due Diligence Toolkit v1 (September 2024). Together, the Advisory Council and Technical Working Group ensure that the tools are as robust, practical, and scalable as possible to effectively support companies in eliminating child labor, forced labor, and other labor abuses from the first mile of agricultural supply chains.

Verité is also grateful to have received financial support from Fundación Avina through the Periplo Project for technical inputs to the project, and funding for the review, technical inputs, and translation of this tool provided by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) through the Senderos Project.

Funding for the Senderos Project is provided by USDOL under cooperative agreement number 24K75IL034209-01-02. This material does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of USDOL, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the United States Government (USG). 100% of the total costs of the Senderos Project are financed with federal funds from the USG, totaling $10,000,000 dollars.

About the Work to Date

From its founding to September 2024, the Farm Labor Due Diligence Initiative focused on:

  • Developing a comprehensive HRDD framework, with 6 “elements” based on the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) implementation guidance, and key “components” associated with each element
  • Publishing a tool for each HRDD element, with guidance, a maturity framework, and action steps for each component
  • Publishing a First Mile Toolkit specifically tailored to the context of first mile operations in global supply chains, available in English and Spanish

About the Work Ahead

Beyond 2024, the Initiative will focus on:

  • Disseminating the FLDD Toolkit and First Mile Toolkit to a wide range of potential users, including companies, first mile operations, civil society organizations, multistakeholder initiatives, and governmental organizations
  • Expanding access to the existing tools, including through translation into other languages
  • Designing an interactive website to present project materials through an easy-to-navigate interface
  • Supporting companies and first mile operations to apply the tools in their own operations and supply chains
  • Partnering with companies and first mile operations to develop new tools to be added to the Toolkit
  • Expanding our impact by engaging with current discussions about mandatory HRDD guidelines and policy frameworks, to ensure that robust and proven approaches become the norm in agricultural supply chains

Contact Us

Are you aware of a tool, case study, or example resource that could be included in the FLDD Toolkit resource list?

Are you interested in supporting or participating in the Farm Labor Due Diligence Initiative?

Do you have feedback or comments about the Toolkit?

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