Sustainable Agriculture

Suppliers shall protect the natural state of ecosystem to ensure sustainable use of natural resources and where possible, avoid interfering at all. Suppliers shall not source any agricultural raw materials in high conservation values or legally protected areas under any circumstances.

Suppliers shall avoid deforestation in ecologically sensitive areas and take into account the prior use of land. Suppliers are expected to restore/rehabilitate areas where the removal of trees due to agricultural land development cannot be prevented.

Suppliers shall support local farming to promote domestic agriculture and minimise pollution from the transportation of raw materials harvested. We encourage our suppliers to provide local farmers, whose raw materials they rely on, with the knowledge and support necessary to promote a sustainable long-term supply of raw materials.

Suppliers shall protect and improve soil fertility, for instance, by conserving soil and maintaining a balanced amount of soil nutrients.

Suppliers shall optimise energy usage within their supply chain, minimise greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and implement activities to mitigate the negative impacts arising from GHG emissions on surrounding communities.

Suppliers shall optimise water consumption during their agricultural process. Our suppliers are encouraged to measure their water consumption and identify opportunities to reduce their water usage where possible. In addition, we urge suppliers to conduct water risk assessment of their operating sites using internationally recognised tools and implement mitigation plans in areas where water stress level is found to be significant.

Suppliers shall notify us and declare if their raw materials are Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) or contain or derive from GMO ingredients. They must also comply with regulations concerning GMO in countries where they operate.

Suppliers shall not violate the community’s right to access land and natural resource and respect the established rights of indigenous/tribal people to their land as well as their prior and informed consent. Furthermore, we expect our suppliers to maintain a good relationship with the communities in which they operate, conducting impact assessments of their operations on local community on a regular basis and establish development programmes where necessary.

Suppliers shall adhere to the laws and regulations concerning minimum working age in countries where they operate, and avoid any forms of forced labour, including slave labour, indentured labour, bonded labour.

Suppliers shall ensure that farmers in their supply chain are entitled to income and wages that meet basic income needs in countries where the raw materials are being grown. Furthermore, we expect our suppliers to maintain good relationships with farmers and implement empowerment programmes to develop their skills and capabilities where applicable.