Food giant Nestlé has announced a two-year expansion of its partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO) to advance labour rights in coffee supply chains.
The expanded collaboration, under the title ‘From fair recruitment to worker protection in coffee supply chains’, will focus on promoting labour rights in three key sourcing countries: Brazil, Colombia and Mexico.
‘A significant step’
“Our partnership with the ILO represents a significant step to advancing and promoting human rights in coffee supply chains,” commented Antje Shaw, head of sustainability for coffee at Nestlé. “By working together, we can progress faster in creating more resilient and inclusive coffee value chains, where workers are treated with dignity.”
Under the terms of the partnership, the ILO will facilitate social dialogue among governments, employers’ and workers’ organisations, identifying and addressing labour risks and gaps in working conditions in the coffee supply chain. Based on these findings, country-level interventions will be implemented to improve labour rights and recruitment practices.
Protecting families
Dan Rees, director, ILO Priority Action Programme on Decent Work in Supply Chains, added that coffee production protects the livelihoods of between 20 million and 25 million families around the world.
“However, decent work deficits in coffee supply chains persist, particularly among seasonal and migrant workers,” he said. “Through this project, we aim to advance labour rights and promote decent work and contribute to more sustainable supply chains.”
The expanded agreement, which is supported by Nestlé’s Nescafé Plan, also contributes to the ILO Fair Recruitment Initiative, as well as the ILO Flagship Programme Safety + Health for All, particularly its Vision Zero Fund. This promotes the fundamental right to a safe and healthy working environment in supply chains.
Nestlé is also a founding member of the Child Labour Platform (CLP) convened by the ILO, and a partner in other projects focused on promoting fair and decent work in agricultural supply chains. Read more here.
