Ingredient / Material Sourcing

Baseline Standards

• Knowledge of ingredients/materials origin.
• Minimum set of environmental standards established and posted on Web site.
• Ingredients grown and harvested using environmentally sustainable practices.
• Cacao not from West Africa (unless Fair Trade certified)
• Knowledge of current problematic sourcing, especially for: palm oil, Shea butter, bamboo, cacao, soy, corn

Preferences

• Maximize use of Fair Trade ingredients.
• No GMOs.

Labor Sourcing (throughout supply chain)

Baseline Standards

• Clear intent to know supply chain and understand complexity.
• Understanding of layers in business’ particular chain (sourcing of ingredients/materials, product manufacturing, packaging, shipping, disposal) and problems.
• Posting of environmental and labor codes on Web site.
• Use of codes as:
  • foundation of relationship with suppliers;
  • basis to an ever-improving verification process;
  • basis to work with suppliers in solving problems and improving standards.
• Sharing of both successes and challenges to verification with Screening Committee.
• Identification of country(ies) of manufacture of products on its Web site.

Preferences

• Actively supports cultural traditions of local communities in which it operates (ex. offers regional and religious holidays off, and food that respects diets of workers).
• Company employee in-country or at-site who makes unannounced, at least annual, factory visits and conducts offsite interviews with workers. Company issues public reports and/or corrective action plans.
• Establishes in-country personnel and/or independent third-party dedicated to monitoring.
• Shares verification successes/challenges with customers.
• Regularly updates supplier info such as contact person; copies of certifications/ approvals for supplier, factory, or organization; location of production facilities; specific info gathered in verification, results of verification, and timetables for verification.
• Identifies each supplier of each product on the Web site.
• Identifies location of production facilities on Web site.

Impacts

Baseline Standards

• Knowledgeable about the significant environmental and labor impacts of company.

Preferences

• Develops a labor plan to minimize the risk of worker mistreatment throughout supply chain. (See Labor Sourcing above.)
• Develops an environmental plan to lessen impacts and minimize disposal of production waste. Plan could include the following:
  • Systematic approach to avoid appreciable contributions to climate change;
  • Systematic approach to avoid appreciable contributions to acid rain and smog;
  • Complete carbon offsets or active investigation of options;
  • Proactive analysis and screening of suppliers and production operations;
  • Raw materials and finished products purchasing from local sources;
  • Efficient production processes using least amount of resources.