In line with the company’s Supplier Code, Ferrero has published a Charter document dedicated to hazelnuts. The Ferrero Hazelnut Charter outlines the company’s commitments and requirements based on priorities in three areas: Human Rights and Social Practices, Environmental Protection and Sustainability, and Supplier Transparency, towards an aim to be a driving force behind a hazelnut industry that creates value for all.
Ferrero is partnering with Earthworm Foundation, a non-profit organisation focused on positively improving value chains, on evolving its responsible sourcing approach for hazelnuts. The Charter is informed by this collaboration and work to better understand the specific challenges in the hazelnut sector and how to address these, in partnership with suppliers and other value chain actors, towards a commitment to a sustainable and ethical value chain.
The challenges in the hazelnut sector are complex, and in some countries deeply rooted. These challenges involve the need to improve working conditions for agricultural workers in order to address social issues, including child labour. Ferrero’s vision, for a sustainable hazelnut production means that farming communities are thriving, workers and children’s rights are respected, and environmental values are enhanced through regenerative agricultural practices.
The Charter is applicable across all the company’s hazelnut sourcing with an approach that is based on ensuring compliance with Ferrero’s own policies to which all suppliers are expected to adhere, and the belief that we must “Go Beyond” compliance by identifying specific commitments based on selected priorities and initiatives to tackle the complex challenges. The Charter is structured around three pillars that are founded on a due diligence process which covers all of our suppliers:
- Human Rights and Social Practices – commitment within this pillar is focused on joyful growth and child protection across sourcing areas and on improving the livelihoods of hazelnut communities and enhancing farmer resilience. For Ferrero, child protection means that the company is determined to prevent and eliminate child labour all along the value chain, through a multi-stakeholder approach, with the conviction that every child should be protected, by experiencing joyful growth through a right to education and a safe environment.
- Environmental Protection and Sustainability – commitment to apply the principles of regenerative agriculture on Ferrero’s own Agrifarms and to support the adoption of these principles by the agricultural community across selected territories in main sourcing countries.
- Supplier Transparency – commitment to achieving full traceability to farm level of our sourced hazelnuts.
The company will share progress and the challenges faced along the way by publishing annual action plans and updates on the implementation of the Charter. Central to enabling the implementation of the Charter will be Ferrero’s sustainability programme, Ferrero Farming Values (FFV) for hazelnuts.
