APPLYING CODES OF PRACTICE IN THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES – WHAT CAN.pdfVIP

APPLYING CODES OF PRACTICE IN THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES – WHAT CAN SUPERMARKETS DO TO HELP? Codes of practice – current weaknesses Implications of supermarket buying practices on third world suppliers Other constraints faced by third world suppliers What supermarkets can do to help Sources of further information Many of the major European supermarkets are developing codes of practice as a result of growing consumer concern about food production methods and their impact on poor people and the environment. Supermarket codes of practice cover: Food quality safety – there has to be complete traceability from the field to the plate, with an agreed set of quality and safety standards at every step along the production chain, and an audit system for verification. Social impact – there must be reasonable conditions for workers, and due reward for smallholders. Environmentally friendly production – food must be produced in farming systems that do not cause damage to the environment. Codes of practice can help improve the environment and the lives of poor people in third world countries if they are implemented sensitively and with real commitment from supermarkets and importers as well as from suppliers. However, if handled insensitively, codes at best will have little effect, and at worst can harm rather than help poor people. If supermarkets want to avoid these pitfalls, they need to be sensitive to third world conditions and be willing to negotiate with third world suppliers to find mutually acceptable solutions. Codes of practice – current weaknesses Some aspects of existing codes can harm rather than help poor people Two examples are the effects of eliminating of child labour, and the risk that codes may push the poorest farmers out of the export market. Elimination of child labou