Tell the world how you are doing it
Communication
This step covers the company’s duty to share the results of due diligence. The OECD and the UN require companies to report their risk of adverse effects on people.
The human rights stories are about promoting what you do well and about sharing your challenges. Speak openly about the challenges and risks you face within your core business and operations, and feel free to share how you handle the challenges day-to-day.
Managing human rights is a process that you will continually improve upon. There is an expectation that you work will purposefully in this area and that you can document your choices – but no one expects you to be perfect or have control over all risks from day one.
Therefore, also remember to communicate clearly about your goals, how you will achieve them and what results you expect.
Inspiration: How to communicate
- Ongoing dialogue with stakeholders such as individuals, relevant groups, local communities, and organisations
- In a separate regularly updated section of your website post anything from ½ page to comprehensive detailed accounts
- Include the process in strategic documents and in the description of your core business
- Publish an independent sustainability report about your work
- Include everything in the annual report
- Publish and report on your human rights policy and Code of Conduct
- Use certification logos, but be aware that using them may be subject to strict requirements
- Keep up to date about ups and downs on your social media channels and in newsletters.
– In cases of particularly serious risk it is important to:
- Communicate in personal meetings or open forums
- Hold consultations with affected stakeholders.
TOP TIP: Be transparent
Almost all food companies face due diligence challenges regarding human rights in their value chains.
Transparency, as reflected in your communications, and open and honest disclosures about the challenges is of great importance.
How other SMEs talk about their human rights processes
Nordic Fruit: A short video
Nordic Fruit reports on their project in Uganda with DanChurchAid in a brief information video
Gasa Nord Grønt: Part of the CSR policy
Gasa Nord Grønt reports on their efforts on behalf of people as part of their “Good social practice” CSR policy.
warfair: Reporting on due diligence and meetings
warfair publishes all due diligence reports and minutes of meetings of the Independent Ethics Committee on their website.
BM Silo: Experiences from working with Global Goals
The Danish agro-production company BM Silo discusses their Global Goals process on their website, documenting how they set their focus and priorities and how they incorporated them into the company strategy.
About this guide
This guide is aimed at small and medium-sized businesses in the food cluster, i.e., companies with between two and 250 employees working in agriculture and horticulture, fisheries, fish farming, agroindustry, food production and ingredients. Human rights due diligence is relevant whether you are in the B2C or B2B market, importing, exporting or have your own production in Denmark.
The purpose of the guide is to assist SMEs perform human rights due diligence, regardless of size and resources of the company. The guide provides inspiration for how to begin and how to strengthen your current processes.
The guide was prepared by the Danish Initiative for Ethical Trade, in collaboration with the Danish Agriculture & Food Council and Arla Foods, and co-sponsored by the Danish Business Authority. The guide may not be changed, reproduced or translated without prior written permission from the Danish Initiative for Ethical Trade. If used in a teaching context, it must be with a clear acknowledgement of the partners behind the development of the guide, crediting them clearly, including use of relevant logos.
