GRACE FARMS FOODS SUPPLIER CODE OF CONDUCT

Section I. Introduction

Grace Farms Foods Mission:

To demonstrate the vision and purpose of Grace Farms Foundation through ethically sourced, fulfilling foods that supports freedom for all, female forward entrepreneurs and leaders, environmental stewardship, and connecting communities.

Grace Farms Foods’s Code of Conduct is designed to protect human rights by requiring safe working conditions, workers are treated with respect and dignity, and that manufacturing processes are conducted in an environmentally responsible manner. This Code of Conduct is a core component of Grace Farms Foods’ Code of Ethics. These standards are based on best practices created by the Fair Labor Association (FLA), the International Labor Organization (ILO), the International Bill of Human Rights, and the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

1.1 Scope

All suppliers must commit to adhering to our Code of Conduct.

Requirements in this Code apply to the whole supply chain, including sub-suppliers and subcontractors. Standards equally apply to permanent, temporary, and agency workers, as well as piece-rate, salaried, hourly paid, legal young workers (minors), part time, night, and migrant workers.

1.2 Policy

Grace Farms Foods commits to exercise the best possible practices for the respectful and ethical

treatment of workers and promote sustainable conditions in which workers earn fair wages in safe and healthy workplaces.  Grace Farms Foods expects all suppliers throughout its entire supply chain to share this same commitment.

Grace Farms Foods pledges to help our suppliers improve labor, health and safety and environmental conditions in the workplace, and to help our suppliers understand how to improve their sustainability practices. We recognize that this effort requires listening to our suppliers and their employees’ needs, and requires a collaborative approach using capacity building tools such as root-cause analysis, training, and management-system development to drive meaningful change.

1.3 Definitions

Many sections of the Code of Conduct fit into one of the following three categories, and has the associated consequences: 

Zero Tolerance Violation

A Zero Tolerance (ZT) violation is one that is a serious breach of Grace Farms Foods’s Social Accountability Standards & Supplier Code of Conduct that results in severe impact to individual rights, life, safety and/or Grace Farms Foods’s reputation. Suppliers found with a ZT violation will have all orders cancelled and the terms of contract cancellation will begin immediately. 

Immediate Action

An Immediate Action (IA) Item is one that is a breach of Grace Farms Foods’s Social Accountability Standards & Supplier Code of Conduct that results in negative impact to individual rights and life safety and/or Grace Farms Foods’s reputation.  An IA Item will result in a measurable improvement plan over 90 days to ensure any infractions are corrected.

Continuous Improvement

A Continuous Improvement (CI) Item is one where Labor, health & safety, and environmental issues that can be improved in the supplier’s operation for the well being of workers and/or betterment of its reputation or management practice.  A CI Item is determined by the supplier and will be surveyed for updates on an annual basis.

 

Section 2. Requirements

2.1 Law and Code Compliance

Our suppliers are expected to comply with (1) all relevant and applicable laws and regulations of the country in which workers are employed including those at the federal, state/provincial and local community levels, (2) our Supplier Code of Conduct, and (3) where applicable, Collective Bargaining Agreements.

2.2 Child Labor

General Compliance Child Labor

No person shall be employed under the age of 15 or under the age for completion of compulsory education, whichever is higher. Juvenile workers (ages 15-17) shall not perform work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to compromise their health, safety or morals. (ILO Convention 138 and 182)

2.3 Employment of Young Workers

Employers shall comply with all relevant laws that apply to young workers, (e.g. those between the minimum working age and the age of 18) including regulations related to hiring, working conditions, types of work, hours of work, proof of age documentation, and overtime.

2.4 Government Permits and Parental Consent Documentation

Employers shall abide by all relevant rules and procedures where the law requires government permits or permission from parents as a condition of employment, and shall keep documentation on-site for inspection at all times.

2.5 Hazardous Work for Young Workers

No person under the age of 18 shall undertake hazardous work, i.e. work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of persons under the age of 18.

2.6 Young Workers Identification System

Employers shall have a system for identifying work stations and operations that are inappropriate for young workers according to applicable laws.

2.7 Apprenticeships and Vocational Training/Minimum Working Age

Apprentices or vocational students shall not be under the age of 15 or under the age for completion of compulsory education, whichever is higher.

2.8 Apprenticeships and Vocational Training/Legal Compliance

Employers shall comply with all regulations and requirements of apprentice or vocational education programs, and shall be able to document to monitor that these are legally recognized programs. Informal arrangements of any kind are not acceptable.

2.9 Compliance

Supplier shall establish, document, maintain, and effectively communicate to personnel and other interested parties, policies and written procedures for remediation of children found to be working in situations which fit the definition of child labor, and shall provide adequate financial and other support to enable such children to attend and remain in school until no longer a child as defined above.

Zero Tolerance Violation

• All workers must be at least 15 years of age. Where local law specifies a minimum working age higher than 16, all workers must be at or above the legal minimum age.
• Where local law specifies a mandatory schooling age, the factory may only employ those persons above the mandatory schooling age or maintain a maximum number of hours of work allowed while schooling.

 Immediate Action

• Only persons at or above the age of 15 may be present in the work areas.
• Supplier must maintain official documentation for every worker that verifies the worker’s date of birth.
• Under no circumstances shall any juvenile worker’s school, work, and transportation time exceed a total of 10 hours per day, and in no case shall juvenile workers work more than 8 hours a day.
• Juvenile workers may not work during night hours or conduct “hazardous work”.

Continuous Improvement

• Suppliers should have a hiring policy that includes a minimum age of 16, or order if specified by local law.

 

Section 3. Forced Labor

Forced or compulsory labor is considered all work or service that a person has not offered to do voluntarily and is made to do under the threat of punishment or retaliation, or is demanded as a means of repayment of debt. There shall be no use of forced labor, including prison, indentured, bonded, slave or other forms of forced labor, defined as such:

• Prison Labor: Work, performed by individuals incarcerated by either the state or military that is a requirement of their sentence and usually without compensation.
• Indentured Labor: Work, performed by an individual contractually bound to an employer for a specific time period, which is usually in return for payment of travel and living expenses.
• Bonded Labor: An illegal practice in which employers give high-interest loans to workers who either individually or as an entire family then labor at low wages to pay off the debt.

Any acts of human trafficking are prohibited.

Neither the Supplier nor any entity providing labor to the Supplier shall withhold any part of any personnel’s salary, benefits, property, or documents in order to force such personnel to continue working for the Supplier. Personnel shall have the right to leave the workplace premises after completing the standard workday, and be free to terminate their employment provided that they give reasonable notice to their employer.

Suppliers are required to monitor any third party entity which assists them in recruiting or hiring employees, to ensure that people seeking employment at their facility are not compelled to work through force, deception, intimidation, coercion or as a punishment for holding or expressing political views. (ILO Conventions 29, 105, 182)

Zero Tolerance Violation

• All forms of prison or forced labor are prohibited.
• Suppliers must not subcontract work to prisons.

Immediate Action Item

• Any restrictions for workers to voluntarily end their employment, such as, excessive notice periods or substantial fines for terminating their employment contracts, are prohibited.
• All labor contracts must meet legal requirements.
• Security must not be allowed to intimidate or restrict the movement of workers.
• Supplier must not restrict or limit in any way employee access to religious facilities, toilets or drinking water. Overtime work must be strictly voluntary.

 

Section 4. Harassment, Abuse, and Disciplinary Practices

Every employee shall be treated with respect and dignity. No employee shall be subject to any physical, sexual, psychological or verbal harassment or abuse or to monetary fines or embarrassing acts as a disciplinary measure.

4.1 Discrimination

No person shall be subject to any discrimination in any aspect of the employment, relationship including recruitment, hiring, compensation, benefits, work assignments, access to training, advancement, discipline, termination or retirement, on the basis of race, religious belief, color, gender, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identification, physical or mental disability, medical condition, illness, genetic characteristics, family care, marital status, status as a veteran or qualified disabled veteran (in the USA only), caste, socio-economic situation, political opinion, union affiliation, ethnic group, illness any other classification protected under applicable law. All employment decisions must be made based on the principle of equal employment opportunity, and shall include effective mechanisms to protect migrant, temporary or seasonal workers against any form of discrimination. (ILO Conventions 100 and 111) 

Supplier shall not interfere with the exercise of personnel’s rights to observe tenets or practices, or to meet needs relating to race, national or social origin, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, family responsibilities, union membership, political opinions or any other condition that could give rise to discrimination.

Supplier shall not allow any behavior that is threatening, abusive, exploitative, or sexually coercive, including gestures, language, and physical contact, in the workplace and, where applicable, in residences or other facilities provided by the Supplier for use by personnel.

Zero Tolerance Violation

• Discrimination in any form is prohibited.
• Practices that use religion, sex, ethnicity or national origin, disability, political affiliation, social status, sexual orientation, actual or perceived HIV status or legal migrant worker status as a basis for the above is prohibited.
• Suppliers must not require female applicants or workers to be tested for pregnancy. Female workers returning from maternity leave must be given an equivalent position and equal pay.
• Suppliers must make reasonable accommodations in job conditions for pregnant women.

4.2 Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining

Workers must be free to join organizations of their own choice. Suppliers shall recognize and respect the right of employees to freedom of association and collective bargaining. All suppliers must develop and fully implement effective grievance mechanisms which resolve internal industrial disputes, employee complaints, and ensure effective, respectful and transparent communication between employees, their representatives and management. (ILO Conventions 87, 98 and 135).

All personnel shall have the right to form, join, and organize trade unions of their choice and to bargain collectively on their behalf with the Supplier. The Supplier shall respect this right, and shall effectively inform personnel that they are free to join an organization of their choosing and that their doing so will not result in any negative consequences to them, or retaliation from the Supplier. The Supplier shall not in any way interfere with the establishment, functioning, or administration of such worker’s organizations or collective bargaining. In situations where the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining are restricted under law, the Supplier shall allow workers to freely elect their own representatives. Supplier shall ensure that representatives of workers and any personnel engaged in organizing workers are not subjected to discrimination, harassment, intimidation or retaliation for reason of their being members of a union or participating in trade union activities, and that such representatives have access to their members in the workplace.

Zero Tolerance Violation

• Suppliers must respect employee rights to freedom of association.
• Suppliers must not impose any punitive actions against workers in supporting unions such as threatening, fining, suspending or firing workers exercising those rights.
• Suppliers must not use intimidation, unreasonable searches, police or military force to obstruct workers right to freedom of association.
• Workers’ organizations have the right to conduct their activities and elect their representatives without employer interference such as the presence of factory management at organizing meetings.

Immediate Action Item

• Where legally required, suppliers must have a written employment contract with every employee.
• Employment contacts must be in a language the workers understand and must contain accurate and complete summary of the terms of employment.

Continuous Improvement Item

• Suppliers should maintain a personnel file for each employee that contains employee records such as signed age-verification documents, employment agreements, disciplinary notices and leave and benefit records.

 

Section 5. Employment Relationship

Employers shall adopt and adhere to rules and conditions of employment that respect workers and, at a minimum, safeguard their rights under national and international labor and social security laws and regulations.

5.1 Wages and Benefits

We seek and favor suppliers who progressively raise employee living standards through improved wage systems, benefits, welfare programs and other services, which exceed legal requirements and enhance quality of life. Every worker has a right to compensation for a regular work week that is sufficient to meet the worker’s and their family’s basic needs and provide some discretionary income. Employers shall pay wages which equal or exceed minimum wage or the appropriate prevailing wage, whichever is higher, comply with all legal requirements on wages, and provide any fringe benefits required by law and/or contract. (ILO Conventions 26 and 131)

Supplier shall ensure that deductions from wages are not made for disciplinary purposes. Exceptions to this rule apply only when both of the following conditions exist:

• Deductions from wages for disciplinary purposes are permitted by national law, AND
• A freely negotiated collective bargaining agreement is in force.

Supplier shall ensure that personnel wages and benefits composition are detailed clearly and regularly in writing for them for each pay period. Suppliers shall also ensure that wages and benefits are rendered in full compliance with all applicable laws and that remuneration is rendered either in cash or check form, in a manner convenient to workers.

Supplier shall not use labor-only contracting arrangements, consecutive short-term contracts, and/or false apprenticeship schemes to avoid fulfilling its obligations to personnel under applicable laws pertaining to labor and social security legislation and regulations.

Zero Tolerance Violation

• Suppliers must be in compliance with the country’s legal minimum wages, allowances and overtime rate. Where the industry prevailing wage is greater than the minimum wage, the prevailing wage should be paid.
• Suppliers must be in compliance with the country’s legal requirements for benefits, such as retirement benefits, health insurance, etc.
• Payroll records for all workers must be accurate and available for review.
• Suppliers must not deduct more from workers’ wages than is legally permitted. Supplier must not deduct wages for tardiness that exceed the actual man-hour loss.
• Suppliers must not use labor only contracting or subcontracting to avoid payment of benefits to workers.

Immediate Action Item

• Suppliers should provide workers with pay slips that show regular and overtime hours worked, rates and wages, bonuses and deductions.

5.2 Overtime Wages

In addition to compensation for regular working hours, employees must be compensated for overtime hours at the rate legally required in the country of manufacture or, in those countries where such laws do not exist, at a rate exceeding the regular hourly compensation rate by at least 125%. (ILO Convention 1 and 30)

All overtime shall be reimbursed at a premium rate as defined by national law. In countries where a premium rate for overtime is not regulated by law or a collective bargaining agreement, personnel shall be compensated for overtime at a premium rate or equal to prevailing industry standards, whichever is more favorable to workers’ interests.

5.3 Hours of Work

Suppliers shall not require workers to work more than the regular and overtime hours allowed by the law of the country where the workers are employed. The regular workweek shall not exceed 48 hours or the maximum allowed by the law of the country of manufacture. Employers shall allow workers at least 24 consecutive hours of rest in every seven-day period. All overtime work shall be consensual. Employers shall not request overtime hours on a regular basis. The sum of regular and overtime hours in a week shall not exceed 60 hours or the maximum allowed by the law of the country of manufacture, whichever is less. (ILO Convention 1). 

Exceptions to this rule apply only where both of the following conditions exist:

• National law allows work time exceeding this limit, AND
• A freely negotiated collective bargaining agreement is in force that allows work time averaging, including adequate rest periods.

All overtime work shall be voluntary, except as provided below, shall not exceed 12 hours per week, and shall not exceed 8 weeks of overtime per year. In cases where overtime work is needed in order to meet short-term business demand and the Supplier is party to a collective bargaining agreement freely negotiated with worker organizations representing a significant portion of its workforce, the Supplier may require such overtime work in accordance with such agreements. Any such agreement must comply with the requirements above.

Zero Tolerance Violation

• Working hours must not exceed 60 hours per week (48 hours of regular work + 12 hours of overtime work) for more than 8 weeks in the year.
• Workers must be provided one day off following every six (6) consecutive days of working.
• Time records for all workers must be kept accurately and available for review.

Immediate Action Item

• Suppliers should have a working time clock that employees use to record their hours, both regular and overtime.

Section 6. Health and Safety

Suppliers shall provide a safe and healthy workplace to prevent accidents and injury to health arising out of, linked with, or occurring in the course of work or as a result of the operation of employers’ facilities. The employer shall take a proactive approach to health and safety by implementing policies, systems and training designed to prevent accidents, injuries and protect worker health. (ILO Convention 155)

Supplier shall undertake to assess all the risks to new and expectant mothers arising out of their work activity and to ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to remove or reduce any risks to their health and safety. Supplier shall provide, for use by all personnel, access to clean toilet facilities, access to potable water, and where applicable, sanitary facilities for food storage. All personnel shall have the right to remove themselves from imminent serious danger without seeking permission from the Supplier.

Zero Tolerance Violation

• Suppliers must have a procedure for identifying workplace hazards and assessing their risks.
• Suppliers must have procedures to prepare for possible emergencies such as fire, earthquakes, hurricanes.
• Suppliers must have an emergency evacuation plan and evacuation routes must be posted in each work area.
• Emergency exits must be unlocked during working hours.
• Buildings must have enough exits to safely serve the number of workers.

Factory size                                                Number of Exits Required

Less than 150 workers                           At least 2 exits

More than 150 workers                        At least 3 exits

More than 1000 workers                      At least 4 exits

• Aisles and exits must be clear at all times.
• Exit doors must be at least 81cm wide.
• Aisles and exit routes must be at least 91cm wide.
• Building must have emergency lighting in case of a power failure.
• Suppliers must maintain wiring and electrical systems in safe condition, with all electrical equipment properly grounded. Electrical panels and breakers must be labeled.
• Machinery with moving mechanical parts must be equipped with safety devices and protective guards.
• Only authorized, trained workers may operate or maintain powered industrial trucks.
• Workers who work in an area with noise levels above 85 decibels must wear hearing protection, provided by the supplier.
• Buildings must have ventilation systems that direct air-flow away from workers for tasks such as welding, or handling chemicals.
• Chemical storage areas must have the following safety features:
  • Shower/eye wash station
  • Fire hoses and/or extinguishers
  • Signs indicating protective equipment is required to work in the area.
• All chemicals must be properly labeled and stored and used in designated areas.

Immediate Action Item

• Supplier shall appoint a senior management representative to be responsible for ensuring a safe and healthy workplace environment for all personnel, and for implementing the Health and Safety elements of the SA8000 Standard (updated version in Spring 2014).
• Supplier shall provide appropriate personal protective equipment to personnel.
• In the event of a work related injury the company shall provide first aid and assist the worker in obtaining follow-up medical treatment.
• Suppliers must hold emergency evacuation drills annually.
• Heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems must be cleaned and maintained regularly.
• Workers must be given machine safety training on the machines they operate.
• Suppliers must routinely inspect equipment to ensure guards are in place and working properly.
• Outside storage must be at least 7.5 meters away from building walls.

 Section 7. Environment

Recognizing that sustainable businesses should acknowledge the planet’s finite resources, Grace Farms Foods expects its suppliers to support sound environmental management principles and reduce their impact on the environment within which they operate. In addition, Grace Farms Foods’s suppliers are expected to support the development of sustainable technologies.

Suppliers must ensure that every manufacturing facility complies with environmental laws, including all laws related to waste disposal, air emissions, discharges, toxic substances and hazardous waste disposal.

7.1 Environmental Management System (EMS)

• Suppliers must have a written environmental/sustainability policy appropriate to the size and nature of the supplier’s operations that, where applicable, addresses preventing, mitigating and controlling serious environmental and health impacts from operations including raw material usage, greenhouse gas emissions, water, waste, air quality and biodiversity.

• Suppliers must have an effective internal environmental management program/system with adequately trained staff responsible for managing the organization's environmental performance and communicate data on key environmental indicators internally and externally.

7.2 Energy and GHG Emissions

• Suppliers shall comply with all applicable laws, regulations and maintain valid permits governing the facilities’ energy consumption. Facilities shall have a strategy and management systems in place to facilitate the reduction of energy consumption.
• Suppliers shall comply with all applicable laws, regulations and procedures governing air emissions and greenhouse gas emissions including: possessing all current records and permits, and maintaining an inventory that measures main source emissions and emission points. Suppliers shall consider and reduce or eliminate fugitive emissions. Suppliers shall have a strategy and management systems in place to facilitate the reduction and elimination of air emissions.
• Suppliers shall comply with all applicable laws and hold all relevant, up-to-date permits governing ozone depleting substances including: preventative maintenance of ODS-containing equipment.

7.3 Water

• Suppliers shall comply with all applicable laws, regulations and procedures related to water use including maintaining all required permits and measuring and reducing water consumption.

7.4 Wastewater

• Suppliers meet legal requirements, hold all relevant, up-to-date permits and meet all Grace Farms Foods environmental audit specifications governing wastewater including: drainage plans, water treatment, identification of all contaminants, and continuous improvement plans for waste water reduction.

7.5 Hazardous Materials

• Suppliers must abide by all environmental laws, legislation, and regulations related to the protection of the environment and the handling of dangerous and hazardous materials.
• Suppliers must keep dangerous and/or hazardous materials to a minimum and keep records for all hazardous materials that are necessary.
• Suppliers must validate that all input materials and components were obtained from permissible harvests consistent with international treaties and protocols in addition to local laws and regulations.

7.6 Solid Waste

• Solid waste produced by suppliers shall be handled and stored in a manner which complies with all applicable laws and regulations.
• Solid waste produced by the supplier shall not be disposed of in a manner which violates applicable laws, regulations and Grace Farms Foods specifications including: onsite burning.
• The supplier shall have on-file all valid, up-to-date, and applicable permits, records and other documentation governing solid waste including: storage, handling, onsite disposal, offsite disposal, transportation, and waste contractors. All documents shall be available for review upon request.
• Suppliers must have a written and implemented recycling program in place which manages industrial waste including: paper, paperboard, cardboard, plastics, fabric scraps, wastewater sludge, scrap metal, and any other recyclable material.
• Suppliers must have a written and implemented recycling program in place which manages non-industrial waste including all: paper, paperboard, cardboard, plastics, and any other non-industrial recyclable material.
• Suppliers must have a written and implemented a solid waste management system in place which works towards the reduction and elimination of solid waste.

7.7 Hazardous Waste

• Suppliers shall comply with all applicable laws, regulations and procedures governing asbestos and PCBs in their facilities. Suppliers must properly remove or safely contain, monitor, and train employees on asbestos and PCB safety.
• Suppliers shall maintain a complete and up-to-date list of all chemicals used onsite.
• Suppliers shall not use any restricted substances as listed in the bluesign® Standard Substance List (BSSL).
• Suppliers shall comply with all applicable laws, regulations and procedures governing the storage and handling of hazardous materials including: proper containers, labeling, management systems, training, and the use of MSDS.
• Suppliers shall have on-file all valid, up-to-date, and applicable permits, records and other documentation governing hazardous waste including: storage, handling, onsite disposal, offsite disposal, transportation, and waste contractors. All documents shall be available for review upon request.
• Suppliers shall not dispose of hazardous waste in any way that violates applicable laws, regulations and procedures including: onsite disposal, offsite disposal, chemical drum disposal, transportation, or mixing of hazardous and non-hazardous waste.
• Suppliers shall have a strategy and management systems in place to facilitate the reduction and elimination of hazardous waste.

7.8 Nuisances

• Suppliers maintain applicable permits and have an understanding and awareness of nuisance levels from onsite activities and their associated impacts.

7.9 Major Incident Management

• Suppliers have a major incident management system in place which includes having an emergency plan that complies with all applicable laws. Employees must be sufficiently trained on the emergency procedures and functioning equipment readily available at all times.

7.10 Contaminated Land, Soil and Groundwater Pollution Prevention

• Suppliers meet all legal requirements and hold all relevant, up-to-date permits governing contaminated land, soil and groundwater pollution prevention.
• Suppliers understand and are aware of site setting/sensitive receptors in supplier site vicinities.
• Suppliers are not causing or knowingly permitting contamination of soil and groundwater.

7.11 Land Use & Biodiversity

• Suppliers meet legal requirements, hold all relevant, up-to-date permits and meet all legal specifications governing land use and biodiversity.
• Suppliers shall not have a negative impact on designated protection areas or species.

7.12 Disclosure

• Suppliers shall record, and upon request disclose to Grace Farms Foods all resource usage including: electricity, water, natural gas, oil, propane, and solid waste recycling.

7.13 Continuous Improvement Effort

• Suppliers show continuous improvement on environmental audit findings and display a genuine effort to progress to higher levels of environmental management.

Section 8. Community

Grace Farms Foods encourages all suppliers and their employees to get involved in local social and environmental community charity efforts by volunteering time and/or providing other types of support. We seek long-term partnerships with suppliers that share these philanthropic values.

Section 9. Subcontracting 

Suppliers are encouraged to monitor subcontractors and sub-suppliers for social and environmental responsibility using standards that meet or exceed those set out in the Code.

Section 10. Animal Welfare

Suppliers must respect animal welfare and work progressively towards adopting healthy and humane practices towards animals based on best available technology and standards.

Section 11. Traceability

Grace Farms Foods and our suppliers are jointly responsible for ensuring social and environmental responsibility and the integrity of our product/service content claims.

Section 12: Management System

Top management shall define in writing, in workers’ own language, the supplier’s policy for social accountability and labor conditions, and display this policy and the SA8000 standard in a prominent, easily viewable place on the supplier’s premises, to inform personnel that it has voluntarily chosen to comply with the requirements of the SA8000 standard (updated version in Spring 2014).

Such policy shall clearly include the following commitments:

• To conform to all requirements of this standard.
• To comply with national and other applicable laws and other requirements to which the Supplier subscribes, and to respect the international instruments and their interpretation.
• To review its policy regularly in order to continually improve, taking into consideration changes in legislation, in its own code-of-conduct requirements, and any other company requirements.
• To see that its policy is effectively documented, implemented, maintained, communicated, and made accessible in a comprehensible form to all personnel, including directors, executives, management, supervisors and staff, whether directly employed by, contracted with, or otherwise representing the company.
• To make its policy publicly available in an effective form and manner to interested parties, upon request.

Grace Farms Foods reserves the right to randomly review the supplier’s policies, procedures or any other document related to adherence to this Code. In some cases, Grace Farms Foods may require an on-line or on-site audit of a supplier’s adherence to this Code.

Section 13. Accountability

 13.1 Control of Sub-Contractors and Sub-Suppliers

Supplier shall maintain appropriate records of suppliers / subcontractors / sub-suppliers commitments to social accountability, including, but not limited to, contractual agreements and/or the written commitment of those organizations to:

• Conform to all requirements of this standard and to require the same of sub-suppliers to eliminate any reasonable doubt of human rights or environmental abuses
• Participate in monitoring activities.
• Identify the root cause and promptly implement corrective and protective action to resolve any identified non-conformance to the requirements of the SA8000 Standard.
• Inform Grace Farms Foods of any and all relevant business relationship(s) with other suppliers, subcontractors and sub-suppliers involved in Grace Farms Foods product supply chain.
• Supplier shall establish, maintain and document in writing appropriate procedures to evaluate and select suppliers / subcontractors, taking into account their performance and commitment to meet the requirements of the SA8000 Standard.
• Supplier shall make a reasonable effort to ensure that the requirements of this standard are being met by suppliers and subcontractors within their sphere of control and influence.
• Where the supplier receives, handles or promotes goods and/ or services from suppliers / subcontractors or sub-suppliers who are classified as home workers, the Supplier shall take special steps to ensure that such homeworkers are afforded a level of protection similar to that afforded to directly employed personnel under the requirements of this standard.

13.2 Failure to Comply

As a condition of doing business with Grace Farms Foods, Suppliers must comply with this Code of Conduct. If Grace Farms Foods determines that any supplier has violated this Code either by direct inspection or by inspection from any third party, including contracted inspection companies, Grace Farms Foods reserves the right to either terminate its business relationship based on termination clauses in contract agreements or require the Supplier to implement a corrective action plan. If corrective action is advised but not taken, Grace Farms Foods will suspend placement of future orders and may terminate current production, in which case payment will be withheld by Grace Farms Foods. Should Supplier not continue to not comply with all of the requirements herein after notice, Grace Farms Foods may (without being obliged to), at any time thereafter:

• Immediately end this contract for the reason of supplier’s default.
• Return the merchandise to Supplier at Supplier’s expense.
• Take any steps, measures and actions which are not grossly unreasonable to rectify such non-compliance, at Supplier’s expense.
• Seek and obtain from Supplier all amounts of loss and damages to Grace Farms Foods as permitted by law.

13.3 Reporting

Supplier shall provide a confidential means for all personnel to report non-conformances with the SA8000 Standard to the company management, and the worker representative. Supplier shall investigate, address, and respond to the concerns of personnel and other interested parties with regard to conformance / non-conformance with the company’s policies and / or the requirements of this standard. Supplier shall refrain from disciplining, dismissing, or otherwise discriminating against any personnel for providing information concerning the observance of the standards.

Supplier shall identify the root cause, promptly implement corrective and preventive action, and allocate adequate resources appropriate to the nature and severity of any identified nonconformance with the company’s policy.

Please bring these issues to our attention by contacting us. Please feel free to write in your local language. All information we receive will be kept in strict confidence and your identity protected.

Section 14: Compliance

Grace Farms Foods requires suppliers to sign this code, thereby acknowledging the requirements contained within. Grace Farms Foods requires suppliers to agree to adhere to these requirements and to be able to demonstrate to Grace Farms Foods how these requirements are being met. Grace Farms Foods operates a policy of transparency with suppliers and will work collectively with suppliers to ensure adherence to the Code and develop improvement programs if required.

 

I acknowledge that I have received, read and agree to comply with all policies and procedures listed in the above manual titled “Grace Farms Foods Supplier Code of Conduct”.