Agriculture

Shedding light on abuses linked to the agribusiness sector and building responsible practices

Agricultural production is at the root of human society. As our global population increases, so too do investments in agricultural projects. But growing and sourcing responsibly means respecting workers’ and local communities’ rights, as well as mitigating environmental impacts and ecosystem disruptions. In recent years, we have seen a dramatic spike in allegations of “land grabs” and displacement of local communities by agricultural firms and the food & beverage companies that source from them. Shedding light on these global food supply chains and the human rights abuses linked to them is the first step to building responsible business practices in the agricultural sector.

In this section, learn more about:

How agribusiness is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic
The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre’s briefing note on Sugar Contracts and Their Impact on Land and Workers’ Rights
KnowTheChain’s ranking of 38 food & beverage companies
KnowThe Chain's Investor Snapshot on Forced Labour in Forestry
The Corporate Human Rights Benchmark ranking of the world’s biggest agricultural companies

Featured contents

KnowTheChain Investor Snapshot: Forced Labour in Forestry

Guidance on forced labour risks in the forestry sector and what investors can do to improve company practice.

Briefing: Sugar Contracts and their Impact on Land and Workers' Rights

Study of nine sugar producers/suppliers in Cambodia, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Mali, Sierra Leone, and Timor Leste in relation to contractual provisions on land rights, workers' rights, and access to remedy. Collaboration with Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment.