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Company Response

19 Apr 2023

Author:
Waitrose

Waitrose response re forced labour in Spain

... We use a range of methods to monitor due diligence of suppliers which we work with, including in-person visits, independent audits and other assessments. You can read in more detail our Human Rights Policy here...

We’ve been made aware of a small number of isolated issues in the past, and have worked with suppliers to address these on a case-by-case basis.

As a responsible retailer our position is to engage with the supplier and support them to make lasting improvements, rather than just walking away.

We’re also looking to drive positive change through wider collaborative efforts across industry, to identify and address the root cause of any issues. Our focus is always on to make sure improvements are made, but we would stop sourcing from a farm if it were to fail to engage or make improvements...

While we’re proud of our reputation for responsible sourcing, we recognise that - as with any retailer - there’s always areas we can improve, and it’s important we work with direct suppliers to ensure we can maintain our high standards. For example, we’ve worked with the Spanish Ethical Trade Forums (ETF) since it began in 2015, aiming to improve working conditions in the Spanish horticulture sector through promoting good practice, facilitating collaborative working and building capacity through training. The programme works to understand and address issues impacting growers in three main regions...

We use a range of methods to monitor due diligence of third party suppliers which we work with, including regular updates from suppliers directly in our supply chain, visits from both our teams and our suppliers directly, as well as third party audits...

Timeline

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