Supermarkets are assessing human rights abuses in their supply chains – here’s what they need to do better
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In recent years, several large European supermarkets have taken the positive step of conducting HRIAs and making the results publicly available. Albert Heijn (a subsidiary of Ahold Delhaize), Aldi Nord, Aldi Süd, Jumbo, Lidl, Morrisons, PLUS, Sainsbury’s and Tesco have each published one or more HRIA reports. Asda, EDEKA and Rewe have not made a commitment to conduct HRIAs and have not published any assessments so far...
We identify important gaps in the way supermarkets conduct their HRIAs. These include:
- Not focusing on or prioritising high-risk suppliers.
- Only looking at a limited range of human rights, rather than the full spectrum.
- Lacking internal and external capacity and expertise in research teams that conduct the assessments.
- Failing to engage the people whose lives need to be improved in a meaningful way and overlooking vulnerable groups.
- Failing to implement gender-responsive approaches that take account of the particular impacts on, and needs of, women workers.
- Failing to address root causes of abuses, such as the supermarkets’ own buying practices.
Crucially, HRIAs should help companies understand how their own activities affect these people. For supermarkets, this particularly relates to how they source and buy their products. The prices they offer, the way they negotiate, the requirements they impose: supermarkets’ sourcing practices all have a tremendous impact on the people who produce the food. After all, how can food producers ever earn a decent living when supermarkets refuse to pay prices that cover the cost of production?...
Experience teaches us that we cannot rely on companies’ voluntary efforts and commitments alone: governments have a responsibility to level the playing field and make sure that all corporations respect human rights. That’s why we call in the paper for binding legislation to hold companies accountable and provide pathways for survivors of corporate abuse to get justice. Let’s all demand the groceries we buy every day in our supermarkets are free from abuse.