How does human rights due diligence improve producers' lives?

The seafood industry has a long history of addressing environmental sustainability challenges through rigorous resource assessments and a commitment to sustainable seafood sourcing, but now, more than ever, there is recognition of the socio-economic issues that affect fishers, farmers and workers in the seafood supply chain. With legislation mandating human rights due diligence being proposed and passed around the world, companies are under pressure to better understand the human rights and labor rights risks in their supply chains.

To help assess human rights and labor risks in seafood supply chains, the "Social Responsibility Assessment (SRA) Tool" was co-developed by more than two dozen human rights and labor organizations, environmental NGOs, and academia.

Risk assessment is a broaderHuman Rights Due DiligenceIt is an essential element of the Human Resource Development (HRDD) strategy and its results are key inputs into a comprehensive HRDD strategy.

HRDD refers to the ongoing risk management process that companies need to "identify," "prevent," "mitigate," and "correct" adverse impacts on human rights. About the HRDD process The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights require companies to assess the adverse impacts of their business activities on human rights and labor rights in their supply chains as the first step in a broader HRDD process.

Social Responsibility Assessment (SRA) tools can assess risk for social issues (e.g. forced/child labor, debt bondage, unethical recruitment, restrictions on freedom of movement, food/livelihood insecurity, gender discrimination, etc.), reveal key information gaps and identify areas for improvement. When used in conjunction with root cause analysis, they can form the basis for mitigation and/or corrective processes and capacity building for high-risk suppliers. The SRA assessment also serves as a baseline for tracking improvement over time.

The SRA is designed to be flexible and adaptable to a variety of seafood production models, from small-scale and large-scale fisheries to seafood processors and farms. In particular:Fisheries Improvement Project (FIP),Aquaculture Improvement Project (AIP)It can be used to develop work plans for seafood procurement and to support brands and retailers in developing their seafood sourcing and supply chain engagement strategies.

As shown in the table below, the SRA is not a certification, but rather identifies improvements that can make certification a complement to other social responsibility programs.

Examples of using SRA tools

Fiji's tuna longline fishery is a large-scale fishery with hundreds of vessels operating within Fiji's exclusive economic zone and on the high seas.Human rights violations have been reported, local tuna suppliers and the Fijian government needed a systematic industry-wide assessment that would enable a more detailed risk analysis to prioritize action plans to mitigate human and labour rights risk areas.

So in 2023, Conservation International, working with ELEVATE, Talanoa Consulting, TraSeable Solutions and local civil society organisations, conducted an SRA with Fijian fishermen’s associations to form the basis of an action plan to improve outcomes for fishers. A team of four assessors spent five days in the field collecting data, including interviewing captains and crew, inspecting vessels and reviewing company documentation. Fishers, local fishing companies and the Fijian government were also heavily involved in the process from the start. After the assessment, the results were shared with local stakeholders, industry representatives and government agencies to gather initial feedback and discuss next steps. The report led to the development of an action plan with clear directives for companies and governments, and this work will continue through 4.

The SRA data collection framework and methodology will enable a deeper understanding of the realities that fishers, farmers and workers face every day. As companies gain greater visibility into their supply chains, collaboration between human rights and labour organisations, non-profit environmental organisations, government agencies, local civil society organisations, seafood suppliers, buyers, brands and retailers will become increasingly important to ensure decent work, strong labour rights, resilient supply chains, healthy sourcing relationships and environmentally sustainable ecosystems.

writing:
Ashley Apel, Director, Partnerships & Strategy, Conservation International
Emilie Carroll, Manager, Food & Agriculture, LRQA
Nahla Achi, Social Responsibility Senior Project Manager, FishWise