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ETI Guidelines on Smallholders |
The Ethical Trading Initiative has launched important guidance on the position of smallholders in the context of implementation of the ETI base code. Based on thorough tripartite negotiations and piloted in Kenya, the guidelines will be further reviewed in 2006 and are an important contribution to the understanding and developing of codes and labour standards.
 Despite their significance within supply chains, smallholders present a number of challenges to retailers and suppliers committed to implementing labour codes. Such challenges include:
- the number and traceability of smaller producers;
- the cost of monitoring large numbers of scattered producers;
- the problems of identifying and classifying smallholders, due to the variety of definitions of smallholding and differing mechanisms by which they may be linked into international supply chains;
- the remoteness of retailers from the smallholder, due to the length and complexity of supply chains;
- the need to interpret how codes based on international labour standards, designed primarily for formal workplaces, should be applied to less formal labour situations, such as smallholdings.
The ETI is therefore taking the view that there is a pressing need for specific guidance and tools for use by those involved at different levels in supply chains to enable all to work towards improving the working conditions of smallholders. These guidelines aim to provide such a resource.
Click here to access the guidelines |
