International Food Link (IFL) are committed to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business dealings and relationships. We expect our suppliers and other business partners to comply with and seek to develop relationships with their own supply chains consistent with the principles set out below and be compliant with all local laws and the following principles as a minimum.
Our principles are as follows:
1. Employment is freely chosen
2. Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are respected
3. Working conditions are safe and hygienic
4. Child labour is not used
5. Living wages are paid
6. Working hours are not excessive
7. No discrimination is practised
8. Regular employment is provided
9. No harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed
10. Entitlement to work is verified
11. No bribery or corruption is tolerated
12. Environmental management
13. Confidentiality
14. Reviews and remedial actions
1. Employment is freely chosen
There is no forced or compulsory labour in any form, including bonded, trafficked, or prison labour.
Workers are not required to lodge ‘deposits’ or their identity papers with their employer and are free to leave their employer after reasonable notice.
2. Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are respected
Workers, without distinction, have the right to join or form trade unions of their own choosing and to bargain collectively. The employer adopts an open attitude towards the activities of trade unions and their organisational activities. Workers’ representatives are not discriminated against and have access to carry out their representative functions in the workplace.
Where the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining is restricted under law, the employer facilitates, and does not hinder, the development of parallel means for independent and free association and bargaining.
3. Working conditions are safe and hygienic
A safe and hygienic working environment shall be provided, bearing in mind the prevailing knowledge of the industry and of any specific hazards. Adequate steps shall be taken to prevent accidents and injury to health arising out of, associated with, or occurring in the course of work, by minimising, so far as is reasonably practicable, the causes of hazards inherent in the working environment. Workers shall receive regular and recorded health and safety training, and such training shall be repeated for new or reassigned workers.
Access to clean toilet facilities and to potable water, and, if appropriate, sanitary facilities for food storage shall be provided. Accommodation, where provided, shall be clean, safe, and meet the basic needs of the workers.
The company observing the code shall assign responsibility for health and safety to a senior management representative.
4. Child labour is not used
There shall be no recruitment of child labour.
Companies shall develop or participate in and contribute to policies and programmes which provide for the transition of any child found to be performing child labour to enable her or him to attend and remain in quality education until no longer a child. Children and young persons under 18 shall not be employed at night or in hazardous conditions.
Policies and procedures shall conform to the provisions of the relevant International Labour Organization (ILO) standards.
A child is defined as any person less than 15 years of age, unless local minimum age law stipulates a higher age for work or mandatory schooling, in which case the higher age would apply. If, however, local minimum age law is set at 14 years of age in accordance with developing country exceptions under ILO Convention 138, the lower age will apply.
A young person or young worker is defined as any worker over the age of a child as defined above and under the age of 18.
5. Living wages are paid
Wages and benefits paid for a standard working week meet, at a minimum, national legal standards or industry benchmark standards, whichever is higher. In any event wages should always be enough to meet basic needs and to provide some discretionary income.
All workers shall be provided with written and understandable information about their employment conditions in respect to wages before they enter employment and about the particulars of their wages for the pay period concerned each time that they are paid.
Deductions from wages as a disciplinary measure shall not be permitted nor shall any deductions from wages not provided for by national law be permitted without the expressed permission of the worker concerned. All disciplinary measures should be recorded.
6. Working hours are not excessive
Working hours comply with national laws and benchmark industry standards, whichever affords greater protection.
In any event, workers shall not on a regular basis be required to work in excess of 48 hours per week and shall be provided with at least one day off for every seven-day period on average. Overtime shall be voluntary, shall not exceed 12 hours per week, shall not be demanded on a regular basis and shall always be compensated at a premium rate.
7. No discrimination is practised
There is no discrimination in hiring, compensation, access to training, promotion, termination or retirement based on race, caste, national origin, religion, age, disability, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, union membership or political affiliation.
8. Regular employment is provided
To every extent possible work performed must be on the basis of a recognised employment relationship established through national law and practice.
Obligations to employees under labour or social security laws and regulations arising from the regular employment relationship shall not be avoided through the use of labour-only contracting, subcontracting, or home-working arrangements, or through apprenticeship schemes where there is no real intent to impart skills or provide regular employment, nor shall any such obligations be avoided through the excessive use of fixed-term contracts of employment.
9. No harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed
Physical abuse or discipline, the threat of physical abuse, sexual or other harassment and verbal abuse or other forms of intimidation is prohibited.
10. Entitlement to work is verified
Only workers with a legal right to work in the country should be employed.
For both workers and agency workers, original documents should be reviewed and then returned to workers to verify their right to work.
11. No bribery or corruption is tolerated
The offering, paying, soliciting or accepting of bribes or kickbacks, including facilitation payments, is prohibited.
Suppliers must comply with all applicable anti-bribery and corruption laws. If no such anti-bribery or corruption laws apply or are of a lesser standard to that prescribed in the UK Bribery Act 2010, suppliers must adhere to the UK Bribery Act 2010.
12. Environmental management
We support and encourage operating practices and agricultural production systems that are sustainable. The supplier will continually strive towards improving the efficiency and sustainability of their operations which will include water conservation programmes.
13. Confidentiality
The confidentiality of information exchanged in the course of business must be respected and never be used for illegal purposes or for individual gain. False information must not be given in the course of commercial negotiations.
14. Reviews and remedial actions
IFL reserves the right to verify the supplier’s compliance with the Code. Where supplier reviews demonstrate shortcomings in any of these areas, the supplier should strive to implement a time-bound programme of improvement leading to conformance.
In the event that we become aware of any actions or conditions not in compliance with the Code, we reserve the right to request corrective actions. IFL reserves the right to terminate an agreement with any supplier that does not comply with the Code.