The Accountability Framework initiative is calling on companies to take urgent and effective action to achieve ethical supply chains that protect forests and other natural ecosystems and fully respect human rights. The Framework's principles and guidance provide a clear and practical roadmap to implementing ethical supply chains. 

Underlying the Framework is the consensus of 15 leading NGOs ‒ representing a unique convergence of environmental and social perspectives ‒ as well as the contributions of hundreds of other organizations, experts, and companies through a two-year consultative process. The Framework complements and helps to align existing definitions, standards, and monitoring tools so that companies can follow a single harmonized approach to manage and report their progress.

With the 2020 deadline drawing near and commodity trade still driving unacceptable environmental and human rights impacts, the time to act is now. Therefore the AFi calls  upon all companies engaged in the production, trade, or finance of agriculture and forest commodities to follow the Accountability Framework to:

• Establish ethical supply chain commitments (or update existing commitments)

 • Take effective action to address ecosystem conversion and human rights abuses throughout their entire production base, supply chain, and finance portfolio

 • Monitor and report progress to provide transparent information to stakeholders and guide continuous improvement.

Find out more the Accountability Framework here.