OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains
OECD and FAO have developed this Guidance to help enterprises observe standards of
responsible business conduct and undertake due diligence along agricultural supply
chains in order to ensure that their operations contribute to sustainable development.
The Guidance comprises:
• A model enterprise policy outlining the standards that enterprises should observe
to build responsible agricultural supply chains;
• A framework for risk-based due diligence describing the five steps that enterprises
should follow to identify, assess, mitigate and account for how they address the adverse
impacts of their activities;
• A description of the major risks faced by enterprises and the measures to mitigate
these risks;
• Guidance for engaging with indigenous peoples.
The agricultural sector comprises more than 570 million farms in the world and this
should attract further investment as it expands to meet increasing demand.
The demand for both food and nonfood agricultural products is increasing, driven by
growing populations, higher incomes, and changing diets.
A pilot project with 30 leading enterprises is underway to kick-start the practical
application of the OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains.