A coalition of food retailers working together through ETI to provide technical assistance to twelve farm sites across four countries – focussed on rebuilding business and making the working environment COVID-19 safe. 

Learning will be shared at East and Southern African regional and international levels, and emerging good practice captured within the ETI Base Code (sustainability mechanism) with examples disseminated for businesses’ adoption.   

Stories from beneficiaries

Read the latest case study report which gives voice to workers who have benefitted from several project interventions in Kenya and Zimbabwe. Our case study illustrates what they have learned and why it was essential for them and their families. It also provides testimonies from suppliers’ management on how certain trainings have helped their businesses in strengthening resilience against COVID-19.

The challenge

• Global lockdown measures sent the horticulture and flower industry into crisis as exports were curtailed and internal African trade disrupted.
• Impacts include: significant post-harvest losses, loss of previously negotiated prices, lack of financial means and crop inputs to keep production running, and reduced labour demand.
• Food production and processing is labour intensive with informal and smallholder farmers making up more than 60% of the population, many of whom are women.
• COVID-19 is a serious health risk, but there are wider impacts such as broader health, safety and wellbeing considerations, and gender-based violence that need both immediate and long-term attention.

The initiative

• Direct support provided to 12 suppliers, as nominated by retail brands using a number of criteria.
• A supplier needs assessments will determine the most effective technical assistance to provide from a basket of options. Support will facilitate implementation of safe workplaces and protected labour rights.
• Topics will include occupational health and safety, worker representation, wages, and gender; to be delivered via virtual and/or local support as access conditions allow.
• Relationships will be brokered between suppliers, on-the-ground support, and buyers.
• To promote scalable application of responsible business practice, learning events will be used to share guidance and good practice measures adopted in response to the pandemic among retailers and suppliers:
• Insights and impact from technical assistance and supplier practices collected and shared.
  • Emerging good practice captured against ETI Base Code, examples disseminated for adoption.
  • 2 Ethical Trade events will be hosted to share knowledge with suppliers, retailers, civil society, and trade unions, seeking to develop a nascent East Africa Ethical Trade Forum.

Expected results

Win-win for vulnerable people and responsible businesses:

• 10,000 workers can work and earn an income.
• Reduced risks of health and wellbeing impacts of COVID-19, and exploitative working conditions.
• 12 horticulture and floriculture suppliers supported to create safe working environments and rebuild resilient and responsible operations.
• Best ethical practice documented and shared with retailers and suppliers through eight or more learning events and incorporated into the ETI Base Code.

Gender and social inclusion:

60% of workers targeted are women.

Other ETI programmes funded through FCDOs VSCF fund

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Garments from Bangladesh

Collaborative stakeholder engagement around garment sourcing hubs.

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Resources

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COVID-19 outbreak resource pack for African agricultural suppliers

Resources for East Africa farm or packhouse managers and agri-business owners, to help manage outbreaks.

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File(s)

Business continuity guide

A pack of tools and templates to enable African agri-food suppliers to draft their own Business Continuity Plan.

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