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Introduction

The Sustainable Spices Initiative (SSI) brings together leading international companies and NGOs aiming

to sustainably transform the mainstream spices sector, thereby securing future sourcing and boosting

economic growth in producing countries. To achieve this, SSI supports sustainability interventions in the

value chains in combination with stimulating a growing market uptake of sustainable spices. SSI has

been working towards defining the critical sustainability issues in the spices sector. This manual is meant

to explain the work that has been done up to now and to propose several next steps.

Sustainability issues identified in spices:

There is a growing awareness of critical issues in the spices sector and the need to address them. Most

talked about issues relate to unsafe pesticide use, poor working conditions and degradation of

biodiversity and they are present in open field systems, but also in vine and tree crops. For SSI as a

sustainability initiative it has been important to identify the issues in more detail and see in how far

these issues can be covered by sustainability standards or company codes. For more detail see Annex 1

“Overview Spices product issues”, based on research done by NewForesight.

Selecting sustainability standard(s):

In early stages of SSI it was decided not to create a new standard, but to choose one B2C ‘gold standard’

to address the identified critical issues. Rainforest Alliance was chosen, but time showed that this did

not fulfil all business needs. It became necessary to select more standards (B2C and B2B) to facilitate all

participants in SSI to work on mainstream sustainability. These selected standards and company codes,

however, needed to be credible, address the critical issues as identified through research in spices and,

of course, applicable to different types of production settings. They were therefore screened on:

Content: does a standard or code cover the main issues we worry about?

Credibility: is their governance structure and audit mechanism credible and recognized by our market

and civil society/consumers?

Effectivity: What are the costs of the standard and its availability, meaning volume certified produce or

auditors to inspect suppliers?

The analysis lead to selecting a ‘basket of standards’, including a number of standards that were already

being used by the sector. These standards are: EU Organic Farming, Rainforest Alliance, Fair trade

International (hired labor and small farmers), Global Gap, USDA National Organic Program and Unilever

Sustainable Agriculture Code. The identified standards cover the critical issues although in some cases a

combination of standards might be needed to cover all. For more detail see Annex 2 “Spices product

issues / standard requirements” (Fair & Sustainable Advisory Services, 2014).

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Addressing sustainability issues in your own value chain(s):

SSI has built a partnership with the International Trade Center (ITC) to offer a customized tool to

program participants. The SSI Equivalency Tool provides information on the selected standards and

codes of conduct addressing sustainability issues (hotspots) in the spices supply chain.

http://www.standardsmap.or/ssi

The tool allows you to compare sustainability standards and codes in general, but detailed comparisons

can also be made, e.g. focusing on crop or country specifics, or on key sustainability issues. For example:

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The advantage of the customized tool is that it supports your internal decision making around the use of

standards as a way to reach your companies’ sustainability ambition. In case of a company code the tool

gives you a neutral and transparent comparison indicating areas for improvement. This approach

strengthens the credibility of your code. The tool is custom-made for SSI and will be kept up to date by

ITC. If needed, more standards can be included at a later stage.

Next steps in SSI:

Currently the SSI program is familiar with the critical issues that play a role in the sector and selected a

number of standards and codes to address these issues. The tool developed by ITC offers participants in

the SSI program transparency and comparability on the ‘what, how and who’ of standards. It enables a

fact-based discussion on content of standards; the audit methodologies, availability etc. It is not meant

as a judgment on good or bad standards. Also, it allows you to assess your own performance against a

specific standard through the self-assessment module.

In order to strengthen this process further, a next step is to use benchmarking as a tool to measure the selected standards and code against an internationally renowned neutral reference point on content, credibility and effectivity. Benchmarking leads to a shared understanding of what is meant by “sustainability” in the spices sector and gives SSI the possibility to define a minimum compliance level. Among the available references SSI is exploring the option to use GlobalGap (environmental) and ILO (social). For social, working towards Global Social Compliance Program (GSCP social & environmental) at a later stage would be an option. GlobalGAP and GSCP references are internationally renowned as they receive strong support and acceptance by retail and food industry. The benchmarking element is already inserted in the ITC equivalency tool as an option.

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How to use the ITC portal for SSI?

As mentioned in the introduction, the SSI tool developed within the ITC standards map allows you:

to receive detailed information on the content and scope of standards and codes by using the

quick-scan button

to compare standards and codes by using the compare button, including comparing against

fixed references for social and environmental compliance.

to do a self-assessment by using the self-assessment button.

In this section we explain what the tool can do for you using 4 examples.

EXAMPLE 1 – Producer/farmer group looking for a standard

Suppose you are a Vietnamese producer or farmer group of black pepper and aware of the critical issues

that play a role in your sector. You are considering certification as a way of addressing these issues and

meet your company’s sustainability ambition. You want to know if the standard used by Rainforest

Alliance would fit.

Step 1

In the ITC Standards Map SSI tool you select at the left-hand side navigation menu product (black

pepper), production country (Vietnam) and destination market (Europe) and select Rainforest Alliance

from the list of 7 standards. Then you click on the ‘Quick Scan’ button to let the tool produce an

analysis.

Step 2

When the analysis page appears you click the ‘Requirements’ button to see the key issues covered by

Rainforest Alliance divided over the requirements (environmental, social etc) including time indications

(immediate, within 1 year).

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How to read this?

It is clear that Rainforest Alliance has many requirements on environmental and social issues and a

smaller set of requirements on management, quality and ethics, but what does it mean? You find

descriptions on soil treatment, water management, agrochemical use, but also health and safety issues,

labor conditions and ethical rules like anti-corruption procedures.

For instance, in the environmental section there is a general requirement on waste water management.

It states that a farm must have appropriate treatment systems in place for all wastewaters it generates

at all times. That is what the time indication ‘immediate’ means. A program on reuse and recycling of

water, however, is something a farm must have in place within one year after first certification.

Another example: the requirement on safety equipment and personal protective equipment needs to be

complied with from the beginning, meaning that anyone dealing with agrochemicals always needs to

wear protective clothing. Training on safety issues, however, might be carried out in the first year of

being certified.

Agrochemicals need to be clearly administrated at all times, properly stored etc. If inspectors find a

chemical that is mentioned on the prohibited list, you receive a sanction.

In the social section you find requirements on contracting workers, including overtime rules. Contracts

need to respect national laws and ILO declarations. Another critical issue like child labor is prohibited at

all times, but age indications are given when children can work including types of work and time limits.

The overview allows you to determine if the critical issues you want to address are covered by the

standard, within which time frame etc. It also shows you the scope of the standard (where in the market

it is accepted), the frequency of audits and other practical information to support your decision making.

This work can also be done by a consultant or trader, on behalf of the producer / farmer group and the

outcome discussed with the farmers.

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EXAMPLE 2 – Producer/farmer group comparing own practice with a standard

Let’s stay with the same black pepper producer / farmer group in Vietnam. By now they have decided to

use Rainforest Alliance, but want to know – before requesting an official audit – in how far they already

comply.

Step 1

Return to the main page of the ITC Standards Map SSI tool and click on the self- assessment button.

Step 2

Select the standard you want to be compared with. In this example it is Rainforest Alliance. The tool

presents you with a simple questionnaire. Per topic, for instance agrochemical use or child labor, you

respond to the question with a yes/no or not yet. At the end of the questionnaire the tool generates a

report and a virtual representation.

How to read this?

The report deals with the main areas like soil, biodiversity, chemicals in the environmental section and

working conditions, health & safety, anti-discrimination rules etc in the social section. The report shows

in writing and in visuals in how far you already comply with the standards (the ‘met’ column), but more

importantly also areas of relative easy improvement (the ‘nearly’ column) and those that need more

work probably (the ‘missed’ column). For instance you have a clear policy and monitored practice on

dealing with waste water and even started with reusing water which will appear in the ‘met’ column.

However you have no specific requirements for handling/disposal of waste by third parties which will

appear in the ‘nearly’ part of the overview. A missed element could be that you have no anti-

discrimination policy or no training on health & safety issues. Nearly could be that your workers do have

protective clothing, but do not always use it and your supervisors do not control nor correct it.

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The report gives you an indication how big or small the gap is between your daily practice and standard

compliance. You can share the report with the certification body, in this case Rainforest Alliance, and ask

advice regarding improvement trajectories and in how far you are ready to pass the first audit.

Also in this particular case the work can be done by a consultant on behalf of the farmers and the

outcome shared with them.

Example 3 – Trader/importer comparing two standards

Suppose you are a buyer of black pepper in need of additional supply. As a buyer you prefer to work

with Rainforest Alliance certified produce as certification helps you reach your sustainability objectives.

A potential new supplier presents itself. The sample they have sent is of good quality and the available

volumes also look good. The supplier indicated they are FLO certified and are exporting already to

Europe. Before you start contract discussions you want to understand what this fairtrade standard

covers and how comparable it is with Rainforest Alliance instead of simply demanding additional

certification.

Step 1

In the ITC Standards Map SSI tool you select at the left-hand side navigation menu product (black

pepper), production country (Vietnam) and destination market (Europe) and from the list of 7 standards

you select Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade for small producer organizations and click on the ‘Compare’

button to let the tool produce an analysis.

Step 2

The page shows you several visuals from a spider web with the key issues/ hotspots per standard to the

hotspots per sustainability area.

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You quickly see that Rainforest Alliance covers a broader range of requirements than Fairtrade for small

producers, but that there is also much overlap. You can view the comparison per area, for instance

environmental issues.

How to read this?

It tells you in general terms that the two standards are largely comparable and that it is worthwhile to

enter into negotiations with the newly presented supplier. If you want to have greater assurance the

page also shows a data table to review the specifics per requirement. You might start with viewing the

ones that are most important to you for instance on ‘respecting a list of prohibited chemicals’. The table

shows that it is dealt with in both standards, that the timeframe is the same (both standards require

immediate compliance) and if a supplier needs to keep records on this (also a yes in both standards).

You can do the same for social issues and start with the issues that are most relevant to you. It supports

your decision to accept the Fairtrade certification or not and enter into negotiations. The report can also

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be shared with the new party and open up the discussion on the differences and how to deal with them

– if you want to reach full comparability in the future or in case that is needed to reach your own

sustainability objectives.

Example 4 – Retailer/food industry comparing standards

Suppose you are a major retailer or food brand wanting to source only sustainable spices. As a member

of the Consumer Goods Forum you have a clear idea which critical issues play a role in your sector and

that you want to use certification as a way to address the issues. You also want to work with

international reference points like GlobalGap for environmental and GSCP for social issues. Before

starting the discussion with your suppliers on certification you want to understand which standards

could be used/are acceptable to you.

Step 1

In the ITC Standards Map SSI tool you select at the left-hand side navigation menu product (for instance

the generic indication herbs and spices), production country (for instance the generic indication any

country or region) and destination market (for instance Europe) and select all standards from the list

(there are 7 in total) or a selected number of standards. Then you click on the ‘Quick Scan’ button to let

the tool produce an overview.

Step 2

When the overview page appears you click the ‘Requirements’ button to see the key issues covered by

the standards selected by you, one standard per column, divided over the requirements (environmental,

social etc) including time indications (immediate, within 1 year). For instance:

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The ITC tool also allows you for inserting fixed reference standards for environmental and social

sustainability. To view these options, simply click ‘environmental’ (or ‘social’) and as a default setting,

you see the selected standards benchmarked against GlobalGAP (environmental) or GSCP (social). In the

graph on the left side, you can also choose a different reference point (for example ILO for social)

against which you want to benchmark the standards.

Step 3

The page shows you several visuals from a spider web with the key issues/ hotspots per standard to the

hotspots per sustainability area.

The overview gives you information on content and scope of the standard, but you might also want to

compare them. You can do so by simply clicking the compare button and the analysis appears on your

screen.

How to read this?

As in example 3 it tells you in general terms that the selected standards are largely comparable with two

of them covering a broader range of issues than the others. If you want to have greater assurance the

page also shows a data table to review the specifics per requirement. You might start with viewing the

ones that are most important to you for instance on ‘respecting a list of prohibited chemicals’. The table

shows that it is dealt with in all standards, that the timeframe is the same (standards require immediate

compliance) and if a supplier needs to keep records on this (also a yes in all cases).

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You can do the same for social issues and start with the issues that are most relevant to you. It supports

your decision to accept one or more standards in your assortment. The report can also be shared with

your suppliers and open up the discussion on working towards certification to reach your own

sustainability objectives.

Utrecht, November 2014

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ANNEX 1 Overview spices product issues

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Spices category

Child Labor

Discrimina-

tion (inc.

gender)

Excessive

Working

Hours

and/or

Unpaid

Overtime Forced Labor

Minimum

wage

Lack of

Freedom of

Association

and/or Right

to Collective

Bargaining

Poor

Working

Conditions

Land Titles

and use of

land

Health &

Safety

Limited

access to

education

and health

care

open farming X X X X X X

vine crops X X X X X X

tree crops X X X X X X X

Standard / Code Content

Unilever ILO 29+105 ILO 87 +98

Rainforest Alliance <15 years ILO 29+105 ILO 87 +98

FLO <18 years ILO 29+105 ILO 87 +98

IFOAM/Organic <18 years ILO 29+105 ILO 87 +98

Global Gap <15 years self decl. self decl. self decl.

GSCP - benchmark/equivalence tool <15 years ILO 105 ILO 87 +98

Assesment

immediate requirements

short-term requirements in 1 year

medium-term requirements in 3 years

no specific requirement

recommendation

Spices category

Degradation

of Natural

Ecosystems

/ soil

degradation

Excessive

Waste

Harmful

Agricultural

Practices

incl use

illegal

substances Deforestation

Water

Mismanage-

ment and/or

Contamina-

tion

Use of GMO

prohibited Biodiversity

open farming X X X

vine crops X X X

tree crops X X X X

Standard / Code Content

Unilever

Rainforest Alliance

FLO

IFOAM/Organic

Global Gap

GSCP - benchmark/equivalence tool

Assesment

immediate requirements

short-term requirements in 1 year

medium-term requirements in 3 years

no specific requirement

recommendation

Spices category

Corruption

Insufficient

Market-

related

Infrastruc-

ture

Lack of

Access to

Financial

Services Low Productivity

Market

Distorting

Subsidies

and/or (non)-

Trade

Barriers Price Volatility

Quality

and/or food

safety issues

open farming

vine crops

tree crops

Standard / Code content

Unilever

Rainforest Alliance

FLO pricing system

IFOAM/organic

Global Gap

GSCP - benchmark/equivalence tool

Assesment

immediate requirements

short-term requirements in 1 year

medium-term requirements in 3 years

no specific requirement

recommendation

Note 1: assessment relates to supply chain origin not standards developed for traders

Note 2: most issues indicated in economic issue box are more context / policy related topics and not dealt with as standard requirements/certification requirements

Note 3: GSCP is a benchmark; data in this assessment come from the tools developed by GSCP for their equivalence process.

Prepared by: Fair & Sustainable Advisory Services, Utrecht 2014

Note: assessment is based on public information from certifiers, interviews with standard owners, traders and producers and the standard map of the ITC. Information is translated by Fair

& Sustainable Advisory Services into a format suitable for IDH discussions with potential program participants.

Annex 2: Product Standard Issue Assessment Spices

Social Issues

Environmental Issues

Economic Issues