Pilot project on the implementation of the OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains| Mercados y Comercio | Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Alimentación y la Agricultura

In 2018, FAO and the OECD launched a pilot project to review the practical application of the OECD-FAO Guidance and its recommendations, providing insight on how companies implement its main findings. Over 30 companies and industry initiatives participated in the project.

A baseline report evaluated the extent to which the recommendations of the Guidance were addressed by participants, supported by information sharing on good practices and peer-learning webinars. A final report was released in October 2019, introducing lessons learned on the implementation of the OECD-FAO Guidance and the identification and mitigation of social and environmental risks.

Findings of the pilot project were validated at a joint OECD-FAO multi-stakeholder roundtable meeting that brought together over 60 participants from government, business, civil society, intergovernmental organizations, worker representatives and academia.

In 2021, FAO’s Pilot Project on the Implementation of the OECD-FAO Guidance was selected by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) as a Best Practice in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The pilot project concluded in 2019.

	Businesses have taken steps to strengthen their approach to due diligence, with several demonstrating sophisticated management tools to identify and mitigate risks.
	The adoption of due diligence strategies is often driven by external pressure or attention to certain thematic areas in supply chains.
	Gaps still exist in how companies translate policy commitments into actions, particularly in organizing and maintaining regular stakeholder cooperation.
	Many businesses are reliant on industry schemes, audits or third-party platforms which may not be tailored to their business models, or effective for identifying or mitigating risk.
	A lack of information on individual due diligence practices among businesses has been observed in public reporting, preventing a culture of sharing practices and lessons on due diligence tools.

Publications

Responsible Business Conduct Quarterly. Bulletin No. 6, July–September 2023

22/09/2023

FAO’s Responsible Business Conduct Quarterly Bulletin (RBC-Q) shares events and resources on FAO’s activities on Responsible Global Value Chains and news from around the world related to business, risk and development in the agricultural sector. It is prepared by FAO’s Markets and Trade Division (EST). This issue of the bulletin covers the period July–September 2023.