Responsible business conduct in the avocado industry: a guide for producers and exporters

Book excerpt: This guide aims to support growers and businesses operating in the global avocado industry in their efforts to implement responsible business conduct (RBC) practices to improve the sustainability of their operations. By committing to RBC and implementing due diligence processes, these businesses can avoid social conflicts and environmental damage, which will also help to minimize financial losses and maintain long-term profitability. Responsible business conduct helps to identify, prioritize and deal with problems as they arise, rather than waiting for them to grow bigger or be discovered by others. The purpose of this guide is to strengthen the capacity of avocado producing, packing and exporting businesses and associations, including small and medium-sized companies, to begin their RBC journey by implementing Step 2 of the due diligence process (i.e. identify and prioritize risks of negative impacts). The guide also discusses ways to address these risks to implement Step 3: Cease, remedy, prevent and/or mitigate risks. The guide builds on the OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains and provides references to many other useful resources. It was developed by the Responsible Fruits Project with support from the Government of Germany.