Committed to Upholding The Rights of Our Workers
Greenhouse Delight Foods Inc. is a producer of greenhouse peppers for food consumption. Our practices are guided by our belief that the entire supply chain is responsible for maintaining and promoting ethical practices. We recognize there are multiple laws and regulations in our industry that directly and indirectly affect our employees and customers. This corporate human rights policy outlines our commitment to domestic and international laws. We are committed to collaborating with the greenhouse house industry and our stakeholders.
Growing safe food is the primary step of our business. We understand producing safe food is only possible by listening to and engaging our employees throughout the process. Our employees are at the heart of our practices, and we utilize industry best practices to keep the greenhouse environment safe for both the employees (through social accountability) and food production (through third party food safety audits).
Commitment
We are committed to developing our procedures and business goals with human rights in mind. Our goals are guided by documentation and policies that have been developed by leading organizations such as the United Nations. The following local legislation will be consulted to ensure practices are current:
- Canadian Human Rights Commission
- British Columbian Employment Standards
To stay current and analyze implications internationally, references provided by the following references will also be considered:
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
- United Nations- Convention on the Rights of the Child
- International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination
- United Nations Palermo Protocol on Human Trafficking
Greenhouse Delight Foods Inc. is aware that discrimination is still occurring within the agricultural sector, and we pay attention to the issues presented directly in the greenhouse industry.
To maintain our commitment the following approach will be taken:
Due Diligence and Trend Analysis
We conduct research and due diligence to familiarize ourselves with issues in the industry facing our workers. Due diligence and information can be obtained from a variety of sources and will be discussed annually at a minimum. The management team is made aware through their own research, employee discussion or industry stakeholders on human rights issues. No reported human rights violation in the industry is considered too small to discuss. Special attention is paid to groups that can be impacted or marginalized as part of the labour sourcing program.
Through market analysis and research, the following issues related to human rights were identified as potential risks:
- Racial Discrimination of Farm Workers
- Human Trafficking
- Inequality of Farm Workers
- Child Labour
Furthermore, internally we use complaint analysis and engage our employees for feedback. Employees can submit anonymous complaints to management and those complaints are reviewed monthly. The outcome is recorded and changes to our practices as required.
Implementation
To implement practices and demonstrate commitment to human rights, Greenhouse Delight Foods Inc. will employ a circular approach. This approach allows the company to both revise and reject practices pertaining to human rights. The approach will include review- implement- revise.
Our commitment to human rights has been integrated with our management systems currently in place:
- By maintaining our globally recognized food safety certification. This process allows us to continuously review our practices and implement new ones to meet global standards. Revision is done annually as a result of our third party audit results.
- The human resources program at Greenhouse Delight Foods Inc. includes health and safety requirements and human rights requirements. Our dedicated team has created and implemented health and safety procedures to meet provincial legislation and the UNGPs. Employees are provided with anonymous avenues to issue any complaints. Complaints are reviewed monthly and follow up is recorded.
- Our Approved supplier program and supplier code of conduct ensure our supply chain is considered and we source inputs from companies that do not engage in human rights violations. Annual review is completed and our supply chain is small allowing us familiarity with the suppliers.
- Our privacy standards follow British Columbia Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Employee information is safeguarded within the software and access to employee residences and the site is managed through a Visitor Policy. Visitors are accompanied and the policies in place protect our products, site and employees.
Oversight
The safety of our products from a consumable standpoint, as well as the safety of our environment for stakeholders are both overseen by third party audits. These audits are completed annually and corrective actions are addressed as part of the scheme requirements. The social compliance audit is communicated throughout our supply chain using a recognized database. This database allows transparency, and our customers can see the improvements we are undertaking.
Continuous Improvement
Greenhouse Delight Foods Inc. is committed to protecting and adhering to the United Nations Guiding Principles (UNGPs) on Human Rights and Business Ethics. In addition to the UNGPs, Greenhouse Delight Foods Inc. is familiar with and committed to upholding practices outlined in the International Labour Organization on Fundamentals and Rights at Work.
Greenhouse Delight Foods Inc. undergoes third party audits to the Sedex- SMETA audit standard. The audit scope includes a 4-pillar approach and focuses on the following areas:
- Business Ethics
- Environmental Practices
- Health and Safety
- Labour Practices & Human Rights
The initial audit phase for this standard was completed in 2023. Now that the audit has been completed, we have an objective assessment on how our company ethics stand up against the industry standards. The audit result will be used to further develop and revise our current practices in the areas listed above.
This policy, in its entirety will be reviewed annually to ensure it is current and that updates are done to meet industry standards.