RAN welcomes the new commitments, calls for further action and real and robust implementation
SAN FRANCISCO – After years of campaign pressure from Rainforest Action Network (RAN), along with its supporters and allies, Procter & Gamble (P&G) published an update to its Forest Commodities Policy, Human Rights Policy, Forestry Grievance Process, and Responsible Sourcing Expectations. Rainforest Action Network welcomes the revisions which include some notable improvements to protect land, environmental, and Human Rights Defenders as well as strengthened Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) requirements.
In response to the growing crisis facing Human Rights Defenders, especially Indigenous land defenders who oppose industrial forestry and agricultural development on their lands, Procter & Gamble has committed to stronger safeguards to prevent violence, intimidation, criminalization, and retaliation for raising grievances, and now requires its suppliers to do the same.
Rainforest Action Network Forest Campaign Director Daniel Carrillo issued the following statement,
“Procter & Gamble’s policy improvements are a great step in the right direction and demonstrate that the company understands that addressing human rights and deforestation must go hand in hand. P&G must now rapidly build on its commitment to protect Human Rights Defenders by developing a robust, standalone Human Rights Defender policy and procedures to stop the current crisis of violence, intimidation, and criminalization facing Human Rights Defenders.
“Procter & Gamble now requires palm oil suppliers to have a ‘No Deforestation, No Peatland, and No Exploitation’ (NDPE) policy but stopped short of requiring the corporate groups it does business with to adhere to its policy across their entire operations. RAN’s research has demonstrated how shadow companies are among the main drivers of deforestation and rights violations, making it critical for companies to apply their policies at the company corporate group level.
“P&G’s cross commodity NDPE policy also missed an important opportunity to protect forests by not prohibiting forest degradation in its supply chain, a main driver of habitat destruction and forest loss in the Boreal forests of Canada, a major sourcing region for P&G’s paper products.
“While RAN welcomes the improvements made by P&G, we call on the company to rapidly implement them and address the remaining gaps in its policies and implementation which continue to pose risks to forests, communities and the climate. We also call on remaining laggards, including Mondelēz International, to rapidly follow suit.
“Across the world, civic space to engage in basic rights like free speech is shrinking, giving rise to increased attacks on Human Rights Defenders. At RAN we know that global people power is key to drive change, and those willing to speak truth to power and take bold action are the climate leaders that this world needs. The improvements P&G has announced are the result of a sustained grassroots global campaign.”