FNV and CBL will research the tomato chain

The Central Food Trade Office (CBL) and the FNV are going to investigate the production chain of the canned tomato trade. The investigation will focus on Italy, a major supplier of tomatoes. The objective is to map out the specific risks of human rights violations in the tomato chain and the improvements that are needed by the end of July. Recommendations will be drawn up on how the Dutch participants in the chain can initiate positive change.

Jos Hendriks, FNV Food Industry director: "We are having the supply chain of canned tomatoes investigated, to establish what risks we are facing in terms of violations of human rights, trade union rights and the environment, and who is involved. But the most important thing comes after the audit: how do we ensure that the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) and United Nations human and environmental guidelines are applied in the cultivation, harvesting, transport and processing of the tomatoes?"

Monitoring human rights

The CBL concurs with the importance of addressing the risks. Jennifer Muller, Sustainability Manager at the CBL: "Dutch supermarkets consider it essential that human rights are safeguarded in the chains. It is therefore important to investigate possible social abuses in the Italian tomato chain and to gain insight into the action perspectives of the parties involved. Cooperation is crucial for a thorough investigation. We are therefore happy to join forces with the FNV to bring about positive change."

Research into the share of Dutch producers and buyers

An important part of the research is to map out the share of Dutch producers and customers in the Italian tomato chain. This way, it will be easier to see which steps can be taken to improve the position of employees in each segment. One of the aspects to be investigated is the role played by supermarkets, manufacturers and organisations that issue quality certificates.

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