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Continuous Improvement
In the relatively new area of business and human rights, when companies have identified human rights violations in their supply chain, they have developed responses ranging from requiring immediate compliance with their policies to working with their business partners in a spirit of continuous improvement.
In the development of the Monsanto Human Rights Policy, there was a recognition
by both Monsanto business leaders and external stakeholders that the continuous improvement approach to rectifying human rights violations would be the most effective and honest model to address these complex and multifaceted issues.
Improvements in the workplaces of Monsanto’s business partners are also an evolving process. Monsanto will seek to do business with those partners who similarly aspire to the continuous and sustained improvement of their workplace conditions in order to respect and protect human rights. Initially, these will be the business partners with whom we believe we can have the greatest impact on human rights. We will adapt our policy based on our experiences.
The most common human rights violations found today in the agricultural industry, involuntary labor and child labor, are not new — they have been around for a long time. However, we have learned how some societies, governments, businesses and individuals are now working to prevent and minimize them — and it almost always comes down to education, capacity building, economic development, and continuous improvement.
Question and Answer
While I understand the need to work in a spirit of continuous improvement, are there any issues that are so egregious that Monsanto must seek immediate correction?
Yes, there may be egregious or “zero-tolerance” situations in which workers face working conditions that imminently jeopardize their safety and health. In those cases, Monsanto will require immediate corrective action.
