Rainforest Foundation Norway joins ethical supply chain initiative

As of December 2021, Rainforest Foundation Norway (RFN) has formally joined the Accountability Framework Initiative (AFI) as a supporting partner.

The Accountability Framework is a best-practice standard for corporate conduct in agricultural and forestry commodity supply chains. It provides corporations and stakeholders with concrete guidelines for operating principles, self-assessment, implementation and reporting, thereby helping companies build responsible supply chains.

Building on expertise from leading civil society organizations that work to protect human rights and natural ecosystems, the AFI further supports companies in setting strong supply chain goals, taking effective action, and tracking progress to create clear accountability and incentivize rapid improvement on ethical trade.

As a supporting member, RFN will work to promote the use of the standard by industry actors, the financial sector and other stakeholders.

“RFN recognizes the value of a widely accepted set of standards that address deforestation and human rights in global supply chains,” Tim Steinweg, Senior Responsible Finance Adviser at RFN, says.

The organization will work to promote the uptake of Accountability Framework globally across several sectors, such as the Norwegian salmon industry, the European car manufacturing industry, Chinese stakeholders and responsible asset managers and asset owners.

“If more economic actors apply the principles of this framework, rainforests and indigenous rights can be better protected,” Steinweg says.