Lidl Portugal has said that its suppliers must comply with a code of conduct that aims to improve the minimum social standards of its business partners in various countries.
In its code of conduct, Lidl claims that 'human dignity must be respected as a fundamental condition of social life'. This code prohibits child and forced labour, and imposes respect for the labour legislation of each country, as well as environmental regulations.
In a statement to Portuguese news agency Lusa, the Lidl group said that it “dedicated extreme importance to the issue of working conditions in producing countries, and has worked over the years with its suppliers to find continuous improvement measures".
The agency had asked the retailer to comment on the launch of a campaign by several NGOs, denouncing human- and labour-rights violations in tropical fruit plantations that supply supermarkets like Lidl.
In Portugal, the Fair Tropical Fruit project, which involves 19 partners from 17 EU member states, is coordinated by the Marquês de Valle Flôr Institute (IMVF). It recently launched the petition 'Lidl, we want a fair game' to promote improvement of living and economic conditions of workers, and fair trade.
According to Lidl Portugal, all suppliers and sub-suppliers in Portugal are certified "with the Global GAP certification targeted for safe and sustainable agriculture".
The retailer also notes that it gives "priority to local purchase, and wherever possible to domestic producers", so, currently, approximately 70 per cent of its fruit and vegetables are bought locally.
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
