The Sustainability Initiative of South Africa (SIZA) has entered into a partnership with Appellando to enhance human rights and environmental protection in global supply chains. This collaboration aims to improve grievance reporting mechanisms, aligning with EU Due Diligence legislation. The partnership merges SIZA's Voice for All program and South African expertise with Appellando's international reach.
Kristian Moeller, Director General of Appellando, commented, "We acknowledge the work SIZA has done in establishing a sector-wide grievance mechanism. With this partnership, we extend our framework for effective grievance mechanisms beyond Spain, by including fresh fruit suppliers from South Africa into the legally required supply chain due diligence reporting of our European retail partners. This collaboration contributes to our goal of providing a harmonized approach to efficient grievance mechanisms in international supply chains, based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP) and OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct."
Retha Louw, CEO of SIZA, noted, "This partnership is the result of careful discussions and a thorough process to ensure that SIZA continues to provide world-class service to global markets. It is a testament to the trust and professionalism that Kristian and his team at Appellando have demonstrated throughout this journey. Although the SIZA Voice for All is not a new program, the partnership will strengthen the program and now position it as a global partner to ensure market access remains to South African agricultural suppliers. Together, we will focus on enhancing accountability, transparency, and compliance, with a commitment to empowering worker's voice and establishing best practices that go beyond mere compliance."
Source: HortGro