Assessment of the environmental and social risks of the paja toquilla value-chain for sustainable sourcing Ecuador

Context of the service

European regulations, both in terms of international trade in timber and other forest products, as well as environmental and social reporting, are changing.

The traceability of supply chains is more important than ever to ensure that there is no deforestation in supply chains and that social and environmental issues and risks are properly addressed.

As part of its CSR and sustainable and responsible sourcing strategy, the company (confidential) wanted to diagnose and map its supply chains of paja toquilla (Carludovica Palmata), a palm fiber used to manufacture Panama hats.

A mission to diagnose, map this sector and analyse environmental and social risks has been entrusted to SalvaTerra.

Services provided

- Preliminary risk assessment - depending on the country and the product concerned - based on global databases: forced labour, child labour, indigenous peoples, corruption, HDI, biodiversity, deforestation, etc.

- Analysis of bibliographic data on the supply-chain: key players, socio-economic importance (including on the decent income of rural households), resource management, market dynamics, challenges in terms of traceability (multitude of processing steps and actors at each stage), etc.

- Analysis of documents provided by local suppliers: procedures in place, level of traceability, management of employees and subcontractors, certification, etc.

- Field mission and interviews on collection sites and processing sites.

- Compilation of data into a grid of more than 75 criteria, triangulation with different sources and assignment of a rating.

- Feedback with suppliers and definition of an action plan for compliance with a schedule.

Summary of the service

Assessment of the environmental and social risks of the paja toquilla value-chain (fiber used to make the Panama hat) for sustainable sourcing: Preliminary risk assessment based on global databases; Analysis of bibliographic data on the value-chain; Analysis of documents provided by suppliers; Field mission and interviews with all stakeholders (collection and processing sites); Compilation / triangulation / scoring in a grid of more than 75 criteria; Feedback with suppliers and definition of a compliance action plan.