Germany working to impose human rights and environmental supply chain protections by 2021
25 Aug 2020Germany is taking the lead on human rights and environmental protections in the European Union. The country plans to pass a Supply Chain Law that will oblige companies to analyze whether their business activities have an adverse effect on recognized human rights and environmental standards.
The new law will oblige German-based companies with more than 500 employees to ensure that minimum social and ecological standards are being met not only in their own supply chains but also within those of their suppliers, which are often in developing and emerging countries. The law will also require companies to take steps to counteract any breaches of minimum standards to eradicate destructive environmental practices and human rights violations.

This law has widespread support from NGOs and food and beverage manufacturers, including grocery chain Rewe, coffee manufacture Tchibo, Nestlé and Ritter Sport. An alliance of 64 nonprofits and German trade unions, including Human Rights Watch, supports the legislation. However, there is lingering controversy surrounds the proposed law. German business associations and the Minister for Economics Peter Altmaier voiced concerns that such a law would put additional burdens on companies already beleaguered by the economic ramifications of Covid-19. Despite these arguments, a report from Kearney shows that the pandemic has pushed environmental concerns even further to the forefront of consumers’ minds.
Since 2016, there has been support within the country to outline some sort of framework that establishes human rights and environmental due diligence requirements for companies. While there has yet to be any formal legislation mandating or enforcing standards, there have been plenty of voluntary efforts form private companies, and the country itself has set a goal of having 50% of its large corporations mitigating human rights and ecological violations.
However, two voluntary surveys have shown Germany is nowhere close to having 50% of its companies with more than 500 employees identifying, preventing and mitigating the adverse human rights and environmental effects associated with their business activities. In fact, in the first survey from 2019, not even 20% of surveyed companies achieve the requirements outlined in Germany’s National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAP), which is based on the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights. Companies surveyed this year fared marginally better with 22% meeting NAP’s requirements.
These results show that a voluntary commitment is insufficient and has further fueled the support behind a mandatory human rights due diligence law in Germany. In 2018, the governing coalition in Germany determined that such a law would be passed should the country’s voluntary effort prove ineffective, DW reported. Now, the plan is to adopt a mandatory framework by 2021.
Related news

Canada rolls out new front-of-pack ‘magnifying glass’ label for high salt, sugar and fat foods
26 Jul 2022
Canadian authorities have launched a new front-of-package nutrition label designed to help shoppers make more informed product selections as they purchase groceries by highlighting foods high in specific ‘unhealthy’ nutrients.
Read more
Kids’ breakfast products in the US are more sugary than some popular desserts
18 Jul 2022
School meal breakfast programmes in the US are buying breakfast products with "as much or more" added sugars as some popular desserts, according to the non-profit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).
Read more
Traffic light label may the best fit for front-of-pack labelling in China
13 Jul 2022
Front-of-pack labels that utilize multiple traffic lights for specific nutrients are best understood and preferred by a wide variety of Chinese shoppers, according to a recent study.
Read more
Kellogg’s loses UK legal case against high-sugar cereal rules
11 Jul 2022
US cereal manufacturer Kellogg has lost a UK High Court case that challenged regulations intended to restrict the promotion of high-sugar breakfast cereals in supermarkets.
Read more
Sustainable behaviours must begin to resonate with consumers too
7 Jul 2022
Food producers, brand owners, retailers and governments must work together to help drive consumers towards more sustainable behaviours, experts warn.
Read more
Parmesan partnership to put ‘blockchain ready’ digital chip on all cheese wheels
29 Jun 2022
A new line of food-safe and secure digital labels on each Parmigiano Reggiano cheese wheel will deliver previously unseen levels of traceability, product control, and quality assurance, says the Consorzio del Parmigiano Reggiano (CFPR).
Read more
New EU mineral oil limits an ‘important step for food safety’
23 Jun 2022
The EU’s decision to restrict aromatic mineral oils (MOAH) in food products has been hailed as an important step in food safety and consumer protection but consumer organisation, Foodwatch, is calling for binding regulation to go one step further.
Read more
NutriScore logo could help young people make healthier food choices – but more awareness is needed
22 Jun 2022
The European Nutri-Score labelling system can help young people make healthier food choices, according to a Spanish study – but one third still do not know what the label indicates.
Read more
Clear and accurate precautionary allergen labelling is vitally important, says regulatory expert
17 Jun 2022
As the UK’s Food Standards Agency looks to standardise allergen label wording, it is “vitally important” that food businesses provide consumers with clear and accurate precautionary information about potential unintended allergens in ...
Read more
Monterey Mushrooms gets EU approval for vitamin D-rich mushroom powder
16 Jun 2022
Monterey Mushrooms’ vitamin D-rich mushroom powder, produced using ultraviolet (UV) to boost the nutrient content, can be sold in the EU, following novel food approval from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Read moreAre you a supplier?
Here's what we can do for you
- Generate quality leads for your business
- Stay visible for 365 days of the year
- Receive product inquiries and respond to meeting requests directly
- Improve company online presence through Search Engine Optimisation