Promoting responsible sourcing in India with frontrunning and domestic brands

IDH India, with a view to create systematic engagement with supply and value chain actors and grow the responsible sourcing movement in India, is partnering with businesses to create a cross-sector ambition for accelerating responsible and sustainable sourcing and driving greater resilience and transparency in value chains.

At an event in December, several Indian businesses including Akay Group, AVT McCormick, Nedspice, SBS Laxmi, Rabobank, Omnivore Venture Capital, Jayanti Herbs and Spice, Fruitfal, Olam Agri, Growcoms, World Spice Organization, RTI International, Khedut, Sattva, Arya Ag, TTC, CRB and Samunnati, ITC, came together to discuss creating a roadmap and an implementation plan, thus paving the way to show visible impact in responsible sourcing.

The businesses also signed IDH Responsible Sourcing Pledge to commit to ‘intensify work on responsible sourcing in supply chains to create a sustainable trade movement.’

Speaking about the Program, Jagjeet Singh Kandal, Country Director – India, IDH, said, “Most of the large multinational companies and brands already have in place a responsible sourcing policy. However, they need to bring in a certain element of contextuality aligned with Indian market realities. IDH Responsible Sourcing Program will focus on India for India – working closely with Indian companies to make their supply chains sustainable, which till date are not showing significant signs of responsible sourcing happening in any perceptible manner”.

Daan Wensing, Chief Executive Officer at IDH, who hosted the event, said, “It is very encouraging to hear from our partners and Indian companies on their activities for responsible sourcing. As IDH, we believe to create systems change in global value chains by facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogue, partnerships and strengthening the capacities of multiple stakeholders in the entire value chain. India as a country is a significant part of IDH operations, for many commodities and value chains.”

IDH collaborates in multiple states in India with partners on several commodities, falling broadly in the categories of spices, textiles, food crops, ingredients, tea, coffee, among others.

Building on the engagement today, IDH will work with the business participating in the IDH Responsible Sourcing Program to build capacities of their internal sourcing, procurement and sustainability teams to commence the journey to achieving their own sustainability commitments towards the environment, people and communities that they depend on.