For the past decade, PMI's Agricultural Labor Practices (ALP) program has been a vital tool for the company to address social impacts in the tobacco supply chain. Today, PMI released the ALP ten-year report, coinciding with International Human Rights Day and the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour.
The report reaffirms the company's commitment to continue protecting, promoting, and supporting the socio-economic well-being of tobacco farming communities. This includes the ambitious goal of ensuring that 100% of contracted farmers are paid at least the legal minimum wage by 2022, achieving zero child labor in the tobacco supply chain by 2025, ensuring that 100% of contracted farmers earn a living income by 2025, providing basic water to contracted farmers supplying tobacco to PMI by 2025, and achieving basic environmental and personal hygiene by 2030.
These ambitious strategies are built upon the important ALP goals to be achieved by 2020. All of our contract farm workers now have safe and decent accommodation and access to personal protective equipment (PPE) for the application of crop protection agents and the prevention of green tobacco sickness.
We are keenly aware that poverty and inequality are the root causes of child labor and other human rights issues. By focusing on livelihoods, our goal is to build resilience in agricultural communities, provide new and alternative income sources, and improve income levels and household livelihoods," said Jennifer Motles, Chief Sustainability Officer at PMI.
On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the ALP program and the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour, we have compiled a comprehensive report to reflect on the progress we have made, while acknowledging the urgent need to accelerate our actions like never before.
The evolution of PMI's ALP program and their long-term success depend on improving their societal impact both internally and externally. This is why over a decade ago, the company prioritized the welfare of tobacco farming communities. Respect for human rights is a fundamental principle that guides all of their activities.
In 2011, tobacco company PMI partnered with the leading NGO in supply chain sustainability, Verité, to design and implement their ALP program. Together, PMI and Verité created an ambitious ALP code consisting of seven key principles that articulate the rights and responsibilities of farmers and workers. Each principle is defined by clear, measurable standards to monitor and demonstrate good labor practices.
The plan, scheduled for development in 2018, aims to address underlying issues and bring about significant long-term change in the areas most severely affected. The focus will be on four priority areas: eliminating child labor, ensuring at least minimum wage or agricultural benchmark standards are met, ensuring availability and proper use of personal protective equipment, and ensuring adequate accommodation for all farm workers.
PMI is continually communicating the standards of its ALP program to farmers throughout the entire supply chain, making them aware of its expectations. The company and its suppliers have developed the necessary resources to monitor the condition of farms and provide wise solutions for problematic practices. Through specific initiatives such as targeted training on fair working conditions, monitoring of individual farms, and gender empowerment initiatives, the ALP program has already had, and will continue to have, a tangible and positive impact on agricultural communities worldwide.
Recently Reached Milestone.
Throughout 2020, PMI remained steadfastly committed to preventing instances of child labor in the tobacco supply chain, despite the impact of COVID-19 and related restrictions on its efforts. The company introduced new approaches to addressing systemic issues, raised awareness, and isolated cases of child labor on its contracted farms. In 2020, PMI continued its efforts to eliminate the remaining 3.5% prevalence of child labor on its contracted farms.
In 2020, PMI collaborated with third-party experts to conduct a research study on living incomes, analyzing the current income of farmers and developing strategies to achieve the goal of providing livelihood incomes to 100% of contract farmers supplying tobacco to PMI. As of 2020, 48% of contract farmers earned at least a livelihood income.
Finally, 2020 marked the achievement of two important ALP goals for PMI. The first is to provide safe and decent housing for contracted farmers. The second is to ensure adequate provision of personal protective equipment for the application of crop protection agents and prevention of green tobacco disease for all tobacco workers.
Original Article Link:
Philip Morris International: 10 years of Agricultural Labor Practice program anniversary.
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