A complex chain of farmers and producers worldwide, as well as more than 500 Norwegian importers, are involved in filling Vinmonopolets shelves. We demand that our Norwegian importers ensure acceptable working conditions in their supply chains.
Code of Conduct
The demands are set by Vinmonopolet’s Code of Conduct. All parts of the chain are included in this code. The code was developed by a global organisation called the amfori Business Social Compliance Initiative, amfori BSCI, of which Vinmonopolet is a member.
Follow-up
We follow up on our demands via independent on-site audits carried out at production facilities and farms. We focus our efforts on locations where the risk of defective working conditions is greatest. For the moment, our focus is mainly on producers in South Africa and Central America.
Can you trust that your beverage has been produced according to the demands in the code of conduct?
In one way, yes – the code applies to everyone and should be followed. But we can’t guarantee total compliance for all of the approximately 25,000 drinks that can be bought from Vinmonopolet and we know from our reviews that there are places where conditions are deficient. This brings us to the heart of the matter of working with the code of conduct; working with sustainability is a long-term, step-by-step process.
Our efforts involves:
• Cooperating with the other Nordic alcohol monopolies, for example by arranging talks with the beverage industry in different countries.
• Visiting producers in so called risk countries to promote awareness of sustainability issues.
• Engaging in dialogue with unions, NGOs and human rights organisations.
• Working together with BSCI and other sustainability initiatives.
• Educating and supporting Norwegian import companies in their sustainability work.
Stop selling the product
If the breach of the code of conduct is serious we can stop selling the product, but this is a last resort.
