Certified Origins
Code of Conduct

This document is grounded in our mission: to contribute to people’s health and joy through good food–the kind made with wholesome, sustainable, and genuine ingredients.

 

The Certified Origins Code of Conduct aims to express our company’s ethics, which are based on our core values: obeying the law, Awareness, Learning, Teaching, and Celebrating, all of which are reflected in our business, people, and environmental approach. Therefore, it is essential that all employees, suppliers, and partners respect and act in accordance with it.

 

In this shared pursuit, please refer to the following values as guiding principles:

Our Values

Business

To achieve our purpose, we all interact daily with multiple counterparts in multiple geographies. In doing so, we expect all Certified Origins employees, suppliers, and partners to follow a few simple guidelines, which serve as a framework for ethical decision-making.

• Legal Compliance
  We are committed to adhering to all applicable laws in the countries where we operate. Likewise, our suppliers are expected to comply with these standards. When differences or conflicts in standards arise, suppliers are expected to comply with the highest standard that is most favorable to the employees. Indeed, all forms of bribery and fraud are unacceptable.
• Avoiding Conflict of Interest
  We must constantly strive to ensure that all business decisions are made impartially, avoiding personal favoritism and conflicts of interest.
• Confidential Information
  Our responsibility is to treat with the utmost confidentiality and use all information exclusively for the purpose indicated.
• Gifts and Gratuities
  We are committed to conducting our business in a legally and ethically sound manner. All Certified Origins employees ought to refrain from offering and accepting gifts or gratuities of any kind. In the same way, suppliers and other stakeholders must operate with the highest standards for business integrity and are strongly urged not to provide or offer gifts to Certified Origins members.
• Transparency
  It is critical for us to promote complete transparency in all aspects of our business relationships. In the same manner, traceability and quality are fundamental standards within our production system.
• Technology
  AI and cloud services can improve productivity by simplifying and automating work and accelerating analysis. Using these new tools requires greater caution when sharing sensitive company and personal data.

People

We firmly believe that trust, collaboration, and the well-being of the individuals and communities we engage with are essential ingredients of success as a business. Thus, the following specification expresses our commitment to foster a culture where every person is treated with dignity and every community is approached with care and responsibility:

• Labor Conditions & Practices
  Discrimination, child, forced, enslaved person, or involuntary
  labor are not tolerated. Employees must be treated with respect and dignity; harassment is unacceptable. Safe and healthy working conditions, with a focus on accident prevention, are essential. This includes adhering to national laws, industry standards, and international conventions regarding working hours. Salaries should cover living expenses and provide disposable income. Suppliers are encouraged to exceed legal requirements in wages, benefits, welfare, and services to improve employee living standards and quality of life.
• Confidential Reporting & Concerns
  All of us have the option to submit complaints or report abuse anonymously without fear of retribution using our open-door initiative: https://confidentialchannel.certifiedorigins.com.
  This platform offers a secure and confidential channel for employees to voice their concerns. Although reports may be submitted anonymously, identifying information may be required to thoroughly investigate a concern. We will make every effort to ensure that any information provided is shared only on a need-to-know basis to conduct an accurate and fair investigation. Individuals employed in
  California, USA, may also contact the California Civil Rights Department or the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regarding concerns about unlawful discrimination,
  harassment, or retaliation.
• Community
  We’re committed to positively impacting our communities by respecting local cultures and contributing to their well-being. Through responsible sourcing practices, minimizing natural resource consumption, and meaningful engagement, we aim to nourish our customers and the communities that sustain us. We encourage suppliers and partners to do the same.

Environment

Caring for the environment is deeply rooted in our purpose. Therefore, we strive to reduce and mitigate the impact of our activity by conducting specific actions always guided by our mission and relating to it through our team values:

• Compliance
  We strictly adhere to the applicable waste, climate, and environmental regulations and standards in each area of activity, as well as the group’s commitments.
• Alignment
  We strive to be aware of the impact of our business strategic decisions and ensure their alignment with established sustainability objectives.
• Improvement
  Since we believe data is one of the most valuable assets for continuous improvement, we seek to constantly learn by monitoring and transparently reporting on our annual sustainable transition progress, in addition to implementing continuous improvements
  that encourage innovation.
• Dissemination
  We rely on teaching and empowering our team, partners, and communities by sharing clear and truthful information on our activity’s global footprint, allowing them to make conscious and informed decisions.
• Passion
  We believe in celebrating both personal and team achievements to foster passion and build resilience, helping us navigate challenges together.

Thank you for your assistance in establishing strong, fair, and transparent business relationships.