FAIRFIELD, Iowa, February 5, 2025 – FoodChain ID, a provider of certification services and technology for the agriculture and food industry, and &Wider, a due diligence data company measuring worker engagement for responsible sourcing, announce their partnership for risk-based monitoring and auditing of worker conditions and engagement. The new service meets the demand from global brands to monitor and mitigate potential worker issues within their supply chains, as well as the requirements for transparent actions and reporting under the European Union’s (EU) Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
The CSDDD created an obligation for due diligence at large companies to identify and address adverse human rights impacts, in addition to environmental issues, within a company and at suppliers. The CSRD requires disclosures and audits on several business areas, including social impact, for all companies participating in the EU market.
FoodChain ID, with a mission to make the food supply chain safe and transparent, brings global sustainability and certification audit experience to the new partnership. &Wider provides scalable technology and data for better visibility into working conditions within supply chains. &Wider conducts the surveys that measure working conditions, delivering data that helps create targeted social audits by independent auditor FoodChain ID. Clients benefit from enhanced risk assessment, early warning of supplier problems, ongoing data to support Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals and information to comply with CSDDD/CSRD.
Dr. Chetan Parmar, Senior Vice President of Technical Services for Europe and Asia at FoodChain ID, explains, “FoodChain ID brings over 25 years of experience in sustainability services and auditing to our partnership with &Wider to help companies comply with the CSDDD and CSRD. In fact, the CSRD mandates audits to ensure the credibility and accuracy of social metrics disclosed by companies.”
Lea Esterhuizen, founder and CEO of &Wider adds, “The EU Directives require robust data management systems for transparent and accountable risk prevention and mitigation of potential worker exploitation. The &Wider methodology exposes working conditions along the global supply chains to protect workers and businesses.”
For more information on the FoodChain ID and &Wider partnership and services, visit: Risk-based Monitoring and Auditing of Worker Conditions.
