OVERVIEW

08:00 - 09:00

09:00 - 10:00

10:00 - 10:30

10:30 - 12:30

12:30 - 13:30

13:30 - 15:00

15:00 - 15:30

15:30 - 17:00

17:15 - 18:30

plenary

Framing the context

How do the UN Sustainable Development Goals address the fundamental rights of living wage and living income? How does work on living income and living wage align with the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights? What are the obstacles to reaching our individual and collective ambitions? All these questions and more will be addressed during the morning programme.

8:00-9:00

Registration

9:00-9:30

Welcome

Word of welcome by moderator Christian Thorun. He is the founder and managing director of the German-based ConPolicy. He is an expert in consumer policy and sustainability, advises governments and works together with a wide range of multi-stakeholder sustainability alliances, particularly in the areas of living income and living wages.

9:30-10:00

Keynote speech: Antonie Fountain

As Managing Director of the VOICE Network, Antonie Fountain has been one of the key advocates for living income in the cocoa sector for many years. He is an energetic and passionate voice for a better future of smallholder farmers. He is the co-author and editor of the biennial Cocoa Barometer, the leading sector publication on the state of sustainability in the cocoa sector, has been advocating sustainability in cocoa for well over a decade, and is one of the key spokespersons for civil society in cocoa worldwide.

10:30-11:15

Living wage and living income: concepts and initiatives

In order to reach a common understanding, this session will provide a quick wrap-up of the underlying concepts behind living wage and living income. It will also introduce the work of the two leading international initiatives in that field, the Living Income Community of Practice and the Global Living Wage Coalition. Long-standing experts on living income and living wages will answer open questions by the audience related to the concepts and critical factors for putting them into practice.

Richard & Martha Anker (independent), Noura Hanna (Rainforest Alliance), Peter D’Angremond (Max Havelaar | Fairtrade), Kristin Komives (ISEAL Alliance) and Stephanie Daniels (Sustainable Food Lab)

11:15-12:30

Panel discussion

High-level representatives from business, governments, international bodies and civil society will investigate how the private sector and governments in both consumer and producer countries should better leverage their expertise and resources to realise living wages and living income in the agri-food sector. Views will be exchanged on progress and ongoing challenges, with particular reference to promoting due diligence compliance in supply chain activities.

Speakers: Michiel Servaes (CEO of Oxfam Novib), Luc Beerens (Global Sustainability Director of Mars, Inc.), Patricio Almeida Granja (Executive Director of the Phyto and Sanitary Control and Regulation Agency, Ecuador), Shivani Kannabhiran (Policy Advisor – Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains, Centre for Responsible Business Conduct, OECD) and Andreas Proksch (Director-General of GIZ’s Sector and Global Programmes Department)

workshops

round 1

Through a series of breakout sessions, participants will discuss and identify the drivers and bottlenecks around living wage and living income. How can we exploit the opportunities available and honor the fundamental human rights of all actors in agri-food supply chains?

13:30-15:00

Hosted by:

Small farmer, big data

With the introduction of new technologies, farmers are now sharing their data for the sake of receiving support or services. To have an actual positive impact on the way our food is being produced, it is crucial to include farmers in the benefits from data, so that they might own, protect and ultimately even monetise their own data.

Moderator: Frederik Claasen (Solidaridad)
Speakers: Mariska Lammers (Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs), William Matovu (Heifer Uganda), Jan Top (Wageningen University & Research), Panos Loukos (GSMA) and Jayadeep Akkireddy (IDH, The Sustainable Trade Initiative)

13:30-15:00

Hosted by:

Sustainability and competition policy: bridging two worlds to enable a fairer economy

Theory vs. practice: can competing companies operating in global value chains be allowed to collaborate on the payment of higher prices towards improved wages and better working conditions in sourcing countries?

This session will bring together civil society advocates, academics, businesses, and government officials on the topic of competition law to facilitate an informed debate on competition law, fairness and sustainability. This will be a not to be missed opportunity to learn about the state of play in reconciling competition law with sustainability, and exchange perceptions on what is / is not, should / should not be possible.

Moderator: Alec Burnside (Antitrust lawyer/competition partner at Dechert LLP)
Speakers: Bram Braat (Antitrust lawyer/associate partner at Dentons Boekel), Olav Boenders (CEO at Wagagai Ltd) and Bernd van der Meulen (Professor food law at the University of Copenhagen)

13:30-15:00

Hosted by:

Living wage financials

What is the role of the financial sector in advancing living wage and living income? How can investors, companies and other stakeholders better work together to drive change? These are the questions that will be addressed in this workshop, where members of the Platform Living Wage Financials will share key dilemma’s and challenges faced by investors and companies and will discuss how companies and investors can engage in a mutually beneficial dialogue to accelerate progress on living wage and living income.

Moderator: Kristina Stonjeková (MN)
Speakers: Frank Wagemans (Senior Engagement Specialist, Achmea Investment Management), Daniel Peter (Responsible Investment Analyst, NN Investment Partners), Willem Ruster (Business Developer Agri & Food, Wageningen University), Marianne van Keep, Director of Sustainability, Verstegen Spiced & Sauces) and Daniel Martz (Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Jacobs Douwe Egberts)

 13:30-15:00

Hosted by:

Realising adequate minimum wages

This session will explore how indicators and methodologies developed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) for wage-setting can be used by governments and social partners to negotiate and set adequate wage levels. Learnings will be showcased from pilot countries (Costa Rica, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia and Vietnam) and possibilities to scale up will be explored.

Moderator: Jos Huber (Senior policy advisor Sustainable Production and Trade, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Speakers: Patrick Belser (Senior economist, ILO), Noura Hanna (Global Lead Livelihood and Workers’ Rights, Rainforest Alliance), dr. Anoop Kumar Satpathy (Fellow V.V. Giri National Labour Institute, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India), Meskerem Abebe (Legal and international affairs expert, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of Ethiopia).

 13:30-15:00

Hosted by:

1+1 = 3: Human rights due diligence and standards

This interactive session will provide understanding on the ins and outs of a meaningful human rights due diligence process with respect to living wage and living income, and what it means in practice to use your leverage as a company. You will gain insight into the benefits of certification as a meaningful tool in human rights due diligence; and understand the role certification organisations can play as a partner to help achieve living wage and living income in agri-food supply chains.

Perceptions from various stakeholders will be shared. From experts on human rights due diligence, representatives of standard systems to companies sharing their own experiences, laying the basis for an interactive discussion on the lessons learned and ways forward.

Moderator: Kristin Komives (ISEAL Alliance)
Speakers: Emma Harbour (Rainforest Alliance), Manon Wolfkamp (MVO Platform), Kristina Areskog Bjurling (Axfood), Peter d’Angremond (Max Havelaar | Fairtrade) and Mary Kambo (Kenya Human Rights Commission)

workshops

round 2

During the second round of workshops, you will have the opportunity to learn and be inspired by best practices, insights and practical tools that will help you implement your living wage and living income strategy.

15:30-17:00

Hosted by:

Where sustainability meets tech

Technologies and innovations are increasingly being used in order to streamline and manage supply chains. Moreover, they hold the potential to increase efficiency, re-evaluate profit margins, share information and ultimately add value for all. This panel discussions delves into the question: how do we utilise the digital era to meet ambitions on living wage and income?

Moderator: Jolande Sap (Chair Supervisory Board Fairfood)
Speakers: Marten van Gils (Fairfood), Genevieve Leveille (AgriLedger), Ad Rietberg (Agri-wallet), Sander Reuderink (Trabocca) and Chris Georgen (Topl)

15:30-17:00

Hosted by:

African women take centre stage

In agriculture value chains mainly women occupy the lowest paid and unskilled jobs. This session will showcase best practices to empower women at the beginning of the supply chains to negotiate better wages: drawing lessons from the flower sector in East Africa.

Moderator: Henry Wera (Hivos East Africa)
Speakers: Janepher Nassali (Uganda Horticulture, Industrial, Service Providers and Allied Workers Union), Leah Eryenyu (feminist activist on leadership strategies at Akina Mama wa Afrika) and Mastewal Habtamu Assefa (National Federation of Farm Plantation and Fisheries and Agro-Industries Trade Union)

15:30-17:00

Hosted by:

Sustainable procurement and social dialogue

How can sustainable procurement enable a living wage? This session will briefly explore existing tools and platforms before diving into a discussion with retailers, producers, trade unions and certifications on how these tools can be used to contribute to the social dialogue and achieve a living wage.

Tools: IDH Salary Matrix, IDH Sustainable Procurement Kit, ALIGN, and WageIndicator Foundation.

Moderator: Marjan Smit (Founder and owner SIM Supply Chain Management)
Speakers: Carla Romeu Dalmau (IDH, The Sustainable Trade Initiative), Marthe van Andel (Fairfood), Paulien Osse (WageIndicator Foundation), Kristina Areskog Bjurling (Sustainability manager, Axfood), Xavier Roussel (Dole), Ndaizivei Kamoto (Project coordinator, General Agricultural and Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe) and Wilbert Flinterman (Senior Advisor, Workers' Rights and Trade Union Relations, Fairtrade International)

15:30-17:00

Hosted by:

Decent prices, what stops us?

This session will focus on sustainable pricing as an important strategy in a smart mix of solutions to work towards living wage and living income. Two existing pricing strategy examples will be explained, one in roses to work towards a living wage for workers in the floriculture sector, the other for cocoa to work towards living incomes for cocoa farmers. Participate in this lively debate on existing or foreseen market obstacles, share and listen to inspiring ways to overcome these hurdles and learn how pricing should and could be part of the smart mix of solutions towards living wage/living income.  

Moderator: Fenny Eshuis (Independent specialist/sustainable and inclusive supply chains)
Speakers: Michel Scholte (Executive Director and co-founder of True Price and Director of the Impact Institute) will discuss true pricing of flowers and plants in East Africa. Carla Veldhuyzen van Zanten (Senior Advisor Sustainable Livelihoods Fairtrade International) will discuss fair pricing in cocoa to work towards living incomes for farmers.

15:30-17:00

Hosted by:

Living wage and living income in public procurement

As large scale consumer, the government can use this leverage to achieve its commitment to sustainable production and consumption. Governments face similar challenges as companies in their procurement. During this session, these challenges will be discussed and the audience will brainstorm on questions presented by Rijkswaterstaat, who is responsible for the procurement of catering for Dutch ministries. Moreover, a tool for the procurement of coffee, developed by MVO Nederland and True Price will be presented, followed by a discussion with the audience on how this can be used in future procurement.

Moderator: Carla Groot-Djakou (Bureau PIANOo)
Speakers: Rob Heijink (Category manager catering, Rijkswaterstaat, Dutch Government), Meine van der Graaf (Business Developer, MVO Nederland)

17:15-17:45

Wrap up & closure day 1