Context

Small and medium-sized enterprises delegate their legal obligations in many areas to management and labour advisory firms, and there is an increasing number of non-financial mandatory requirements emerging. Companies will surely seek support from their labour consultancies and accountancy firms in meeting these requirements. The group’s objective is to research and create materials and resources that allow for understanding and reducing the gap related to ethical trade and its requirements, as well as the significant role that accountancy firms play in this field.

Creation

2022

Achievements

• Initial meeting with the College of Social Graduates in Murcia to establish a collaboration plan (changes in the board of directors led to a pause in the discussions).

2023 Goals

Establish a collaboration agreement with associations or colleges of social graduates to:

• Explore and define the starting situation regarding the knowledge and experience of professionals in this sector.
• Based on this foundation, define the most immediate need to be addressed and the type of resource to be used.
• Disseminate this knowledge through collaborative seminars and workshops.

Coordinators

Participants

Context

Due to the breadth of the term “environmental sustainability,” the working group conducted a priority survey in 2023 to establish the different areas of action for the group, with the aim of promoting various activities within a European framework in different relevant areas of work for the sector. The following have been the priority topics that the group will channel future actions towards:

• Environmental standards (SPRING, LEAF, Naturland, etc.)
• Biodiversity in the agri-food sector
• Sustainability in the use and selection of packaging
• Waste management
• Responsible management and handling of phytosanitary products
• Organic production

Creation

2021

Achievements

• Publication of an introductory guide and best practices for calculating the carbon footprint in the horticultural sector (available only in Spanish).
• Organisation and participation ov various workshops, seminars and best practices in different relevant areas for the sector:
  • March 2021 – Workshop within regional online event: presentation of best practices in environmental sustainability.
  • May 2021 – Online Seminar: Carbon footprint
  • June 2021 – Workshop within international online event: circular economy.
  • September 2021– Online seminar: Responsible use of water
  • November 2021 – Expert Round Table within online event: Water – environmental challenge and possible technological solutions. The Mar Menor case.
  • February 2022 – Online seminar: Circular economy and waste management.
  • March 2022 – Event in Huelva: Best agronomic practices for irrigation in the surroundings of the Doñana National Park.
  • March 2022 – Workshops within regional events in Almeria, Murcia and Huelva: efficient use of water.
  • April 2022: Online seminar: sustainable water and soil management.
  • June 2022 – Workshop within international event in Granada: Environmental criteria in agriculture standards.
  • November 2022 – Regional events titled “After the water and carbon footprint in the agrifood sector” in Almeria, Huelva and Valencia (presentations, workshops and best practices).
  • June 2022 – Workshop within international event in Sevilla and Murcia: LEAF Marqu

2023 Goals

• Biodiversity seminar.
• Packaging seminar/workshop: importance of packaging choice in sustainability strategy.
• Simple and accessible comparison of different environmental standards and their requirements.
• Collaboration with sector organizations to conduct practical workshops on waste management.

Coordinators

Participants

Context

Promote and manage the establishment of an independent and centralized grievance mechanism for the sector, along with the necessary training resources for its proper implementation.

Creation

2020

Achievements

• Creation and development of a guide for complaint management mechanisms for workers (available only in Spanish)..
• Various workshops during in-person meetings for the development of the complaint management mechanism for the Forums.
• Active participation in the creation of protocols and procedures defining the mechanism.
• November 2021 – Workshop within online event: Understanding the new European Directive and practical implementation of grievance mechanisms in the sector.
• June 2022 – Workshop within international event in Granada: Grievance mechanisms.

2023 Goals

• Establish a pilot experience with a limited number of companies and continue supporting the organization in modifying and creating necessary protocols and procedures.
• Update the complaint mechanism guide.

Coordinators

Participants

Context

Creation of a conducive environment for the promotion, training, and practical implementation of social dialogue between companies and workers.

Creation

2020

Achievements

• Development of a guide for dialogue between worker and company representatives.
• Creation of a manual on communication strategies for conflict prevention and management.
• Series of pilot training sessions on social dialogue and co-creation of a book on social dialogue in companies based on that experience.
• March 2023 – Workshop within regional event in Huelva: measuring the state of social dialogue in the business.

2023 Goals

• Continue and promote practical training among companies in the agri-food sector.

Coordinators

Participants

Context

Promote a Feasible and Transferable Personalized Employment and Social Integration Plan (IPIL in Spanish) in different contexts in Spain through the concatenation of seasonal work.

Creation

2018

Achievements

• Establishment of an initial, small network of companies and social organizations to manage a potential sequence of workers.
• Use of the experience of Cáritas Huelva and Huelva Acoge in protocols for interviewing and preselecting seasonal workers living in shantytowns.
• Online seminar to promote the project along with best practices.

2023 Goals

• Strengthen the network of companies in need of seasonal workers.
• Strengthen the network of social organizations with job pools and connections with vulnerable workers.
• Plan and develop parallel activities that contribute to achieving the project’s objectives through digitalization.

Coordinators

Participants

Context

Creation and evolution of the guiding principles of the Forums, as well as tools that facilitate companies in monitoring risks and providing appropriate resources to promote best practices.

Creation

2019

Achievements

• Creation and revision of the best practices guide for the Guiding Principles of the Forums(available only in Spanish).
• Development of the checklist for the Guiding Principles of the Forums (available only in Spanish).
• Creation of an interactive format for the checklist of the Guiding Principles (available only in Spanish).

2023 Goals

• Continue reviewing and updating points in the guide and checklist that have become obsolete.
• Obtain best practices and testimonials from companies that are using or have used them.
• Explore new ways to make the tool as interactive as possible and user-friendly.

Coordinators

Participants

Context

The objective of this group is to support the association in the publication of newsletters and communication actions both externally and internally.

Creation

Achievements

• Reviewing the content of quarterly newsletters and news.

2023 Goals

• Strengthening and reactivating the communication efforts of the association.

Coordinators

Participants

Context

Develop a tool aimed at providing a series of best practices and recommendations in various areas of the daily management of temporary labour providers, targeted at user companies responsible for creating optimal conditions for both the labour provider and the assigned workers to perform their tasks correctly.

Activity period

Achievements

• Best Practices Guide for the Responsible Use of Temporary Labour Providers
• Checklist of Best Practices in the Use of Temporary Labour Providers
• Editable Checklist Template
• Authorization and Consent Form for Temporary Labour Providers to Conduct Checklist
• List of Suggested Questions for Workers

Participants

Context

In a constantly changing environment during the pandemic, both in terms of personal and professional requirements, members of the association formed this working group to provide clear and effective information to companies in the sector during this period of change.

Activity period

Achievements

Creation of four key guides on the following topics:

• Labor Management Aspects
• Risk Analysis and Implementation of Covid-19 Measures
• Food Safety
• Personal Protective Equipment (available only in Spanish)

Participants

Context

Develop a tool aimed at assessing the level of well-being/engagement of workers. By designing a bank of 30 questions directed at workrers, it is possible to improve the work environment, identify future risks, or measure the assessment of various aspects within the company.

Activity period

Achievements

• Reach a consensus on a set of questions so that companies can choose the type of questionnaire to administer to their employees.
• Collaboration with &Wider for the implementation of this project.
• Collaboration with &Wider and favourable conditions for members of the Forums for the provision of this service.
• Terms and brochure for the survey service: HERE

Coordinators

Participants

Context

Develop a tool that enables employers to focus their efforts on providing decent accommodation for the personnel they hire. Compile guidelines and best practices that are realistic and useful for employers regarding how to manage accommodations for temporary workers.

Activity period

Achievements

• Creation of the accommodation guide for temporary workers.
• Development of a checklist for accommodation and transportation of workers.

Participants

Context

Understand and manage diversity in the broadest sense within organizations in the agri-food sector, bringing together the challenges of producers and customers to promote better empathy and decision-making.

Activity period

Achievements

• Creation of the Diversity Manual: How to Manage Multicultural and Multifunctional Teams.
• Project in Huelva and workshops at the international forum in October 2019.

Coordinators

Participants

Context

Recognizing the need to protect fundamental rights, especially equality and dignity in the workplace, and due to the lack of clear guidelines on how to manage “workplace harassment” of any kind, there arises a need to create a protocol with the aim of serving as a guide for companies in the horticultural sector to ensure a safe working environment.

Activity period

Achievements

• Development of a protocol for the prevention and response to workplace harassment and annex. (available only in Spanish).
• Creation of a practical guide for equality plans (available only in Spanish).

Participants