The FSS in the context of Germany’s new supply chain act

Handout on the positioning of the Food Security Standard as a tool to comply with the German Supply Chain Act (Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz)

Details

Germany’s new Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains [Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz – LkSG] places a number of obligations on businesses to respect human rights and protect the environment. More specifically, the Act defines a bundle of due diligence obligations businesses are required to implement within their own sphere of business and in relation to their direct and indirect suppliers. Voluntary human rights and environmental standards may be helpful in implementing the due diligence obligations under the Act, in particular in taking preventive measures in respect of controls and audits (as is also stated in the Explanatory Memorandum to the Draft Bill, cf. Bundestag printed matter 19/28649, p. 48).
In light of this, we will provide a brief overview today of the Food Security Standard (FSS) and the role it can play in the implementation of the LkSG.