The German Supply Chain Act (LkSG) came into force nationwide on January 1, 2023. The new law aims both to prevent human rights violations in international supply chains and to improve environmental protection. The regulations will initially apply only to large firms, and so Kr\u00e4uter Mix, with its 500 employees, is not yet affected.<\/p>\n
Nonetheless, global supply chain sustainability has long been a focus for the manufacturer of air-dried herbs, vegetables, and spices. In fact, the very success of the company relies on social commitment, social justice, and environmental responsibility, both on site in Germany and around the globe. A dedicated sustainability management department already ensures sustainable procurement structures and quality standards, trains, develops and audits suppliers, and carries out global sustainability projects, for example in species conservation or the recultivation of endangered plants.<\/p>\n
Since the Supply Chain Act will in future also affect medium-sized companies like Kr\u00e4uter Mix, department head Dr. Adrian Kranvogel is already hard at work looking into the legal framework. Dr. Kranvogel, who holds a PhD in agricultural engineering with a focus on herb cultivation, was invited by the German Medicine Manufacturers\u2019 Association (BAH), Germany\u2019s largest pharmaceutical association with more than 400 members, to give a talk on the new law. In his one and-a-half-hour lecture, he specifically addressed the practice of supply chain responsibility in the field of natural plant-based raw materials.<\/p>\n
The sustainability expert explained which due diligence obligations companies are required to comply with in relation to human rights and environmental protection, as well as what supply chains actually look like in the procurement of medicinal herbs for the production of medicines. There are a number of ways in which due diligence violations can occur, and each company must analyze these for itself. However, contract farming, recultivation and targeted project work in the countries of origin can all serve to mitigate supply chain risks and are all measures that Kr\u00e4uter Mix has been implementing for a number of years now. Dr. Kranvogel went on to present a series of the company\u2019s successful projects, including the cultivation of valerian in Germany, primroses in Albania, or the wild harvesting of rosemary in Tunisia.<\/p>\n
Dr. Kranvogel believes another solution lies in implementing suitable certification for social standards and environmental protection along the supply chain. Kr\u00e4uter Mix already holds a number of these certificates, including Rainforest Alliance, UTZ, SMETA-Audit, and EMAS. For example, the company buys hibiscus from a model project in Nigeria, in which a village community of smallholders is certified according to Rainforest Alliance. \u201cCertification can make a vast difference in social and environmental issues and is playing an increasingly important role,\u201d stressed Dr. Kranvogel.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Supply Chain Act is by no means a panacea for sustainability risks in supply chains,\u201d added the Kr\u00e4uter Mix expert, \u201cbut it does signify the start of a shift toward transforming our economic activity.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The German Supply Chain Act (LkSG) came into force nationwide on January 1, 2023. The new law aims both to prevent human rights violations in international supply chains and to improve environmental protection. The regulations will initially apply only to large firms, and so Kr\u00e4uter Mix, with its 500 employees, is not yet affected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1193,"featured_media":8237,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[678,780,779,778,196],"class_list":["post-8205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-corporate-news","tag-environmental-protection","tag-human-rights","tag-law","tag-supply-chain","tag-sustainability","category-41","description-off"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n