Human rights

Paulig’s Human Rights Principles outline our commitment to respecting internationally recognised human rights across our value chain and define our approach to managing them.  Paulig’s human rights work is guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct.

Managing human rights at Paulig 

Respect for people and human rights are at the heart of Paulig’s operations and culture. We expect everyone at Paulig to treat others with respect, dignity and fairness, at all times. This includes respect for the people and communities affected by Paulig’s operations and sourcing activities. 

At Paulig, we carry out regular human rights due diligence to identify, assess, prevent and address actual and potential adverse impacts on people across our global supply chains and own operations. As an international food and beverage company, we recognise that many of our raw materials originate from regions with elevated human rights risks, making responsible sourcing and proactive risk management critical. Our due diligence process aligns with international standards, including the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct.

The majority of our raw materials are derived from agriculture, a sector inherently carrying a higher risk of adverse impacts. We identify several contributing factors that elevate the level of human rights-related risk, such as supply chains reliant on seasonal, temporary, or low-skilled workforce, complex and extended supply chains where visibility is limited, regions with high levels of migration, and countries where legislation is either less developed or poorly enforced.

Our human rights risk screening provided us with a high-level, comprehensive view, confirming that the most significant impacts, particularly regarding living income and wages, and forced and child labour, occur within our supply chains. For these prioritised issues, our objective is to conduct human rights impact assessments to deepen our understanding and strengthen measures and controls to mitigate the associated risks and impacts.

The Supplier Code of Conduct stipulates the minimum standards suppliers must meet, including the provision of safe and decent working conditions and the observance of human rights and environmental standards within their own operations and supply chains. The Code applies to all first-tier suppliers delivering goods or services to any entity within the Paulig Group and forms a mandatory component of our supplier agreements.

We identify and manage human rights risks across our global supply chains through contextual and supplier-level assessments, focusing on high-risk and high-volume commodities and geographies. Social and environmental criteria are integrated into supplier evaluations, audits, and corrective action plans. Suppliers are expected to implement due diligence systems, proactively address risks, and demonstrate continuous improvement, supported by Paulig through dialogue, audits, and capacity building. In addition, external sustainability verifications are required for raw materials from high-risk areas.

We conduct our own sustainability audits to monitor compliance with the Paulig Code of Conduct for Suppliers, foster mutual trust, and align sustainability efforts. These audits, combined with external verifications, enhance our due diligence, enabling us to mitigate risks and identify areas for improvement. Direct dialogue with workers is a standard component of both on-site visits and third-party audits.

In instances where adverse impacts on workers’ rights are identified through supplier audits, the supplier is required to prepare a corrective action plan to stop, correct and remediate the actual negative impacts. Paulig actively monitors the implementation of these plans to ensure compliance.

Read more on how we manage sustainability.

Collaboration for responsible sourcing

In 2025, Paulig Group joined Sedex (Supplier Ethical Data Exchange), a global data and auditing platform connecting suppliers and buyers. Sedex provides tools and services that assist companies in improving responsible business practices and categorises countries and regions into three levels of inherent risk: low, medium, and high. Additionally, Sedex enables Paulig sites to share sustainability performance data directly with our customers.

We are a member of the Sustainable Spices Initiative, which aims to sustainably transform the mainstream spices sector, thereby securing future sourcing and stimulating economic growth in producing countries. SSI drives collaborative action by creating a level playing field, by setting joint targets and by developing credible tools, policies, and approaches in working groups and with the support of experts.

Furthermore, we have identified red-flag and prohibited sourcing regions, classified as the most severe risk countries according to the World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators, or categorised as conflict zones with high risks of human rights abuses. This list is communicated to all our first-tier suppliers.

We value every person as they are 

In Paulig, we value every person as an individual and a professional and expect the same from our suppliers and partners. The driving principles of our management and remuneration are equity and justice, and we do not accept discrimination of any kind. 

We promote equality through development and career planning so that women and men of different ages are on an equal footing in different groups of staff. We treat people who have reduced capacity to work equally with other candidates and employees.  

We want our employees to feel comfortable with voicing dissenting opinions and concerns at the workplace. Paulig enables its personnel in all operating countries to report potential issues anonymously via a third-party maintained whistleblowing tool, which is accessible in six languages. The tool consists of a Group channel and local reporting channels for Finland, Belgium, Estonia, Sweden and Spain. In parallel with the internal channels, we provide a Whistleblowing channel to our external stakeholders to report any misconduct on our part. All potential misconduct is evaluated and investigated, and the cases are handled by Paulig’s whistleblowing team.

We are also dedicated to fostering an inclusive working environment. This work is guided by our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policy, which ensures fairness and consistency in our people processes. This policy underpins our commitment to creating an equitable and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and supported.