European Retailers Publish Joint Statement on Living Wages in Banana Supply Chains
Retailers from Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK publish a joint statement outlining a shared understanding of the conditions needed to support living wages and decent work in global banana supply chains. With this statement, they want to reiterate their commitment towards wage improvement in the banana sector.
Building on existing national commitments, the retailer groups have aligned around a common understanding of both the challenges and opportunities involved in advancing living wages. Developed with support from IDH and GIZ, the statement reflects stakeholder feedback and lessons learned to date, while highlighting a collaborative approach to driving sustainable progress across the sector.
The statement emphasizes the importance of collaboration across the supply chain, social dialogue and collective bargaining, transparent wage assessments, voluntary contributions, responsible purchasing practices, and long-term partnerships. It also recognizes that progress towards living wages is a gradual process that requires context-specific solutions and the engagement of retailers, suppliers, producers, workers, and other stakeholders.
By sharing this common understanding, the retailer groups aim to contribute to constructive dialogue, greater alignment across the sector, and the continued development of practical approaches that support sustainable improvements for workers in banana supply chains.