Social Indices
Social conditons are a crucial component of sustainable production
Working and general living conditions are important social criteria that play a crucial role for the assessment of sustainability risks. Examples for social indices are poverty, infant mortality, forced labor, child labor or corruption.
Social data from reputable sources
To provide users with a reliable indication of social risks, GRAS collects available social data from reputable sources that are relevant for sustainability certification of agricultural and forestry products, and integrates them into a comprehensive national Social Factor per country. Social indices include topics such as social and health equity, human rights, labor rights, social responsibility and human adaptation.
GRAS displays sub-regional data
For relevant countries, GRAS additionally displays sub-regional data, for example on the livelihoods of indigenous people or food insecurity risks.
GRAS actively supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nation:
GRAS works towards deforestation-free supply chains
Through globally conducted sustainability risk analyses on different stakeholder levels, GRAS works towards deforestation-free supply chains and the conservation of HCV and HCS areas to protect the world’s biodiversity, leading to improvements of living standards of local communities, reduction of poverty, and more equality.
Further, specific goals of the SDGs are recognized within the social components of the GRAS Index through relevant indicators:
- The integrated HDI is based on the dimensions of health, education and standard of living
- Human well-being and nutrition are reflected through the GHI which is part of the GRAS Social Index
- The WGI displays political stability and absence of violence and is integrated in the GRAS Social Index
- By integrating the UNICEF database, GRAS also provides information related to drinking water and sanitation
- The integrated EPI is a good indicator for the quality of life below water and life on land