Environmental policy

Who it applies to

This policy applies to Bounty Industries and to the cashew, cocoa and sesame products we buy and sell, and we expect the farms, cooperatives, aggregators and processors in our supply to follow it.

Deforestation and land conversion

We do not knowingly buy cashew, cocoa or sesame grown on land that was natural forest after 31 December 2020, which is the cut-off date in the EU Deforestation Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/1115) and one that EU buyers will ask about.

We do not buy from land inside forest reserves, national parks or other legally protected areas, or from farms that were cleared or burned to plant the crop, and we buy only from suppliers who follow Nigerian law on land use, forests and the environment.

EU Deforestation Regulation

Cocoa is one of the commodities the regulation covers, while cashew and sesame are not on its list at the time of writing, and we apply the same land rules to all three.

EU buyers of cocoa must show where each lot was grown, so before we agree a contract we tell the buyer what origin records we hold for the lot, and if a buyer needs plot-level geolocation that we cannot provide, we say so before we agree to supply.

Agrochemicals

We expect farms to use only pesticides registered for the crop in Nigeria, to follow label rates and waiting periods before harvest, and not to use products that would put a lot over the residue limits of its destination market.

We do not knowingly ship a lot that exceeds the maximum residue limits of its destination, and where the contract requires residue testing we arrange it with an independent laboratory.

Burning and waste

We expect suppliers not to burn land to clear it for planting and not to burn waste in the open, and shells, husks, packaging and empty chemical containers must be disposed of without polluting water or soil.

Traceability

We record the sourcing region and harvest date of each lot at the point of purchase and number every lot by origin, keep these records for as long as the contract and the law require and give them to the buyer on request, and we do not describe a lot as coming from a region or supplier it did not come from.

When a supplier breaks this policy

When a supplier breaks this policy, we ask it to fix the problem within a set time, stop buying from it while the problem continues and end the relationship if it does not fix the problem. If a buyer's lot is affected, we tell the buyer.

Reporting a concern

Anyone can report an environmental concern, such as land clearing or burning, about Bounty or any of its suppliers, including workers, farmers, community members, buyers and our own staff, by emailing contact@bounty.africa or calling +31 6 27361966 or +234 703 212 7274, and nobody has to give their name.

We acknowledge every report within 5 business days. Someone who is not involved in the matter looks into it, and we tell the person who reported it what we found and what we did, unless they asked to stay anonymous and we cannot reach them.

We keep the identity of the person reporting confidential as far as the law allows, and we do not retaliate against anyone who reports in good faith or allow anyone else to.

Responsibility and review

The management of Bounty Industries is responsible for this policy, and we review it once a year and after any serious case.