The relationship between Vital Berry Marketing Export and its suppliers is based on principles of legality, transparency, fairness, trust and collaboration.

The Code of Conduct for suppliers aims to establish a closer cooperation, with the aim of consolidating the principles, building together a supply chain focused not only on the quality of products or services, but also on the environment and social and working conditions, in which the products or services provided are designed and manufactured.

Vital Berry Marketing Export therefore invites its suppliers to share and implement the principles expressed in this Code of Conduct, the observance of which will constitute an increasingly relevant component in the selection and evaluation of suppliers.

PURPOSE

• Vital Berry Marketing Export intends, through this Code of Conduct for suppliers, to share with suppliers the construction of a sustainable supply chain from a social, ecological, economic point of view. We have developed this Code of Conduct to clarify our expectations regarding the conduct of suppliers in the areas of human and labor rights, environmental management, health and safety associated with business integrity.
• The Suppliers’ Code establishes basic principles for the behavior of suppliers when working with Vital Berry Marketing Export. Vital Berry Marketing Export is committed to respecting these principles and expects the same commitment from suppliers, contractors, entrepreneurs, consultants and other suppliers of goods and services who do business with us.

APPLICATION

• This Code will be valid for all Suppliers connected with Vital Berry Marketing Export. The signing of new supply contracts or the renewal of existing contracts with Vital Berry Marketing Export will imply the sharing of this Code, as an integral and mandatory part.

GENERAL CONDITIONS

• Vital Berry Marketing Export undertakes to respect the law, regardless of where it carries out its business operations. Similarly, suppliers will be obliged to comply with all applicable laws, regulations, contractual agreements, standards and generally recognized technical norms.
• Suppliers are invited to implement the necessary mechanisms to identify, determine and manage risks in all sectors covered by this Code and to comply with all applicable legal requirements.
• Suppliers are invited to constantly improve the compliance, truthfulness and effectiveness of their own sustainability policies, through appropriate measures.
• They are also invited to constantly maintain documented information indicating the sharing and implementation of the values expressed in this Code. Through the agreement with the supplier, Vital Berry Marketing Export reserves the right to carry out audits related to the implementation of the principles set out in the Code.

Ethics

Integrity in business
Integrity in business

• In order to fulfill their social responsibilities, Suppliers are obliged to carry out their activities in a correct and ethical manner and to act with integrity. Therefore, they are obliged not to practice and not to tolerate any type of corruption, blackmail or illegal appropriation.
• Suppliers undertake not to offer bribes or other illegal incentives to their own business partners and not to accept them.
• Vital Berry Marketing Export suppliers are prohibited from providing or offering gifts to Vital Berry Marketing Export employees that could inappropriately influence or appear to reasonably influence business decisions or attempt to gain an unfair advantage. Also, Vital Berry Marketing Export employees are prohibited from doing the same to all business partners.

Fair competition

• Suppliers are obliged to carry out their activity in accordance with the principles of fair competition and respecting all applicable anti-trust laws.
• In turn, Vital Berry Marketing Export will favor transparent and fair processes for the selection of suppliers. Suppliers will be evaluated based on the quality, prices of products or services and will be treated fairly. Also, Vital Berry Marketing Export will not disclose information regarding suppliers and their products or services.

Work

• Suppliers undertake not to use forced, coerced or imposed labor. Vital Berry Marketing Export suppliers must maintain and promote fundamental human rights and will not use forced, involuntary or slave labor.
• Suppliers must not use any form of juvenile labor in their business activities, in accordance with the founding laws of the International Labor Organization (Convention concerning Minimum Age No. 138 of 1973 and Convention concerning the Worst Forms of Child Labor No. 182 of 1999).
• Prohibition of the use of child labor: Suppliers must respect the minimum age limit of the workforce defined by national legislation or regulations.
• Prohibition of trafficking in persons: Vital Berry Marketing Export supports the policy that prohibits trafficking in persons; suppliers are prohibited from engaging in any form of trafficking in persons, the use of force, fraud or coercion to obtain labor or services, the destruction or concealment of a person’s identity, using misleading or fraudulent practices regarding the recruitment of employees, the collection of potential employee recruitment fees or failure to ensure return transportation for employees recruited from foreign countries.

Diversity and integration

• Promoting a diverse workforce and providing a workplace free of discrimination, harassment or any other form of abuse. Creating a work environment in which employees and business partners feel valued and respected for their contributions, are not discriminated against because of any legally protected characteristic and are not subjected to verbal, sexual or physical harassment or abuse of any kind.
• Treating employees fairly, including with regard to wages, working hours and benefits. Vital Berry Marketing Export suppliers will comply with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements and will apply good practices in relations with employees.
• The fair treatment of all employees must constitute one of the founding principles of the Supplier’s company policy, which undertakes to refuse any form of discriminatory treatment with reference to: race, nationality, sex, age, physical characteristics, social origin, disability and political or religious orientation, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation or any other illegal criterion under applicable law.

Fair treatment and working hours

• Suppliers undertake to guarantee that no kind of inhuman treatment will be applied to employees’ workplaces and that Employees will not suffer any threat, molestation, sexual abuse, torture or corporal punishment, coercion or incorrect mental or physical treatment.
• Suppliers are obliged to provide Employees with a fair salary, able to ensure them an adequate standard of living for Employees and their families. In any case, suppliers will have to guarantee Employees the salary in accordance with the laws in force in the respective countries

Quality, health, safety and environment

Quality requirements

• Suppliers undertake to fulfill the generally recognized and contractually established quality and technical requirements, in order to provide goods and services that are safe for the purpose for which they are designed and able to adequately satisfy the requirements of Vital Berry Marketing Export.
• In addition to the standards mentioned in this code, Vital Berry Marketing Export expects Suppliers to implement systems and controls to promote compliance with applicable laws and the principles set out in this code, including policies, procedures, training, risk assessments, discipline, monitoring and audit mechanisms.

Product safety and compliance

• Suppliers will ensure that all products supplied to Vital Berry Marketing Export and raw materials used for the manufacture of these products meet all applicable regulatory requirements of the products, including labeling and communication of hazards and all applicable quality and safety standards. Suppliers must be dedicated to transparency and must provide full disclosure of all chemicals in their products, when requested by Vital Berry Marketing Export. Suppliers immediately report problems or changes that could negatively affect the safety, regulatory compliance, quality or public perception of a product intended for Vital Berry Marketing Export.

Sustainability

• Vital Berry Marketing Export’s commitment to sustainability includes the efficient use of resources, operating in safe and healthy workplaces, ensuring product safety and compliance, and minimizing environmental impact.
• Suppliers undertake to comply with national regulations regarding quality, health, safety and the environment and also to obtain, maintain and update all necessary permits, licenses and authorizations.
• Suppliers will apply these good practices in terms of quality, health, safety throughout the entire supply chain and will guarantee the integrity of each shipment destined for Vital Berry Marketing Export from the place of origin to the destination, including along all intermediate stages.

Process safety

• Suppliers are obliged to actively deal with all issues related to the safety of production processes and with issues related to products and their potential impact on the environment, during all phases of the production process.

Environmental protection and resource conservation

• Minimizing the impact on the environment. Suppliers will carry out operations in ways that prevent damage to public health and the environment; to commit to using resources efficiently. Suppliers must have processes for managing waste safely and sustainably, and for reducing it to a minimum, air emissions, energy consumption and water.
• Suppliers will adopt systems to ensure that the handling, movement, conservation, recycling, reuse or management of waste and emissions into the atmosphere and into waste water will take place safely and in accordance with the legislation in force in the country of reference.
• Suppliers are also obliged to use natural resources in an economic and reasonable way (for example water, energy sources, raw materials), in order to mediate the impact of processes on the planet’s resources.

Avoid conflicts of interest:

• Suppliers will avoid any interaction with a Vital Berry Marketing Export employee that may conflict, or may reasonably appear to conflict, with that employee acting in the best interest of Vital Berry Marketing Export. This includes offering or providing payments or employment opportunities to PPG employees.

Protect confidential information:

• Suppliers will protect the confidential information of Vital Berry Marketing Export, including personal information, and will act to prevent misuse, theft, fraud or inappropriate disclosure. Suppliers must take all precautions regarding the handling, discussion or transmission of sensitive or confidential information that could affect Vital Berry Marketing Export, its employees, its customers, the business community or the general public.

Reporting misconduct and non-compliance with the Supplier Code:

• Vital Berry Marketing Export reserves the right to assess and monitor Suppliers’ compliance with this code; reserves the right to terminate any agreement with any Supplier who cannot demonstrate compliance with the Supplier Code of Conduct.
• Suppliers who are informed or who reasonably suspect any non-compliant activity or any violation of the Supplier Code should report the problem to Vital Berry Marketing Export immediately.