Client / Partner
Proforest UK
Sector & Geography
Coffee, Sugarcane, Spices, Vegetables | Karnataka, India
Engagement Focus
Human rights risk assessment, migrant labour, multi-stakeholder engagement
Proforest UK partnered with IRFT to assess human rights risks across multiple agricultural commodities in Karnataka. The assessment sought to identify cross-cutting risks affecting workers, smallholders, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities.
1
Conduct desk-based and field-based human rights risk assessments
2
Identify salient risks across commodities
3
Engage local stakeholders across supply chains
4
Lead root cause analysis and remediation planning
IRFT combined desk reviews with direct stakeholder consultations, mapping risks across coffee, sugarcane, spices, and vegetable supply chains. A saliency analysis was conducted to identify priority issues common across sectors.
1
Desk-based research aligned with Proforest methodologies
2
Face-to-face engagement with 20–25 local stakeholders
3
Mapping of existing initiatives addressing human rights risks
4
Root cause analysis of cross-commodity issues
OUR IMPACT
The assessment identified migrant labour as a key risk across commodities, particularly affecting socially and economically marginalized groups. Political sensitivities in sugarcane limited transparency, while interstate migration and intermediaries heightened vulnerability in coffee and spice supply chains.
IRFT initiated a multi-stakeholder roundtable and laid the foundation for a collaborative Plan of Action to address salient human rights risks.
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