Production in high risk countries

In high risk countries, the probability that working conditions and regulations will be violated is higher. Therefore, the FWF has specified conditions for these countries.

• There are no functioning organizations such as trade unions or employee representatives.
• Labor legislation is lacking and legislative monitoring is missing
• In general, countries in which there is no right to freedom of association are high risk countries.

Producers in high risk countries must regularly undergo auditing. In the long term, the FWF requires its members to have 90 % of production facilities in high risk countries audited. More at Leader Status FWF

Since 2014, VAUDE has regularly audited more than 90 % of its production facilities. By the end of 2015 we had had 99 % of our producers in high risk countries audited.

In addition, during the reporting year we worked with nine producers in low risk countries which accounted for nine percent of the total spending for our products. Five percent of this is represented solely by production at our VAUDE production facility in Tettnang-Obereisenbach.

Producers in low risk countries are not audited because there is little risk of adverse impacts in these countries. In an industry-wide comparison, these producers are relatively close to our main business site in Tettnang-Obereisenbach and are therefore referred to as local suppliers.

FWF-members that produce in Myanmar and Bangladesh are required to adhere to even stricter requirements there is a very high risk that working standards will be violated because in these countries. Myanmar is the only country relevant for VAUDE as we do not produce in Bangladesh.

• For production in Myanmar , the following additional requirements from the FWF are in effect: working with production facilities that are connected to the military is forbidden.
• When a company wants to produce in Myanmar, it must discuss the reasons for this in advance with the FWF.
• The FWF-member shall contribute to social dialogue with the production facilities.
• The Wage Ladder must be published.