By; MATTHEW UKACHUNWA, Lagos
Lagos Business School Sustainability Centre (LBSSC) has partnered with the Africa regional hub of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) to launch GRI 13 Sector Standard.
The GRI 13 Sector Standard was designed to enhance the quality, consistency and comparability of reporting sustainability impacts for agriculture, aquaculture and fishery sectors.
The sector specific reporting standard will come into effect on 1st January 2024, Jonathan Ikeolumba, Affiliate Researcher, LBSSC, said. It “will spotlight for businesses in the sector ways to enable sustainable agricultural practices that enhance fair trade, improve competitiveness and promote responsible business conduct,” Ikeolumba clarified.
The launching took place on Thursday, 30th November 2023 at the George Hotel, Lagos, doubling as the launch of the new reporting standard and a platform for stakeholders dialogue.
The Sector Reporting Standard was developed to provide information that applies to organizations involved in crops, animals and fisheries production, the Director of GRI Africa, Douglas Kativu, explained while speaking on the topic, “Driving Responsibility and Accountability in Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fishing.”
The Sector Reporting Standard has 26 likely material topics for the sectors grouped under climate change and environment, human rights and communities, equitable livelihoods, ethics and governance, food and health, employment and farming and fishing practices, Kativu said.
“The topics align with many authoritative international instruments defining responsible business conduct as well as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030,” the GRI director elaborated.
A high point of the event was a panel discussion on the topic: “Enhancing Competitiveness Through Responsibility, Traceability, and Shared Value.”
Panelists proffered solutions to the various traceability and standardization challenges plaguing the sector in Nigeria.
GRI is a global standardization organization which has developed and delivered the global best practice for how organizations communicate and demonstrate accountability for their impacts on environment, economy and people.
“GRI provides the world’s widely used sustainability reporting standards which cover a wide range of topics from biodiversity to agriculture to health and safety and everything in between,” LBS management wrote in a statement titled, “GRI, LBS Sustainability Centre Host Nigeria Launch of Agric Sector Standard for Sustainability Reporting.”
