The Working Group on Social Impacts (SOC WG)

Latest news and updates

• Following the transition to the new governance system (May 2009), the Working Group on Social Impacts is officially dissolved. The RSB is immensely grateful for the invaluable contributions made by the WG members over the first phase (April 07 - May 09). Working Group members are invited to join the new Chambers to keep contributing to the development of the RSB standard. They might still be punctually consulted as external experts as well.

• You can consult all the key-documents from 1st phase (April 2007-May 2009) HERE.

The Working Group on Social Impacts was launched in June 2007 with the objective of discussing the important social aspects related to biofuel production (Participation and consultation, workers and human rights, local development, food security, land and water rights).

The RSB takes social issue relating to biofuel production very seriously and has created a set of 6 principles that specifically address this issue. They deal with how producers should work with communities, farmers, labourers and partners and provides guidance on the expectations of the RSB in terms of the final outputs of the programmes. Given the controversy surrounding issues related to biofuel production, the RSB has carefully taken each issue and developed principles and criteria through the exploration of the issues in background papers. The principles deal with issues such as: how to prevent food insecurity; how to engage with communities in a meaningful, open and honest way (consultation); what is expected from the producers from a labour perspective (labour rights) ; how to promote rural and social development; and how to ensure that projects are not being carried out on land that is in dispute(land rights). Water rights have been included in the principle on water which covers both rights and quality issues. This brief summary cannot detail the rich and thoughtful conversations and deliberations that have taken place in the Social Working group (SOC WG) and within the Steering Board.

Thanks to the fantastic contributions of all participants, the RSB Steering Board was able to finalise the first official draft (version 0.0) of Principles and Criteria in August 2008, as the starting point of a new round of consultation toward the 'version 1.0' of the standard for sustainable biofuel production.

For more information, please contact annie.sugrue'at'epfl.ch

You can consult the archives of all the discussions held between April 2007 and June 2008 here!

Principles and Criteria (Social Impacts)

The Principles and Criteria on Social Impacts included in  Version 0.0 (August 2008) are:

Legality

1. Biofuel production shall follow all applicable laws of the country in which they occur, and shall endeavour to follow all international treaties relevant to biofuels' production to which the relevant country is a party.

Consultation, Planning and Monitoring 

2. Biofuels projects shall be designed and operated under appropriate, comprehensive, transparent, consultative, and participatory processes that involve all relevant stakeholders.

Criteria on Consultation, Planning and Monitoring

Human and Labor Rights

4. Biofuel production shall not violate human rights or labor rights, and shall ensure decent work and the well-being of workers.

Criteria on Human and Labor Rights

Rural and Social Development

5. Biofuel production shall contribute to the social and economic development of local, rural and indigenous peoples and communities.

Criteria on Rural and Social Development

Food Security

6. Biofuel production shall not impair food security.

Criteria on Food Security

Economic efficiency, technology, and continuous improvement

11. Biofuels shall be produced in the most cost-effective way. The use of technology must improve production efficiency and social and environmental performance in all stages of the biofuel value chain.

Criteria on Economic efficiency, Technology and continuous improvement

Land Rights

12. Biofuel production shall not violate land rights.

Criteria on Land Rights

Links

Please visit our Bioenergy Wiki SOC Webpage

RSB - RSD Experts minutes of meeting 4 feb 08.pdf

ILO's Standards and Fundamental principles and rights at work
FAO's Environmental and Social Standards, Certification and Labelling for Cash Crops