Food chains depend on people, and we are committed to respecting human rights across our operations, value chain and communities. We take a people‑first approach, underpinned by clear expectations, due diligence and continuous improvement.

Why prioritising workers in our supply chain matters

 

Access to adequate food is a fundamental human right.1 People depend on global food systems to ensure this right is protected, yet food value chains also depend on people and these can have human rights impacts.

 

In 2025, workers’ rights remain under pressure globally. One‑third of workers earn less than what is needed for a decent standard of living,2 and the same proportion report regularly exceeding 48 hours per week.3 For many, there is little recourse to this injustice. The 2025 Global Rights Index revealed that 80% of countries restrict collective bargaining, and workers in three out of every four countries were denied the right to freedom of association – undermining core labour rights.4

 

Forced and child labour continue to pose challenges. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), 27.6 million people are in forced labour globally5 and there is a total of 138 million child labourers around the world6 – with nearly half involved in hazardous work.7 With 2.9 million workers dying annually as a result of work‑related factors,8 health and safety remain as critical issues for the global workforce. As these pressures rise, regulation on human rights and environmental due diligence is also growing globally.

Farmer working

Tetra Pak’s role and approach

Our Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) process is fundamental to all social sustainability efforts we undertake. Aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and informed by our ongoing engagement with affected stakeholders, it guides our prioritisation of impacts and actions. This work operationalises our commitment to human rights by focusing on risk to people across the value chain.

Supply chain workers are those working at our direct suppliers and deep within our supply chain, including workers involved in forestry, the extraction of metals and minerals and sugarcane farming.

We know that conditions in global supply chains are a potential source of human rights impacts such as excessive working hours, wages that do not afford an adequate standard of living, forced labour, impacts on occupational health and safety and freedom of association. As such, we have prioritised impacts related to fair working conditions, OHS and freedom from forced labour in higher risk categories and locations.

Our suppliers are fundamental to realising our promise to Protect What’s Good. We engage with our strategic and high impact suppliers with regular communication focused on improvement and sustainability transformation.

Further reading

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Health & Safety culture at work

Discover how we prioritise health, safety, and well-being in our workforce. Explore our health and safety culture to create safe working conditions.

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Improving conditions for workers in collection & recycling

Discover our commitment to providing safe working conditions for waste pickers and workers who contribute to collecting, processing, and the recycling.

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1 UN 'Economic and Social Council', 1999. Source: United Nations, https://docs.un.org/en/E/C.12/1999/5.

2 'Global Wage Report', 2025. Source:  International Labour Organization, https://www.ilo.org/sites/default/files/2024-11/GWR2024_English_ExecutiveSummary_WEB.pdf.

3 'Working time and work organization', accessed 02/2026. Source: International Labour Organization, https://www.ilo.org/topics-and-sectors/working-time-and-work-organization.

4 'Global Rights Index 2025', 2025. Source: International Trade Union Confederation, https://www.ituc-csi.org/global-rights-index.

5 Forced labour, modern slavery and trafficking in person, accessed 02/2026. Source: International Labour Organization, https://www.ilo.org/topics-and-sectors/forced-labour-modern-slavery-and-trafficking-persons.

6 ‘ILO Convention No. 182 at a glance: An introduction to legally prohibiting hazardous work for children', 2018. Source: International Labour Organization', https://www.ilo.org/publications/ilo-convention-no-182-glance-introduction-legally-prohibiting-hazardous.

7 Despite progress, child labour still affects 138 million children globally, 2025. Source: International Labour Organization, https://www.ilo.org/resource/news/despite-progress-child-labour-still-affects-138-million-children-globally.

8 'Safety and health at work', accessed 02/2026. Source: International Labour Organization, https://www.ilo.org/topics-and-sectors/safety-and-health-work.