Objective and Scope

Vitis & Winemakers believes that our success is strongly associated with the way we do business, acting responsibly all along the supply chain, inspired by our corporate values: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust, and sense of ethics.

Vitis & Winemakers are the exclusive Australian and New Zealand agent for several Europe’s foremost manufacturers. Specialist consultation is available for all equipment, complete winery design and total packaging solutions.

We bring good times from good place and our suppliers play vital role in ensuring we have a positive impact, the people, and communities we work with depend upon. By working together, we can create stronger business relationships. We believe it will strengthen both Vitis & Winemakers and our suppliers’ businesses by encouraging them to improve their practices and to assist them in doing so.

Recognizing that there is difference in laws, customs, and economic conditions that affect business practices around the world, we believe that shared values must serve as the foundation for relationship between Vitis & Winemakers and its suppliers.

We believe in continuous improvement approach and can help develop ways and means together with the supplier provided Vitis & Winemakers receives information from the supplier within due time.

Please take the time to read the Supplier Standards and understand your responsibilities so that together, we can build a strong partnership for the future.

Standards

1. Labour and Human Rights

Prohibit Child Labour: In compliance with international standards, especially the ILO’s relevant Conventions, and national laws, Vitis & Winemakers will not employ underage children. Vitis & Winemakers does not permit child labour exploitation under any circumstances. We are aware that young people under 18 are entitled to work in certain defined and protected circumstances such as government approved apprenticeship programmes. This is acceptable as long as it is conducted in line with the requirements of ILO conventions and national laws.

Prohibit Forced Labour: All forms of human trafficking and forced labour, such as withholding deposits, salary and benefits or the retention of identity documents from workers, are forbidden. Workers shall have the right to leave the workplace premises after completing the standard workday and be free to terminate their employment provided that they give reasonable notice to their employer.'

Provide a Safe and Healthy Workplace Health and Safety: A safe and healthy workplace environment is provided, and the supplier takes effective steps to prevent potential accidents and injury to workers’ helath occuring in the course of work or as a result of employer’s operations by minimizing the sources of hazards inherent to the work environment.

2. Health & Safety

Sanitation, Food and Housing: Workers are provided with ready access to clean toilet facilities, drinkable water and sanitary food preparation, storage, and eating facilities. Worker accommodations, when provided by the supplier, are to be maintained, clean and safe, and provided with appropriate emergency exits. Hot water for bathing and showering, adequate heat and ventilation, and reasonable personal space along with reasonable entry and exit privileges are provided. These measures are under regular control to avoid the creation of new risks.

3. Environmental Impact

Product Restrictions: The supplier is to observe all applicable laws, regulations and customer requirements regarding prohibition or restriction of specific substances within the product or the packaging. Climate, energy: CO2 emissions linked to combustion of fossil fuels, transport or any other activities having an impact on climate (refrigeration system, fertilisers use etc.) are identified, monitored, and actions are put in place by the Company to minimize them. For packaging or industrial products (alcohol, etc.), the supplier shall be able to provide the CO2 emission factors (cradle to gate perimeter) associated with the product sold to Vitis & Winemakers.

Eco Design: The suppliers shall assess the environmental impact of its products and packaging during their whole life cycle, from the conception and the production to their use and end-of-life and strive to minimise this environmental impact along each step of the product lifecycle.

4. Integrity and fair business practices

Bribery, Corruption and Conflicts of Interest: The highest standards of integrity are to be upheld by the suppliers in all business interactions. Perticipants shall have a zero-tolerance policy towards any, and all, forms of bribery, curroption, extortion and embezzelement (covering promising, offering, giving or accepting and bribes). All business dealing should be transparently performed and accurately reflected on participant’s business books and records. All suppliers must report and avoide situations in which their own interest, even a potential interest, is in conflict with that of Vitis & Winemakers. Monitoring and enforcement procedures shall be impemented to ensure compliance with Vitis & Winemakers code of Business Conduct, as well as anti-corruption laws, in particular Anti Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Act 2006. All Suppliers are forbidden from engaging in corrupt or collusive practices, offering, receiving or promising gifts, favours and advantages to or from public officials or private individuals, including through the work.

Suppliers should not cause any conflict of interest for Vitis & Winemakers employees, and should avoid situations where a conflict of interest may occur. We expect suppliers to disclose in full any potential conflicts of interest they may have as soon as they have been identified, so they can be properly considered, and the right action taken. All suppliers, at all level are requested to openly report conflict of interest situations, even if they are merely apparent, and to indicate the specific situations and activities in which they have conflicting economic and financial interests, so that the solution most suited to both the parties can be found.

Business record and confidential information: Business, commercial and financial information regarding Vitis & Winemakers and its commercial partners must be treated as confidential and should not be disclosed to third parties without Vitis & Winemakers prior authorization and should be treated in compliance with the terms of any relevant clause privoded in any agreement between the supplier and Vitis & Winemakers.

Intellectual property: Intellectual property rights are to be respected by the supplier. The transfer of technology and know-how is to be carried out in a manner that protects intellectual property rights.

Tax evasion: Suppliers shall comply with all applicable tax laws, regulations and industry standards. Supplier shall not be engage in deliberate tax evasion or facilitate such evasion on behalf of others. As such, suppliers are expected to have in place adequate procedures and effective controls to minimise the risk of tax evasion or its facilitation, and to enforce them where appropriate. Suppliers must report any concerns in relation to tax evasion to their Vitis & Winemakers contract.

Raising a concern

We support a culture of speaking up without fear of retaliation against those who report actual or suspected breaches of any rules related to biusiness conduct, compliance or ethics matters contained within a code of business conduct or provided by any legal, accounting or regulatory requirements, policies, and standards (the rules). Any concern from the supplier, their employees, managers, workers or any other stakeholders regarding these rules should speak directly to our Managing Director - Paul Baggio or General Manager - Natalie Mcleod at nataliem@thebeveragefoodgroup.com. We take every report seriously and will not tolerate any reprisal by an employee against a supplier who has reported a concern in good faith or assisted us with an investigation. The supplier could be asked to assist with any such investigation and provide access to any information reasonably requested.

Reference Documents

The supplier Standards are based on the following international standards, guidelines, and protocols:

  • Universal Declaration of Human Rights

  • International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

  • International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)

  • United Nation Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC)

  • United Nation Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs)

  • Anti-money laundering and counter terrorism act 2006 (AML/CTF)

  • Other Relevant UN conventions and declarations, including (but not limited to):

  • Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women

  • Declaration of Rights of the Child

  • Declaration on the rights of indigenous people

  • Other international standards and guidelines, including (but not limited):

  • Ten Principles of United Nations Global Compact

  • United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights

  • For further information please visit our website www.vitiswinemakers.com