In the future, the PANAO will work for social justice and labor rights as well as occupational safety and environmental protection in the orange juice supply chain. Along with apple juice, orange juice is one of the most popular fruit juices in Germany. And most of the orange juice drunk in the EU comes from Brazil, where production is accompanied by numerous problems: workers* often produce on a piecework basis and can hardly lead a decent life on their wages. At work they are exposed to pesticides that are harmful to their health, and there is usually a lack of protective clothing.
Trade unions, which stand up for the rights of workers, are hindered in their work. Against this background, the PANAO was constituted on the initiative of civil society.
PANAO relies on dialogue with all stakeholders in the EU and Brazil. Against this background, it develops concepts for sustainable procurement and seeks approaches to strengthen employee representation. Initially, approaches to improve working conditions will be developed and implemented on selected plantations, which will then be disseminated widely.
The founding members of PANAO include the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Christian Initiative Romero (CIR), Kaufland, REWE Group, TIE, Beckers Bester, TransFair e. V. (Fairtrade Germany) and the Public-Services Union (ver.di).
Further information can be found at www.panao.org
