Supplier Code of Conduct

BARENTZ strives to be the global life science ingredients distributor specialized in human nutrition, pharmaceuticals, personal care, and animal nutrition, creating unique synergies across all fields of expertise. For our customers, we provide access to the best ingredients solutions available to add value. We are ambassadors, technological experts, networkers, and a business platform connecting ingredients manufacturers and users across all areas. Additionally, we source complementary ingredients, formulate custom products, and apply our market- and technological knowledge. As a result, we deliver better ingredient solutions for our customers, for consumers and for the planet that help them innovate, simplify, and grow their business in a sustainable way.

At BARENTZ, we have certain core values and guiding principles that are essential to our business operations and are key to our ambition to deliver sustainable and profitable growth. By giving people the freedom to act and empowering them to drive business forward, BARENTZ has established a dynamic and entrepreneurial culture. Integrity, transparency, and compliance are our core business values that promote a climate of trust and respectful partnerships with our suppliers and customers. With these values in mind, BARENTZ has created a culture where integrity is essential to the way we do business and where unethical behaviour will not be tolerated. Our culture is strong and an important factor to make the best people successful. All BARENTZ companies worldwide are equally and fully committed to the BARENTZ' business principles, core values - underlined above - and ethics embedded in our corporate culture and summarized in this Code of Conduct.

BARENTZ' Supplier Code of Conduct outlines what BARENTZ requires from you as a supplier with respect to labour and employment rights, environmental, health and safety, business ethics, social responsibility, and global trade practices. As a supplier, you must adhere to this Code of Conduct and operate in full compliance with the laws and regulations of all countries within which you operate. When local laws and regulations are less restrictive than this Code of Conduct, you must adhere to BARENTZ' principles. Failure to comply with internationally recognized standards, and the standards set forth in this Supplier Code of Conduct will result in the termination of your contract and relationship with BARENTZ.

Ethics and Social Responsibility
In conducting business, BARENTZ acts with integrity and honesty and always maintains the highest standards for business responsibility in accordance with laws and ethical principles.

You must operate ethically and consider the environment when making business decisions. You are expected to develop or adapt existing business practices to improve your work environment, community, and society in general.

Business Integrity Compliance
BARENTZ complies with all anti-corruption, anti-bribery, and anti-money laundering laws. As a supplier, you must adhere to the same laws and principles.

You shall not give or accept bribes or kickbacks, nor violate applicable bribery and corruption laws including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. BARENTZ maintains strict policies concerning gifts and gratuities involving BARENTZ employees and representatives and you shall in all respects comply with those policies. Any form of extortion, corruption, or embezzlement is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate termination of your contract.

Disclosure of Information
You must accurately record and disclose information regarding your business activities, company structure, financial situation, and business performance in accordance with prevailing industry practices and applicable laws and regulations.

Intellectual Property
You must respect intellectual property rights and maintain controls to safeguard BARENTZ’s name, logo, trademarks, confidential information, and other intellectual property against unauthorized use, modification, and damage.

Operating License
You shall have appropriate licenses, registrations, and certifications required to conduct business in the locations in which they operate.

Supplier Diversity
BARENTZ is committed to supporting economic development efforts with diverse suppliers to the extent that jobs may be provided, entrepreneurship may be advanced and useful goods and services may be produced at competitive prices. You must adhere to similar principles and support and develop supplier diversity programs within their organizations, and as required, you must provide data to BARENTZ detailing spend with diverse suppliers.

Antitrust and Competition Laws
You shall not violate antitrust and competition laws in the countries in which you operate, and you must operate fairly and shall not engage in price fixing, price discrimination, or unfair trade practices that violate applicable antitrust and competition laws.

Conflicts of Interest
You must do business in a way that is open, transparent and with the highest integrity. A potential conflict of interest exists if a supplier’s employee or his or her family member has a close relationship with an BARENTZ employee who can make decisions which affect the supplier’s business. You are required to immediately disclose these types of relationships to BARENTZ prior to commencing business or whenever they arise.

Data Privacy
You are required to have an established information security system to protect BARENTZ’s information – and the information of its customers and employees – from being disclosed, changed, destroyed, or used for any purpose other than the purpose for which it was provided.

Labour and Employment Rights
BARENTZ believes in treating people with dignity and respect and is committed to protecting the human rights of others. As a global company, BARENTZ is committed to maintaining safe and professional work environments where employees are free from violence, harassment, and discrimination. We expect you to do the same. If you are unable to uphold themselves to our standards, BARENTZ has the right to discontinue the business relationship.

Freedom of Association
BARENTZ recognizes that your work force may have rights to form and/or join unions and bargain collectively. You shall not retaliate or discriminate against any person in your work force choosing to exercise their right to do so.

Compliance with Terms and Conditions
You shall sign and comply with the terms and conditions of all purchase orders, contracts and General Terms and Conditions of BARENTZ which is presented to you from time to time. This Supplier Code of Conduct once signed and accepted by you shall constitute a part of an appendix to the existing contract relationship between BARENTZ and you.

Child Labour
You shall not use, engage in or support child labour practices. Your labour force, including but not limited to employees and contract labour, must meet the minimum age require by law and shall not be less than 15 years of age contingent upon the child having received adequate training and the health and safety of the child is fully protected.

Involuntary Labour and Human Trafficking
You shall not engage in or support forced, or compulsory labour as defined by ICO Convention No. 29 including bonded, slavery, and human trafficking practices. All work performed must be voluntary, and employees have the right to terminate employment with reasonable notice.

Wages and Benefits
You must provide employees with wages and benefits that meet the minimum required amount by applicable laws/regulations. In countries where no minimum wage law applies, your labour force, including but not limited to employees and contract labour, must be paid at a rate comparable to the prevailing industry average and in all instances your labour force, including but not limited to employees and contract labour, shall be paid in legal tender, on a regular basis and in a timely manner.

Hours of Labour
You must comply with all applicable laws and industry standards on the number of hours an employee or contract labourer can work in a successive shift, day, week or specific period of time. If applicable law does not set forth the maximum number of hours a person is allowed to work in a specified period, then no workweek shall exceed 60 hours, and you are required to pay standard pay and any premium rate as determined by national law or industry average, for overtime hours worked. You must also comply with national laws on public holidays and sick leave provisions.

Health and Safety of Employees
You shall maintain the workplace and any living quarters used to house employees in a clean, orderly, and safe manner with all applicable national laws and/or industry standards. You shall implement programs to prevent or control employee exposures to workplace hazards including chemical, biological, and physical hazards, and implement programs to manage processes safely and prevent catastrophic events. You shall identify and encourage programs that promote access to health programs that positively affect the health of employees and provide occupational health and safety training to all relevant employees. Workers shall not be disciplined for raising safety concerns and shall have the right to refuse unsafe working conditions, without fear of reprisal, until management adequately addresses their concerns.

Anti-Harassment
You shall provide fair treatment to employees and create a work environment free from mental or physical coercion. You shall not engage in harsh or inhumane treatment of employees including workplace, sexual, psychological, racial, or religious harassment. Any act creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment is strictly prohibited.

Anti-Discrimination
You shall not discriminate against employees based on race, colour, national origin, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or political opinion. Any exclusions or preferences in the work environment made on these bases, which results in impaired equality, are prohibited. Suppliers are expected to hire employees and contract labour based only on each person’s job-related competence and, if requested, must be able to provide to BARENTZ a written policy statement on the prevention of discrimination in the workplace.

Diversity
BARENTZ believes in the value of diversity and is committed to actively creating an environment where each person is empowered to learn, grow, and maximize his or her personal contribution. Celebrating the similarities and difference that shape each person will continue to encourage innovative thinking and drive the kind of sustainable, competitive advantage that will help you and BARENTZ grow and prosper for decades to come. You must be inclusive and ensure that your work force employees and other stakeholders are always treated with dignity and respect.

Responsible Care
BARENTZ strives for excellence in global environmental, health, safety, and security performance. We manage our global operations by establishing processes to safely use, transport, and dispose our raw materials and products in compliance with the law. We expect from our supplier the same.

Environmental Compliance
You must comply with all environmental laws and regulations and have applicable environmental permits and registrations for the business sector in which you operate. All permits and registrations must be maintained and kept current.

Hostile possession
The rights and title to property and land of the individual, indigenous people and local communities are respected. All negotiations regarding their property or land, including the use of and transfers of it, adhere to the principles of free, prior, and informed consent, contract transparency and disclosure.

Sustainability
You shall reduce the environmental impacts of your operations including natural resource consumption, material sourcing, waste generation, wastewater discharges and air emissions, and prevent accidental releases of hazardous materials into the environment and adverse environmental impacts on the local community.

Emergency Prevention and Response
You shall identify potential emergency situations, implement preventative measures, and be prepared to execute emergency response plans. You shall have or establish emergency plans and response procedures to anticipate, identify, and respond to emergency situations and events.

Product Quality
You shall provide high-quality products that meet the requirements and specifications set forth by BARENTZ. You must create and maintain a Quality Management System (QMS) that is approved by a reputable third party and be able to provide documentation of quality certificates.

Obligation to Report
You shall promptly report quality issues, quality concerns or quality nonconformities that were supplied to BARENTZ in error, or if a latent issue, concern, or non-conformity was detected after the material was shipped.

Obligation to Communicate Changes
You shall communicate changes to your product, process and/or service with BARENTZ. Generally, minor changes require prior notification to, and major changes require prior approval from BARENTZ. This obligation varies depending on the type of goods supplied and your BARENTZ purchasing agent will advise you of the change communication requirements in coordination with BARENTZ Technical and/or Quality management based on your commodity or service.

Insurances
You shall obtain and maintain adequate and market standard insurance policies to cover the inherent risk pertaining to your business.

Trade Regulations
You shall comply with the trade regulation laws of the country in which you operate.