[Carlos Arcos]

The minimum sample size of suppliers to be verified for sustainability requirements is
– High risk sample size is 9 suppliers (rounding 8.18 as result of the square root of the total number of suppliers.
– Medium risk sample size is 9 suppliers (rounding 8.33 as result of the 20% of the total number of suppliers, minus the 15% decrease).
– Low risk area, total of 9 suppliers (rounding 8.4 as result of the square root of the total number of suppliers, minus the 30% decrease).

A cross check of public lists or official lists of environmental embargoes or crimes; slave and child labour; conflicts with indigenous or traditional communities; and deforestation assessment.

Sampling is relevant to provide confidence in the consistent application of the Standard requirements throughout the supply chain, and that there is no systemic non-compliance on the supplier side that is going undetected by the buyer’s management system, but for a number of suppliers which give significant statistical information of the general population, based on common features or characteristics of the sample.

Non-compliance found at the supplier is expected to be addressed by actions of the management system of the purchasing economic operator. And shall be presented to the economic operator in a closing meeting to be held in a maximum of 5 working days after the conclusion of the verification assessment (which includes the assessment of the sampled suppliers).

Example: NC: Water use on the farm is not monitored. CA: A document that describes the measures taken to reduce water use, and the registers/records of the those measures implemented to maintain the water quality