We are proud to announce that Freshpoint has recently been awarded SMETA certification as an exporter of Thai fruits and vegetables.
Sedex stands for Supplier Ethical Data Exchange. It’s a global platform that helps businesses improve their supply chain operations and sustainability efforts and practices. SMETA is an audit service that operates under Sedex. It’s the world-leading audit service for companies that want to improve the performance and sustainability of their operations and practices.
What does this certification mean for our suppliers and customers? For certified fruits and vegetables exporters like Freshpoint, SMETA certification reassures international buyers that operations are ethical, safe, and sustainable. Suppliers and other companies working with us in supply chain management also gain a competitive advantage by being easily able to prove compliance with global ethical standards and regulations.
We’ll explain in detail the benefits it provides for our suppliers in Thailand and our customers worldwide.
Increases Visibility
A SMETA audit increases the visibility of the entire supply chain operations. Everyone gains a greater understanding of the social and environmental impact of the operations and practices of suppliers, shipping companies and exporters. By operating transparently, our customers enjoy a greater sense of comfort and trust in knowing the origins of the vegetable and fruit products they rely on.
Identifies Risks
exporter be certain it’s handling only the highest-quality and safest products available and only working with suppliers that maintain the exporter’s standards. This identification of risk also applies to suppliers’ operations to ensure they comply with labor guidelines and parameters and can guarantee worker safety.
Supplier Auditing
Suppliers are demonstrating their interest in improving their practices by participating in the SMETA audit and certification process. Supplier data can also be shared with multiple buyers under Sedex, reducing the number of audits for popular suppliers. The prospect of raising customer awareness regarding their operations and gaining new sales channels for their goods often incentivizes suppliers to improve their practices, which benefits everyone along the supply chain.
Improves Supplier Performance
SMETA offers a Corrective Action Plan that improves supplier performance by pinpointing areas for improvement. Working with SMETA-certified suppliers and other companies makes it easier to demonstrate social and environmental responsibility across the supply chain and reassure valuable customers and end users. It also educates suppliers on how to constructively resolve issues and unsatisfactory practices within their operations.
Complies with International Legislation
SMETA tailors its audits to comply with existing and upcoming international and local export regulations. This helps ensure that customers can conduct business with Freshpoint in good conscience, knowing that we uphold internationally recognized standards of labor, health and safety, ethics, and environmental performance.
Economic Importance of Agriculture to Thailand
Thailand has a long history of providing high-quality agricultural products to many countries around the globe. Although tourism and manufacturing have overtaken agriculture in gross domestic product, it remains a significant part of Thailand’s economy and employs about one-third of the country’s labor force.
As a fruit and vegetable exporter in Thailand, Freshpoint supports the agricultural community of Thailand. By participating in the SMETA audit and certification process we are working towards improving the sustainability and ethical operations and practices of Thailand’s agricultural sector and helping to increase farm worker safety across the country.
Countries Served by Freshpoint
For over 29 years, Freshpoint has been an experienced global exporter of quality Thai fresh and dried fruits and vegetables. We have satisfied customers in many countries, including:
- Canada
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- Switzerland
- Spain
- The UAE
- Bahrain
- Japan
- Korea
- Singapore
- Australia
- New Zealand
The world has rightly become more aware and concerned with worker health and safety and maintaining environmental standards that increase sustainability. Freshpoint wholly supports this. We’ve become SMETA certified to help ensure our customers have access to fresh Thai fruits and vegetables for many years to come. Contact us with any questions you may have about our operations and become a valuable Freshpoint customer.
