At Chobani, we believe that business can be one of the most powerful forces for good in the world. That extends to how we make our product, how we treat our people and how we conduct business. Beyond adhering to the highest legal and ethical standards in the industry and observing and adhering to all applicable laws and regulations, we strive to raise the bar with every decision we make. That, we believe, is how we can continue to make a difference.
This belief extends outside of just our company. As business partners of ours, we expect direct suppliers as well as your suppliers upstream and all parties who provide goods and services to Chobani to join our commitment and conduct business in a manner that reflects and adheres to the principles and ethical standards from which our company was built.
It is an honor to have you as part of the Chobani value chain, working together to ensure our companies positively impact our communities, our planet and our people.
Workplace Human Rights
Chobani believes that all workplaces should be free of harassment and discrimination. As such, all supplier partners to Chobani shall also provide working conditions for their employees that are free from harassment and discrimination, including: age, race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, disability, predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, veteran status, marital status and any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Harassment towards other parties by our suppliers is also prohibited.
The conduct includes harassment in any communication form, including: e-mail, voicemail, chat rooms, internet use or history, text messages, pictures, images, writings, words or gestures.
Chobani’s supplier partners must ensure their workforces are free from any forms of forced labor, including: slave, indentured, bonded, prison labor, or any form of human trafficking. Child labor is also prohibited. Suppliers must adhere to minimum age provisions of applicable laws and regulations, ensuring all employees are above the legal employment age in the country of their employment.
Work Hours/Wages/Benefits
Employees are to be compensated with wages, overtime and benefits that meet or exceed legally mandated minimum standards. Compensation shall be provided in a way that is prompt and easily understood. Chobani encourages our supplier partners to offer their employees sufficient training and educational opportunities.
Workplace Safety
At Chobani, ensuring a safe and efficient workplace is key to our success. We continuously engage with our employees to develop preventative measures, set clear accountability guidelines and standards for managing safe behaviors in the workplace. Everyone’s safety matters to us and, as such, we expect our supplier partners to ensure a safe working environment for their employees.
Grievance Procedures
Supplier partners shall maintain internal programs for handling reports of workplace grievances, including anyonymous reports. Such reports shall be investigated and supplier partners must take corrective action where necessary. Procedures shall protect worker confidentiality and prohibit retaliation.
Animal Welfare
At Chobani, animal welfare is more than a business practice: it is an ethical and moral imperative. As such, we support National Dairy’s FARM Program (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management). All farms supplying milk to Chobani must participate in the FARM program. We work closely with cooperatives and local farms to ensure the safety and humane treatment of the cows that provide us fresh milk. We expect all of our suppliers to uphold this commitment.
Environment
We believe in doing business the right and responsible way. Chobani observes and respects all applicable environmental laws and regulations. We continue to explore and implement ways to be more efficient with our consumption of natural resources and to minimize our environmental footprint. We expect our suppliers to share in this commitment to protect and preserve the environment for future generations.
Competition and Fair Dealing
At Chobani, we seek to outperform our competition fairly and honestly. We strive to gain competitive advantages through superior performance, not through unethical or illegal business practices. Stealing proprietary information, possessing trade secret information that was obtained without the owner’s consent, or inducing such disclosures by past or present suppliers of other companies is prohibited. All suppliers should respect the rights of, and deal fairly with the company’s customers, other suppliers, competitors and Chobani employees. No supplier should take unfair advantage of anyone through manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged information, misrepresentation of material facts or any other intentional unfair-dealing practice.
Conflicts of Interest
Business, personal, or family involvement with a competitor, client, contractor, vendor, Chobani employee or anyone that may pose a potential or actual conflict with a supplier’s contractual obligations to Chobani should be avoided.
We expect suppliers to conduct their personal affairs in such a fashion that their responsibilities to the company are not jeopardized and/or legal questions do not arise with respect to their association or work with Chobani. Conflicts of interest should be avoided by all suppliers.
Audits and Assessments
Chobani reserves the right to audit compliance with this Supplier Code of Conduct. Such audits may be conducted by Chobani or its auditing agency. If an audit identifies a violation of this code, the supplier shall act promptly to correct the situation to Chobani’s satisfaction.