Environmental and Social Safeguards

Respecting and ensuring the safety and rights of our partners and the communities in which we work is central to the work of Future Food Together. Timely and effective handling of complaints helps resolve conflicts, improves mutual understanding of each other, strengthens accountability and forms the basis for better cooperation. WWF’s Environmental and Social Safeguards Framework guides our work in terms of how we engage with local communities.

 Environmental and Social Safeguards provide guidance on how to systematically manage unintended social and environmental project impacts, such as restrictions on local people’s access to or use of natural resources. To avoid, mitigate or compensate for these unintended or undesired impacts on the local population and environment, safeguards define processes and minimum requirements in project work on various topics, such as stakeholder engagement or the protection of indigenous groups.

The WWF Environmental Social Safeguards Framework (ESSF) is an important tool for meeting our commitments under the WWF Social Policies. It translates the commitments of the Social Policies into practical instructions for action at project level. WWF understands that lasting conservation and community development go hand-in-hand. Through this safeguards framework, WWF is furthering the commitment to drive sustainable development, uphold human rights, and advance the social and economic well-being of people in the places where the organisation operates.

The Environmental and Social Safeguards Framework includes the following features:

• Safeguards screening to surface risks, including those related to community safety, access to natural resources, and indigenous people.
• Sound actions to address risk through the development of mitigation plans, implementation measures, and oversight systems.
• Quality assurance and accountability to ensure appropriate risk management, including through the engagement of qualified safeguards experts
• Community participation throughout project design, implementation and monitoring. Grievance mechanisms will be set up for stakeholders to voice any project-related concerns they have so action can be taken.
• A Global Safeguards Unit that centralizes information and provides assistance, quality assurance, and training, as well as other activities needed for effective implementation.
• An independent ombudsperson that will oversee compliance with the safeguards framework across WWF and serve as a means for mediation when disputes cannot be settled locally.
• Where reports of abuse relate to landscapes or to partners that have received our support, our practice is to investigate, engage communities, take appropriate actions, and press the government to take corrective measures.

IKI Independent Complaint Mechanism

Complaint mechanisms are in place to ensure that support is provided to those who have been harmed in any way or at risk to be harmed by our work. Future Food Together is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI), which has an indepedent complaint mechanism in place.

The IKI Independent Complaint Mechanism (ICM) helps to resolving complaints concerning IKI projects on a global scale. Any individual, group of people, or community that has been harmed or could be harmed by an IKI project can file a complaint. Additionally, those who seek to report integrity and/or corruption issues—such as fraud, abuse of funds, etc.—can do so. Those who suffer reprisal in connection with an IKI project or a complaint can also use this method. A representative may be appointed by the aggrieved person(s) to file and handle the complaint on their behalf.

Any person who believes they may be harmed by an IKI project or who wish to report corruption or the misuse of funds, can lodge a complaint to the IKI Independent Complaint Mechanism at IKI-complaints@z-u-g.org. The IKI complaint mechanism has a panel of independent experts who will investigate the complaint. In the course of the investigation, we will consult with the complainant so as to avoid unnecessary risks for the complainant. A complaint may be submitted in either English or the complainant’s native tongue. At country level, an independent complaint mechanism is in place for each country, too. More information can be found here: