Yara concerned over Belarus situation (updated Sept. 22)

We have a clear expectation that our business partners follow our ethical guidelines (as outlined in our Business Partner Code of Conduct) and that they comply with laws and regulations, as well as internationally recognized standards for human rights, employee rights and ethical business conduct.

Yara buys potash sourced from JSC Belaruskali through the Belarusian Potash Company (BPC) in Belarus, one of nine countries from which Yara sources potash. Yara monitors developments in Belarus closely and continuously assesses potential impacts on its business, the situation for BPC and Belaruskali employees, Yara’s business partner relations, and the general conditions in Belarus.

We have a frequent dialogue with BPC and Belaruskali, where we have expressed concern and inquired about the health and well-being of their workers, clearly stating our expectation that workers are treated well and in accordance with the Yara Business Partner Code of Conduct.

On Friday 18 September our CEO led a Yara delegation that traveled to Belarus to meet with Belaruskali management, workers and unions, with a primary focus on the safety and the well-being of Belaruskali workers. It was important for us to express our concerns in a face to face meeting, where we stated our clear expectations to our business partners.

We agreed to continue our dialogue, and Yara emphasized the importance for the future business relationship of adhering to Yara’s Business Partner Code of Conduct and expectations with regard to human and employee rights standards, including the right to organize and strike. Yara will continue to monitor the situation, maintaining a dialogue with multiple stakeholders and continually assessing the impact of our approach, focusing on the safety and well-being of Belaruskali workers.

As we monitor and evaluate the situation, it is key for Yara to consider how we can have the most positive impact. Yara has a close cooperation with trade unions in Norway and also engages with multiple other stakeholders, including Belaruskali, BPC, The Norwegian government, owners, activists and trade unions in Belarus. A number of concerns have been communicated to Yara from these stakeholders, and Yara raises all of these directly in its on-going dialogue with BPC and Belaruskali.

Our evaluation continues to be that we can have the most positive impact by continuing a close dialogue with BPC and Belaruskali. We have support for this approach from our stakeholders, and intend to continue this dialogue provided that our concerns are addressed. We will continue to monitor the situation, maintaining a dialogue with multiple stakeholders and continually assessing the impact of our approach.