STEWARDSHIP
Environmental and social responsibility is a key component in Signature's investment process, with a strong focus on land development and conservation, creating climate resilience, respecting labor and human rights, maintaining high ethical standards, reducing poverty through worker and community development, and promoting economic empowerment.
We are firmly committed to the principle that agricultural operations cannot thrive over the long term without consideration and respect for the role of natural capital. We incorporate social and environmental considerations into our decision-making at all levels and throughout our organization, and a key component of Signature's investment process is our commitment to tailored environmental and social programs on every farm which are designed to go beyond risk mitigation and achieve tangible positive results.
As a result, all investments are assessed and monitored in alignment with a Sustainability Framework which includes the IFC’s Performance Standards, applicable World Bank sectoral guidelines, ILO core labor standards, applicable FAO standards, a tailored Governance toolkit, and strict compliance with host country legislation.
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Signature's investments aim at shifting the agricultural development pathway toward a more resilient and regenerative direction, with additional socio-economic and environmental benefits in respect of the core agriculture-related SDGs.
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Signature as a company operates in terms of a structured environmental and social management system (ESMS), developed in terms of international good practice, and a corresponding requirement to do so is placed upon every operator within the portfolio. The framework of the ESMS is premised upon our Environmental and Social Policy.
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In line with our commitments to sustainable development and promotion of the SD Goals, Signature is a signatory or supporter of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), the Farm Animal Investment Risk and Return (FAIRR), the Partnership for Biodiversity Accounting Financials (PBAF), the Finance for Biodiversity (F4B) initiative, the Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and the Good Food Finance Network (GFFN).SDGS
Similarly, projects within the portfolios are required to implement best-practice Environmental and Social Management Systems and achieve (where applicable) certifications such as Global GAP, SAI and SMETA.