Beyond the Farm Fence: Increasing the contribution of auditing to social development
A discussion paper for standards bodies, certification bodies, NGOs and businesses
 | AccountAbility’s latest research, commissioned by Oxfam Novib, examines how stakeholder and social issues located outside the production site can be incorporated into standards systems and the audit process to improve social outcomes.  Download the paper.
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'Beyond the Farm Fence: Increasing the contribution of auditing to social development’ presents a series of constructive and practical recommendations that will improve standards governance and off-site auditing practices, in ways that will contribute to the lives of neighbouring communities. Audits provide a channel for the people’s voice to be heard.
Although there are still improvements to be made regarding on-site social issues, there has recently been a widening of scope by the established voluntary standards and certification systems to embrace off-site social issues, especially access to land, water and other natural resources such as forests, for those who depend on these resources for subsistence farming, to fish or hunt, to tap rubber or to harvest forest products.
The paper aims to engage businesses, governments, standards bodies, auditors and NGOs who work in multi-stakeholder initiatives, particularly in agribusiness supply chains such as palm oil, biofuels and aquaculture.
The analytical framework for the report is based on AccountAbility’s Principles of Inclusivity, Materiality and Responsiveness. They have been used to provide a clear approach to understanding the current problems and potential for improvement.
The outcomes of the research are presented in two parts. The first looks at the standards systems of which social audits are a part; the second looks at ways to improve the social audit itself. The paper argues that auditing is crucial, but equally important is the relationship between the standards and the auditing process.
The recommendations are designed to extend the boundaries of standards systems and audit practice beyond the farm fence; to encourage the focus on material issues and their prioritisation during the audit process; and to enhance the ability of standards and audits to enable performance improvements.
The recommendations are addressed to specific actors: standards bodies, certification bodies, NGOs and businesses.The paper will form the basis for ongoing discussion, diaogue and meaningful change for people living in poverty.
