What is a grievance mechanism?
According to the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the term “grievance mechanism” is defined as “a formalized means by which individuals or groups can raise concerns about the impact a company has on them, including, but not limited to, their human rights, and can seek remedy or redress.” The purposes of such a mechanism include: first, enabling stakeholders (including local communities) to raise concerns and provide timely feedback on adverse human rights impacts that an organization’s activities may cause; second, complementing the human rights due diligence process; and third, allowing these stakeholders to claim remedy if the adverse effect has already occurred. Grievance mechanisms are also useful for complementing a company’s risk analysis and informing it of adverse impacts that could not be identified in its due diligence exercise. They are therefore a preventive solution, whose main objective is to avoid the escalation of social issues, also functioning as an early warning and response system for human rights violations.
Is Nossa Voz a grievance mechanism, then?
Yes. Nossa Voz aligns with what the United Nations sets out in its Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights but goes even further. In addition to receiving complaints, Nossa Voz is a helpline for labor-related issues, where workers and the productive sector can seek guidance to clarify any questions related to employment contracts and their possible implications. Furthermore, Nossa Voz develops extensive prevention and awareness work, including campaigns on rights and duties and training focused on promoting decent work. All of this takes place at the farm level among Nossa Voz users, as well as in vulnerable communities.
What are the advantages of having a grievance mechanism?
The mechanism acts as a preventive tool against the escalation of human rights violations within a given production sector. Through the helpline, workers affected by a company’s activities and operations can have their voices heard and present their concerns when they believe they are or will be adversely affected. Companies also benefit. By analyzing trends and patterns in interactions with the helpline, they can identify systemic issues and improve their practices. In other words, these mechanisms make it possible for complaints to be addressed as soon as they are identified and for adverse impacts to be remedied in advance, thus preventing harm from occurring.
What kind of interactions can Nossa Voz receive?
As a helpline, Nossa Voz is available to receive inquiries from both workers and the productive sector regarding issues related to employment contracts and their consequences. At another level, it also addresses complaints related to labor irregularities, such as health and safety conditions at work, remuneration, overtime, contractual questions, and potential human rights violations. The aim is to identify the root causes of complaints, define a corrective action plan with the participation of the parties involved, and resolve, remediate, and/or mitigate their impact.
What happens if human rights violations are identified?
After a comprehensive analysis of each case, if there are indications of human rights violations or situations that may put workers’ lives at risk, the Nossa Voz Action Protocol is triggered, activating the relevant public services.
Why was the coffee supply chain chosen for the pilot project?
Between 1995 and 2021, 55,303 workers were rescued from slave labor in Brazil. Of these, 3,118 were working in coffee harvesting. Over the past five years, coffee cultivation has been the sector with the highest number of rescues from slave labor. Similarly, the country recorded 85 cases of children and adolescents found in situations of child labor in coffee farming between 2017 and 2022. These figures highlight the supply chain and the need to implement more rigorous mechanisms for monitoring, control, and due diligence in human rights.
How is Nossa Voz funded?
The Nossa Voz structure was initially implemented and maintained through an international technical cooperation project funded by the United States Department of State (USDOS). In 2025, LRQA fully assumed coordination of the work with the coffee sector, leading engagement with companies and strategic partners to ensure private funding, continuity, and scalability of the initiative.
Why is it important to have a grievance mechanism?
Having a grievance mechanism is among the main international recommendations for the private sector to conduct more effective human rights due diligence among direct and indirect suppliers and to act to prevent and remediate human rights violations in supply chains.
Will the initiative be extended to other production sectors?
The Nossa Voz model was designed to be replicable in any rural production chain. Economic sectors involved in exporting commodities, in particular, are expected to implement grievance mechanisms to meet the requirements of international human rights due diligence laws. Expanding across sectors benefits all stakeholders, increasing effectiveness and enabling cost-sharing among market players.
How does private sector participation work?
Companies that become partners of Nossa Voz will have the opportunity to participate in an innovative initiative built through a legitimate process supported by a robust monitoring and control mechanism. Upon joining Nossa Voz, the tool is presented to the company’s supplier chain, and interested suppliers are engaged in the onboarding process. These suppliers select focal points who will serve as contacts between Nossa Voz and workers’ demands. Partner companies have access to an interactive dashboard that provides a consolidated view of the cluster linked to each partner. The platform allows the application of advanced filters for risk management, identification of potential issues, and opportunities for improvement across supply chains.
Can any type of company participate? What are the requirements?
Any company that is part of a rural production chain and produces or purchases inputs related to agricultural activities can contact the Nossa Voz management team. Examples of partners and participants include small producers, large farmers, cooperatives, agricultural traders, and multinational companies that depend on rural inputs, such as roasters.
