Companies that join WIETA as a member are expected to adopt an ethical value system and social accountability management model. These business principles translate to continuous improvement in labour practices on member farms, production sites and in cellars. In the absence of the adoption of other ethical codes, and as a first step, members are expected to proactively adopt WIETA’s Ethical Code.

Member organisations and audit participants are required to –

• Demonstrate and communicate their commitment to ethical trade to their staff and down their supply chains;
• Integrate ethical labour practices and the principles of social accountability into their business policies, procedures and practices;
• Demonstrate clear improvement in the working lives of their employees on an on-going basis;
• Show proactive support to and monitoring of any grape, wine and/or agricultural suppliers in improving their workers’ working conditions;
• Ensure that they enable all their workers to actively participate in the understanding of the code, the implementation thereof and the monitoring of the code to ensure that workers’ human and labour rights are promoted and respected in the workplace.