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	Top 10 Business and Human Rights Issues for 2011 by Institute for Human Rights and Business   To mark International Human Rights Day, the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) has released its Top 10 List of Business and Human Rights Issues for 2011.   "This year has seen several important developments in the rapidly-changing world of business and human rights, but 2011 will be critical in mainstreaming this emerging movement on political and business agendas globally," said John Morrison, IHRB Executive Director.   The Institute"s 2011 Top 10 list pulls together some of the key themes that are set to drive debate over the coming year, including the culmination of John Ruggie"s mandate as UN Special Representative on Business and Human Rights, growing efforts to balance security, privacy and free expression on the internet, and mounting challenges relating to the links between natural resource extraction and use and the impacts on human rights and development.   The 2011 Top 10 list seeks to provide an overview of the business and human rights landscape and encourage discussion amongst individuals and organisations working in the fields of human rights, corporate social responsibility and sustainability.   The Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) is a global centre focused on the relationship between business and internationally proclaimed human rights standards. IHRB seeks to address problems where the law may be unclear, where accountability and responsibility may not be well-defined, and where legitimate dispute settlement mechanisms may be non-existent or poorly-administered. IHRB seeks to raise corporate standards and strengthen public policy such that the activities of companies do not contribute to human rights abuses. Visit the related web page
	Encouraging food and beverage brand owners to be responsible by Fairfood International   Fairfood focuses on brand owners in the food industry because the brand owner not only understands best the intangible value of their brand name but also has the power and responsibility to make products sustainable. Moreover, many established multinational companies increasingly accept that involvement in corporate responsibility enhances their brand reputation.   Indeed, brands with large market recognition are beginning to respond to the budding global food sustainability movement, often engaging NGOs willingly as valued stakeholders.   With several front offices worldwide, Fairfood is presently in contact with about 1700 brand owners in almost 76 countries. As a strategic matter, we only engage in sustainability dialogues with the ultimate decision makers within a given company’s head office, i.e. the top level management and those responsible for implementing sustainable initiatives and policy.   In this way, we ensure that our efforts are focused on actors who have the genuine capacity to implement any necessary reforms or policy initiatives.   Another central aspect of our strategy is to approach decision makers in a food company in a neutral way without prior assumptions. We extend the benefit of the doubt to each food and beverage company when engaging in pro-active dialogues with them. It is ultimately the company’s responsibility to become transparent about the current state of its production and trade practices and its plans for improvement (i.e. the ultimate burden of proof therefore rests with the company).   Although individual cases may vary, placing the final responsibility largely on the company helps ensure critical involvement from the senior management within a given company.   The food and beverage industry is undoubtedly a global industry with food and beverage companies headquartered all over the world; from Norway to South Africa and from USA to China.   But because of the slow, yet constant shift of power from the west towards emerging markets, in combination with the rapid growth of the population in those countries and the resulting need for food, our focus will shift more and more in the direction of emerging markets like China, India, Brazil and South Africa. In 2010, Fairfood opened offices in Sao Paulo, Johannesburg and New Delhi.   As part of Fairfood’s strategy towards bringing change in the food industry and becoming the leading champion of the sustainability food movement, more offices will be opened in the coming years. Visit the related web page
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