Completed application form received by BSI secretariat

Signed Code of Conduct received by BSI secretariat

Provide publically available financial information (this is needed to determine membership fees) to BSI secretariat. (BSI Secretariat will conduct on an internet search on the applicant)

To have met/spoken with BSI Executive and either a representative from the Management Committee (MC) or Supervisory Board (SB)

BSI Executive to circulate application to MC

The name of the applicant company will be placed on the BSI website under a section for applying members for 30 days. During this time period, stakeholders will be invited to provide comment.

During this period a company/organization can state that they are applying for BSI membership.

If no objections received during the comment period, the MC will vote whether or not to approve membership

Membership shall not take effect until the subscription determined has been paid in full.

Announcement of BSI Membership will be made upon receipt of payment.

A company/organization logo will not appear on the BSI website until there has been receipt of payment.

A member will be sent the BSI logo for display on their website once payment has been received.

Individual Membership - Applicant to provide employment information. A member paying the fee at an “individual rate” cannot represent the interests of a company or organization.

In the event of a complaint(s), the following will occur: 

These complaints will be compiled by the BSI Executive and sent to the MC and SB.

The SB will write to the prospective member requesting an answer to the concerns raised by Stakeholders during the comment period. The applicant has 30 days in which to respond. If they do not respond within 30 days, then application for membership will not be approved.

Depending on the response to the complaints (eg satisfactory evidence that the complaints do not hold merit or that the issue has been resolved) the SB will decide membership is contingent upon the applicant company, organization, or individual undertake an audit against the BSI Code of Conduct.

If it is agreed that an audit needs to occur, the applicant will arrange (and pay for) an audit by a BSI-approved auditor to specifically examine the accusations that have been made against the prospective member.

1.

Members are obliged to maintain their behavior within the Code of Conduct and BSI Constitution.

2.

Members are obliged to share on an annual basis; respective lessons learnt and any experiences social, environmental or economically related information to the sustainable production of sugar cane.  This is to help facilitate the networking possibilities and lessons of BSI members.

3.

Cessation of membership – in event of non-payment of fees to occur within 6 months automatically if after three reminder letters the fees are not forth-coming.

4.

Termination of membership e.g. non-adherence to Code of Conduct or at odds with the spirit of the BSI mission, non-payment of fees.

5.

If, after becoming a member, complaints are received about non-adherence to the Code of Conduct, the member in question will be referred to the complaints resolution procedures in the above section of membership application – item number 14.

6.

Re-entry into the BSI is possible if the respective reasons for ending the membership are no longer valid, no other issues arise pertaining to adherence to the Code of Conduct or BSI Constitution, and all outstanding fees are paid.