Do You Know if Slavery Lives in Your Supply Chain? If You Don't Know, You're Not Alone.

Slavery is typically a problem that is thought to be in areas that are not close to us, when in reality these issues are closer then people realize. As companies begin to grow their operations into other markets and work with suppliers and distributors from across the world, knowing what type of labor is going into your expanding supply chain has been top of mind. The idea that modern day slavery does not exist in supply chains is quickly fading as more accounts of this unethical practice are being uncovered. Not all countries are immune to this problem, as slavery has been found in operations here within the United States. There are several levels of slavery that can plague a company and many times those areas where it penetrates is directly into the supply chain.

Taking into account the seafood trade out of Thailand that has been known for advocating unethical working conditions and cotton manufacturing out of Uzbekistan, the level of impact these two single areas have on a supply chain is tremendous.

All industries are affected by the unethical business practice of supply chain slavery. While companies are becoming more proactive in their approach to combatting this issue, many are unaware of this problem and continue to operate as usual.

Of course, the idea of transparency throughout the entire supply chain is quickly being adopted and promoted for all industries, yet still there are many companies that need to really examine where and who they do business with.

How do companies avoid such issues and become more proactive in their efforts in combatting supply chain transparency? It comes down to building a relationship with your suppliers and distributors within your supply chain in order to communicate your stance on this unethical business practice. Education is important and it needs to be shown that you are taking an immediate approach at educating those involved within your value chain at that this will be become a major disadvantage from a business perspective. To learn more on supply chain slavery and what regulations are requiring you to do something about it, click here.