"Increasingly complex global supply chains mean companies must undertake detailed checks"
By Kieran Guilbert
LONDON, April 25 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Some of the world's biggest retailers and food companies including Kellogg Co, Walmart Inc, and Nestle backed a new initiative on Wednesday to improve global supply chains amid rising consumer demand for slave-free goods and services.
The Consumer Goods Forum (
The Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative (SSCI) will advise buyers and suppliers on third-party auditing and certification schemes with the aim of boosting sustainable sourcing and reducing audit duplication and complexity, according to the
"Today, any company wanting to assess the sustainability of their value chains faces a confusing array of different technical standards and auditing approaches," Peter Freedman, managing director of the
About 25 million people worldwide are estimated to be trapped in forced
In recent years modern slavery has come under the global spotlight, putting greater regulatory and consumer pressure on companies to ensure their supply chains are free of forced
"We hope
KTC is a project of Humanity United, a U.S.-based foundation, for businesses and investors looking to address forced
From chocolate and tea to shrimp and sugar, food and drink supply chains are complex with multiple layers across various countries - whether in sourcing raw ingredients or processing the final product - making it hard to spot and remedy abuses.
"Increasingly complex global supply chains mean companies must undertake detailed checks to ensure their products are not created at the expense of the workers," said Joe Bardwell of the British-based Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC).
The
"The SSCI will support continuous improvement ... worldwide in order to achieve our common goal of more sustainable supply chains," said Chris Tyas, global head of supply chain at food group Nestle, which makes KitKat chocolate bars and Maggi soups. (Reporting By Kieran Guilbert, Editing by Katy Migiro.
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