COVID-19 Guidance

Information and Resources for Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Supply Chains.

Please note: we review and update these resources as possible but cannot guarantee that they are all consistent with the current, quickly evolving nature of the pandemic in various parts of the world.

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Verité will be offering guidance to companies to help support their efforts to safeguard workers’ rights in their supply chains. This series of memos will highlight the increased vulnerabilities to workers in specific sectors and regions, complemented by recommendations and resources for companies.

The logistical challenges posed to companies by COVID-19 are minor compared to the increased pressures on workers to earn a living in a dignified, safe way, and we are committed to helping all parties in global supply chains find practical solutions.

Please send questions related to COVID-19 in supply chains to covid19@verite.org.

Scroll below for excerpts from individual memos and resources.

Companies Called to Support Waste Pickers, a Global Essential Workforce at Risk

Workers who handle waste and recyclables support the health of our communities, economies, and the environment at the expense of their own health and wellbeing. On a daily basis, they may be exposed to hazardous materials, such as household cleaners, pesticides, and medical waste. The COVID-19 pandemic only heightens these health risks, particularly to informal waste pickers who collect the recyclable materials that we throw in the trash.

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COVID-19 in the Coffee Sector: Challenges for Workers and Farmers

In many countries, including major producing nations such as Brazil and Colombia, workers in the coffee sector have been defined as essential workers who must continue to work during the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent weeks, Verité has been engaging stakeholders in The Cooperation On Fair, Free Equitable Employment (COFFEE) Project to learn about the impacts COVID-19 is having on coffee farmers and farmworkers and to explore potential actions that could mitigate the effects of the pandemic on them.

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Case Study: African Migrants in the Strawberry Fields and Greenhouses of Spain during the Pandemic

Labor conditions in the strawberry fields of Andalusia, Spain are harsh for all workers regardless of their nationality: Salaries below the minimum wage, unpaid overtime, long working hours without breaks, and exposure to dangerous agrochemicals without protection are among the issues experienced by workers. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased these workers’ vulnerability to labor exploitation and creates even greater, possibly lethal, health risks.

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COVID-19 and Vulnerability to Human Trafficking for Forced Labor

Verité has identified a number of factors that increase workers’ vulnerability to becoming victims of human trafficking, all of which will likely worsen during and after the COVID-19 crisis, including poverty, inequality, political instability, conflict, crime/violence, and tightening of restrictions on immigration.

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COVID-19 and Child Labor

As is the case in most crises, the most vulnerable in society will feel the worst impacts of COVID-19. Children, especially those from poor communities, are at particular risk of exploitation as parents fall deeper into poverty during the ensuing economic crisis and face appalling choices about how to sustain their families.

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External Links to COVID-19 Resources

Over the past weeks, a great deal of COVID-19 guidance for companies has been published by corporate social responsibility and human rights organizations, and new resources are being developed and circulated every day. We’ve compiled a list of links to recommendations, resources, and best practices businesses will find useful.

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The photo included on this web page is used solely to illustrate the locations and situations in which risk of forced or child labor is being discussed. The people shown in the photo(s) do not represent any specific person or group of people noted in the text.

Photo credit: sky-lord/shutterstock.com