On February 13th, 2023, Verité’s Supply Chain Tracing and Engagement Methodologies (STREAMS) project hosted a side-session event at the OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector on “Traceability for Supply Chain Due Diligence and Sustainability in the Garment Sector”. The session showcased pilots by STREAMS partners Better Cotton and the Responsible Sourcing Network that are testing traceability tools in the mid-tiers of garment supply chains to enhance due diligence and sustainability and promote decent work. The session featured a roundtable format in which STREAMS Project Director Erin Klett discussed the learnings emerging from the pilots with Patricia Jurewicz, Founder and CEO of Responsible Sourcing Network, and Nicholas Sexton, Traceability Change Manager at Better Cotton.
Attendees represented a wide variety of sectors including sustainability and labor rights CSOs, consulting firms, retailers and brands, traceability technology providers, suppliers, government, and academics. This diverse attendance demonstrates the wide-ranging interest in and applicability of traceability for sustainability and due diligence. Participants engaged with the presentations and posed questions to the panelists about data transparency, the accessibility of traceability technology, and the costs of traceability, which were responded to during the session.
As the traceability pilots proceed and come to a close, STREAMS plans to organize additional events and opportunities to share learnings applicable both to the cotton apparel sector as well as to other supply chains.
A recording of the OECD Side-Session can be viewed below or accessed here.
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