Seafood supply chains are complex and rife with vulnerability to human trafficking risks and other labor problems (see infographic below). This past March, Verité attended Seafood Expo North America in Boston, speaking on panels about gender equality and social responsibility in supply chains.
In 2016, Verité launched the Responsible Sourcing Tool (RST), providing a resource to federal contractors to meet the anti-trafficking compliance measures in the Federal Acquisition Regulation. The tool was developed with support from the U.S. Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. In addition to federal contractors, the interactive website helps companies, advocates, and consumers detect, prevent, and combat trafficking in global supply chains and meet the growing number of legal, regulatory, and market demands for attention to severe exploitation in global supply chains. After a year of operation, Verité takes a look at the progress that has been made.
On the heels of the news of Verité’s assessment with Nestle’s Thai Shrimp supply chain, a new AP investigative report has discovered child labor and human slavery in several other global seafood supply chains. In the report, AP tracked shrimp from different sites in Thailand which then made its way to some of the largest retailers and restaurant brands in the world. To discuss this major new report, Verité CEO Dan Viederman was interviewed by CBC about how and why this occurs as well as examples of how consumers and companies can take steps to gain greater knowledge and help alleviate these issues.
Nestlé contracted Verité to conduct a three-month assessment of its shrimp supply chain in Thailand. The report, which Nestlé has made public, identified forced labor and other human rights abuses endemic to the sector. Nestlé has also released its Action Plan to address these issues.