By Bryan Bessette, Executive Director of The Freedom Cafe - This post borrows from and expands upon Bryan’s 2019 TEDx Portsmouth talk of the same title, available at https://youtu.be/0ywAc96JfNY
Human trafficking is an urgent social issue effecting people across the globe, in all 50 US States and in all 10 counties of New Hampshire.
There is a deep need for community-wide understanding of the issue; the conditions that foster vulnerability, its connection to commodity and workforce supply chains, and how each of us can take personal and professional action to address and prevent the scourge of human trafficking.
Beyond the specific ways that leaders and professionals must take actions to end human trafficking, EVERYONE, regardless of their age, vocation, or economic standing can make a difference as a Conscious Consumer!
January is a season of the year where many seek to develop new, generative habits. And, since 2011, January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. I would like to invite you to connect the two occasions and join the movement to END human trafficking by committing to the practice of Conscious Consuming.
Below, I seek to highlight the importance of and impact conscious consuming can make as well as share tools and resources to support your conscious consumer journey.
Across the globe, millions of people are being economically exploited to produce goods and support services that drive the global economy.
The US Department of Labor, in the 2020 List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor reports that 155 goods from 77 countries are produced with child or forced labor. Goods, like sugarcane, gold, cotton and coffee - that are used to make millions of items SOLD RIGHT HERE IN OUR COUNTRY are known to be produced with child and forced labor.
The 2017 Polaris Project Report, The Typology of Modern Slavery, Defining Sex and Labor Trafficking in the United States, which analyzed over 32,000 cases of human trafficking, further identifies 25 key industry areas where forced labor and exploitation are take place in the United States.
Child and forced labor is a widespread, global problem, spanning several industries including agriculture, mining, manufacturing, hospitality, construction and entertainment. Steps are being taken to end these practices. Governments are drafting new laws to prohibit the use of child labor and the manufacturing of goods produced with forced labor. Law enforcement agencies are receiving funding to help combat unethical manufacturing. Victims of child and forced labor are being given access to recovery services, education, and healthcare. Supply chains are being monitored more closely than ever before.
Despite these advances towards ending forced labor and commercial exploitation, there is still much work to be done. Resources and focus must be devoted to establishing clear POLICIES and ACCOUNTABILITY for worker rights including TRACEABILITY, TRANSPARENCY, MONITORING and TRAINING within corporate supply chains.
This is where our commitment to the practice of Conscious Consuming plays a significant role.
The average American household spends 17 thousand dollars a year on food, clothing, recreation and home furnishings. Imagine the impact if that $17k, our collective 4 trillion dollars, went to items that are sourced from certified, transparent and responsible companies, small farms, cooperatives and artisan producers?
As Conscious Consumers, we invest in the well being of our neighbors around the globe and build economic stability among often vulnerable communities.
From our PRODUCT purchases, SERVICES, EXPERIENCES and MEDIA consumed, and financial INVESTMENTS made, as consumers, our choices have power to foster strong and resilient communities around the globe, eradicate poverty, and foster a traffic-free world. When we acknowledge our connection to producers around the globe and gradually shift our habits one purchase or investment at a time, we can address many of the root causes of all forms of human trafficking, eliminate vulnerabilities and prevent individuals from making choices out of desperation.
Consumer pressure has already impacted many industries. Leading up to the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade in 2007, grass roots organizers in the United Kingdom began to raise awareness of forced labor in the chocolate industry, encouraging consumers to purchase traffic-free chocolate. At that time and to this day, few chocolate companies are able to trace the origin of their full cocoa supply chain. However, market pressure has led to change. Nestle can now trace 49% of its cocoa to the farms where it was grown and as of 2015, 100% of Nestle chocolate sold in the United Kingdom is made with 3rd party certified traffic-free cocoa beans. That is not the case for Nestle chocolate sold in the United States.
Perhaps when consumers in the US also demand consciously sourced chocolate, companies like Nestle will find the motivation to invest in stronger practices of traceability, transparency and accountability and ensure that 100% of the chocolate they sell in the US is free from forced labor and child labor.
Where to begin?
I started with chocolate. You might start by asking where your t-shirt or jeans come from. Or your coffee or your jewelry. Learn the stories behind the companies you buy from. Do they talk about sourcing on their website? As more companies shift their priorities, they’re often proud to share their progress with their customers.
If it’s unclear, ask. If you don’t like what they are doing, don’t give them your money. Companies are market driven, and we, the market, need to demand change.
Together we can take steps to end human trafficking and shrink our slavery footprint one conscious purchase at a time.
Changing buying habits can be overwhelming. Being intentional and consistently making changes one product at time is a reasonable and responsible way to develop your conscious consumer muscle and make progressive impact as a conscious consumer.
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The following tools can help you identify where to start and help you find companies committed to paying a living wage, and fair labor practices.
Slavery Footprint - www.slaveryfootprint.org - The Slavery Footprint website invites individuals to take a short survey of their normal consuming habits and helps consumers learn where their regular purchases may be touched by modern day slavery.
Sweat and Toil App - The Department of Labor's Sweat and Toil app, available at https://www.dol.gov/general/apps/ilab helps consumers discover which products and countries of origin are most implicated in unethical labor practices.
The Freedom Cafe - https://thefreedomcafe.org/be-a-conscious-consumer - The Freedom Café website and Conscious Consumer Guide Series provide a quick overview of the situation for products with the greatest amount of known child and forced labor while introducing you to some of the companies leading the way in providing ethically sourced products!
Good On You - https://goodonyou.eco - Good On You is a directory of fashion brands; you can discover the very best fashion from around the world and learn about ethical and sustainable fashion. The Good On You website and smartphone app provides brand ratings to help consumers make conscious choices about what they purchase. “The Good On You brand rating system considers the most important social and environmental issues facing the fashion industry to assess a brand’s impact on people, the planet and animals.” Rankings are based on information available from company websites, credible third party reports and certification schemes (like Fair Trade, Global Organic Textile Standard, Cradle to Cradle and many more).
Baptist World Aid Fast Fashion Guide - https://baptistworldaid.org.au/resources/2019-ethical-fashion-guide/ This guide awards grades to companies based on a measure of the efforts undertaken by each company to mitigate the risks of forced labour, child labour and worker exploitation in their supply chains, as well as protect the environment from the harmful impacts of the fashion industry. Higher grades are given to companies with ethical sourcing systems that, if implemented well, should reduce the extent of worker exploitation and environmental harm.