NON-FICTION
Take the test at slaveryfootprint.org and
you will see that the answer is a resounding
“yes.” The sad fact is that we all have slaves in
our clothes, food, computers, cars and many
other products that we use. As reported by
the Department of Labor (DOL Report) an
astounding 134 goods from 74 countries
were tainted by forced and child labor1.
Therefore, our way of life are the chains that
are keeping some people in slavery.
These slaves that exist in the supply
chains of many products are part of the
14.2 million people that according to the
International Labor Organization (ILO) are
victims of forced labor (or labor trafficking/
slavery) compared with 4.5 million victims
of sex trafficking. Child labor statistics are
more startling with the ILO reporting that an
estimated 168 million children are victims of
child labor.
The supply chain problem starts with the
fact that we as consumers demand low prices. This causes businesses (e.g. department
stores) to place pressure on the suppliers
(e.g. cotton farms and textile mills) in their
supply chain to lower their prices. These
supply chains have multiple levels starting
when raw materials (e.g. cotton) are picked,
up to the final product (e.g. a suit) is sold.
For example, the cotton is transported
to a production facility (e.g. a textile mill)
where it is made into components (e.g. textiles) that will eventually become the suit.
Globalization, which makes it easier to move
goods, capital, and labor across borders has
made it cost effective to locate these textile
mills overseas where wage rates are lower.
In addition, it is mor