Work we have done

Responsible Sourcing

Large or small, with simple or complicated products, your business will have a supply chain. This is both a source of risk to your product integrity but also your brand reputation and that of your customers.
Do your suppliers share the same values that you do?
Do they undertake practices that you would be proud for your customers to know about, or is the reverse the case?

There are Guiding Principles laid down by the UN as to how business should engage with its supply chain. Regardless of your brand alignment to sustainability having a sound responsible sourcing approach in place makes good business sense.

It protects you and your customers and if you do think you want to talk more about sustainability or align your brand to it, it’s a must to have in place.

I was commissioned by a client to evaluate and develop a strategy in light of a very lengthy investigation into allegations of child labour, gender based sexual violence and forced labour in a smallholder supply chain in Africa. I made recommendations on how this organisation could develop a victim centric plan and incorporate key elements into a responsible sourcing approach for businesses buying from this supply chain. I had to be very conscious that their removing themselves from the supply chain would do nothing for victims and public knowledge of this would be deeply damaging to their brand, again doing nothing for victims.