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Supply Chain

How leading companies, NGOs and solution providers are working to address the myriad issues that can arise in any supply chain.

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New Benchmarks, Empowerment Program Aim to Eradicate Worker Exploitation in Apparel Supply Chains

Growing concerns over the environmental and social impacts of the footwear and apparel industry have kickstarted efforts to create more transparent and ethical supply chains and practices, but there is still a significant amount of work to be done, according to a new benchmarking system launched today by KnowTheChain (KTC), a resource for businesses and investors who need to understand and address forced labor abuse

Report: 2020 Deforestation Goals Are Unlikely to Be Achieved; Companies Need More Help

The 2016 results from the Global Canopy Programme’s (GCP’s) ‘Forest 500’ have been released, and they don't bring good news. The deforestation policy analysis of the world's most influential powerbrokers, including companies, financial institutions, and countries, reveals that targets for 2020 and 2030 are unlikely to be met at the current rate of progress.

Barry Callebaut Targets 100% Sustainable Chocolate by 2025

B2B chocolate giant Barry Callebaut has pledged to lead the charge to 100 percent cocoa and chocolate sustainability by 2025. This week, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products launched “Forever Chocolate,”a comprehensive sustainability strategy with four main goals that address the key sustainability challenges in the chocolate supply chain, namely to:

Timberland Feasibility Study Makes Compelling Case for Bringing Cotton Farming Back to Haiti

A new feasibility study entitled Cotton: Export Market Potential for Smallholder Farmers in Haiti makes a case for reintroducing a crop that was once the country’s fourth-largest agricultural export, but which collapsed nearly 30 years ago through a combination of politics and policies.

Target Launches 'Big and Tough' Sustainable Sourcing, Worker Wellbeing Goals

Today, Target announced the launch of its 2020 sustainability goals, focused on reaching new levels of transparency and sustainable sourcing. The goals center around three key commitments:

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CPG Giants, NGOs, Traders Agree on Unifying Definition of 'No Deforestation' Palm Oil

After a year of intensive work, the High Carbon Stock (HCS) Convergence Working Group announced in Bangkok today that they have reached agreement on a single, coherent set of rules for implementation of companies’ commitments to “no deforestation” in their palm oil operations and supply chains.

Report: Forest Protection Pledges Have Surged, But Progress Has Been Mixed

Today, research groups released what they are calling the most comprehensive and detailed look at private sector progress on forest commitments. The report analyzes 600 companies engaged in the production of the “big four” globally traded commodities responsible for 40 percent of deforestation — palm oil, wood, cattle and soy. While forest protection commitments have surged, the report details mixed progress on their implementation.

Fashion Brands Lagging in Efforts to Stop Exploitation of Refugees in Turkish Factories

Many clothes are now made in Turkey because of its proximity to Europe, allowing retailers to fill last-minute orders and get new designs into shops more quickly. But Turkey is a challenging place to do business, especially following the influx of almost 3 million refugees escaping war and bloodshed in Syria. With under-resourced humanitarian assistance, jobs and wages are critical to refugee families’ well-being and security.

Diageo, General Mills, PepsiCo Among Food Giants Committing to Tackle Water Risks in Ag Supply Chains

As climate change, population growth and water pollution increase pressure on freshwater resources, seven global food and beverage companies today announced commitments to work with the thousands of growers in their global supply chains to reduce water use and pollution impacts.

KnowTheChain Taking Food, Beverage Brands to Task for Failing to Address Forced Labor Risks

Every day we eat and drink products tainted by forced labor, a new report has found. Agricultural workers in particular, including migrants and women, are some of the poorest paid and most exploited workers in the world. Many work in harsh conditions on isolated farms, where employers can have complete control. According to KnowTheChain’s latest industry benchmark, the 20 largest global food and beverage companies are failing to address these risks, with an average company score of 30 out of a possible 100.

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MSC Continues to Make Waves: Sustainable Wild Catch Grows to 10% of Global Market

Sustainable fishing practices are having lasting impact on fish stocks and marine ecosystems, in part due to successful voluntary certification schemes such as that of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The organization’s latest Annual Report, released today, highlights growth in MSC-certified fisheries and supply chain.

Child Labor, the Clintons, and Changing How Things Are Made

It was a normal Friday afternoon. Actually, it was February 5, 2016. I was about to head out to meet friends for happy hour and was scanning through the reporting materials that Richardson Antoine, Thread’s Haiti Field Manager, had just sent me.

Court Sides with US Forest Service: Nestlé Can Keep Bottling Water Despite 'Outdated' Permit

On Wednesday, a federal court ruled in favor of the U.S. Forest Service regarding the lawsuit filed by environmental groups that sought to halt Nestlé Waters North America’s water-bottling operations in the San Bernardino Mountains. The motion was filed by the Courage Campaign, The Story of Stuff Project and the Center for Biological Diversity following a discovery that Nestlé’s permit might have expired 28 years ago.

SAN, Rainforest Alliance Update Certification with Focus on Climate-Smart Ag, Curbing Deforestation

The Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) and the Rainforest Alliance announced today a newly revised certification standard, which encompasses existing best practices and recent innovations in sustainable agriculture. Built around the guiding principles of effective farm planning and management, protection of biodiversity and natural resources, and improved livelihoods, the 2017 SAN Standard is designed to enable more producers to embark and then continually progress on their journey toward sustainable farming.

Where’s the Deforestation-Free Beef? New Scorecard Finds No Stand-Out Leaders

A new scorecard released today examined thirteen global fast food, retail and food manufacturing companies and found that even the top-scoring of the group are failing to protect South American tropical forests from being converted to pasture for cattle. The clearing of tropical forests contributes about 10 percent of all global warming emissions, and beef production is the largest contributor.

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Top 5 Lessons on How to Engage Sustainable Suppliers

For corporations, the age of “random acts of greenness” is over. Progressive companies integrate sustainability into their everyday, core business models and throughout their value chains. It means being accountable for your entire value chain — but engaging sustainable suppliers has proven to be a challenge for many companies.

adidas, Woolworths Among Brands Saying YESS to Slavery-Free Cotton

Today, the Responsible Sourcing Network (RSN), a project of the nonprofit As You Sow, launched its newest initiative, YESS: Yarn Ethically & Sustainably Sourced. YESS will work to eradicate modern slavery in cotton harvesting and yarn production by enabling yarn spinners to identify and eliminate cotton produced with forced labor, and be verified for having fair labor practices. The development of YESS is supported by Humanity United.

First International Standard for Sustainable Procurement Is Almost Here

The number of standards for green products has grown in recent years due to increasing market demand for environmentally-preferable products, resulting in concerns over greenwashing and a need for an international standard. ISO has been working on such a standard since 2014, to help organizations make their procurement processes more sustainable.

How BASF, Henkel Are Supporting Smallholders to Secure Supply of Sustainable Palm Oil

In recent years, palm oil has arguably become one of the world’s most ubiquitous and contentious raw materials in the consumer goods industry. When conventionally produced palm oil and palm kernel oil are used, there are significant economic, environmental and social impacts along the entire supply chain – from field to shelf. Small farms produce roughly 40 percent of the world’s palm and palm kernel oil; an important question for the oil-producing countries is how to increase the yields from the land already under cultivation.

RSPO Recertifies IOI Group, But NGOs Have Yet to See ‘Real Action on the Ground’

Less than five months after the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) suspended Malaysian palm oil producer IOI Group’s certification, that suspension has been lifted – much to the dismay of NGO campaigners. While the RSPO’s Complaints Panel has said it is “satisfied that IOI has met the conditions set out in its letter to IOI,” Greenpeace Indonesia and the Center for International Policy says they have yet to see any real action on the ground.

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