Science Advances
Volume 4, Issue 7, 2018

Seeing slavery in seafood supply chains (Article) (Open Access)

Nakamura K.* , Bishop L. , Ward T. , Pramod G. , Thomson D.C. , Tungpuchayakul P. , Srakaew S.
  • a Sustainability Incubator, Honolulu, HI 96816, United States
  • b Lori Bishop Consulting, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, United States
  • c University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • d IUU Risk Intelligence, Vancouver, BC, Canada
  • e Dominic Chakra Thomson, London, United Kingdom
  • f Labour Rights Promotion Network, Samut Sakhon, Thailand
  • g Labour Rights Promotion Network, Samut Sakhon, Thailand

Abstract

The seafood supply chain is often long and fragmented, and slavery is a tenacious problem. The vast majority of workers are engaged in the early stages of production and often employed through subcontracts or brokers. We hypothesized that food companies could identify risks and implement improvements by adding a labor safety dimension to their tracking and traceability systems. We designed a five-point framework—the Labor Safe Screen—and tested it for 118 products. The framework combines the use of technology in existing platforms with the collection of industry data and authoritative human rights data. Eighteen food companies used three or more components of the framework and systematically documented their supply chains, engaged suppliers, and crosschecked results. The companies were able to identify areas where working conditions met minimum principles, were unknown, or were inadequate. Three companies also incorporated direct worker feedback to focus resources and improve working conditions. We conclude that food companies can effectively and efficiently assess and reduce risks of forced labor in seafood supply chains—not to claim “no slavery” but to greatly improve their awareness of the labor conditions in the making of the products they trade and to identify feasible targets for further diligence and remedies. Copyright © 2018 The Authors,

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

Enslavement food industry risk human risk assessment Food Supply procedures catering service human rights Humans workplace Meats Food companies Labor safeties Labor conditions Industry datum Supply chains Tracking and traceability systems Minimum Principles Seafood Fisheries fishery sea food
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85050817630&doi=10.1126%2fsciadv.1701833&partnerID=40&md5=7ce9660e7db0012e9e1e2ff5464917f2
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1701833
ISSN: 23752548
Cited by: 7
Original Language: English