The supply chain for consumer electronics is complex, composed of many layers, and involves many parties. This makes it difficult to trace where labor abuses occur. Most products travel through various parts of the world, and the making of electronics is a prime example of that. Our goal at Free2Work is to shed light on this process.

Take a look at the ongoing research the Free2Work team is conducting to decipher the consumer electronic supply chain. From conflict mines in the Congo to the electronics we rely on, follow the supply chain to see the global reach of our consumer goods.

Despite good intentions and positive attitudes towards companies taking a social responsibility, purchase behavior too often remains unchanged.  Even though we believe ourselves to be willing to compromise on price or brand familiarity, this is often not translated into action.  Several researchers address this issue and state that there is a gap between consumers’ attitudes towards socially responsible companies and a purchase behavior consistent with such attitudes.

One explanation of the “attitude-behavior gap” is that we are somewhat overconfident in our ability to compromise on traditional purchase criteria, such as price, quality and brand familiarity, in favor of less traditional criteria like ethics.  Basing purchase decisions on ethical criteria rather than price or quality requires us as consumers to break out of our traditional self-oriented way of purchasing and to learn about companies’ efforts to address social issues.  This requires us to engage in “high-involvement” behavior — behavior that takes time and effort to develop.

Another explanation of the discrepancy between attitudes towards ethical companies and purchase behavior is a lack of trust among consumers that the way we shop can positively impact the society and/ or the environment.  There is also a lack of trust that companies stating a commitment to social responsibility are truly ethical in their business behavior.  Consequently, it is important for companies to prove that their claims to responsibility are authentic in order for us as consumers to act on our positive attitudes.

However, one of the most significant explanations of why consumers’ purchase behavior often remains unchanged is a lack of awareness about companies’ efforts to address ethical issues and to be socially responsible.  Without knowledge of such initiatives, neither attitudes nor behavior will change.  The difficulty, however, is that it would be a daunting task for an average busy consumer to acquire and store information about all of the different brands and products available on the shelves.  Providing consumers with easy access to such information while they shop could help change positive attitudes into an actual purchase behavior, rewarding companies making an effort to take responsibility for people and our planet.  

Free2Work’s app is a valuable and unique tool that can help us as consumers to translate our good intentions into action, bridging the attitude-behavior gap.  It provides us with information when we need it, where we need it – while shopping!  You don’t have to spend hours searching for information about companies’ efforts to address child labor and forced labor: you just have to download the Free2Work app and scan the barcode of the product you wish to buy.  It has never been easier to put our good will into action and to concretely reward responsible and respectful companies.  Go to www.free2work.org and download the app today!  

Rarely do we associate human-trafficking with the degradation of the environment.  It is generally believed that human-trafficking is a human rights abuse, which fundamentally can be disaggregated into a political issue, or an issue of inequality.  On the other hand, the fall of the environment is seen as a problem with infrastructure, and associated with poor agriculture, fishing, mining, or forestry practices.  In the world of non-profit organizations, we do not often connect the two; the two movements are often disparate and in turn target different demographics and actions for change. 

What we fail to realize is how the two are so closely linked.  Where poor human rights exist, we often see the fall of environmental conditions.  When looking at the products that surround us everyday, we can see that poor enforcement of worker rights including health, safety and environmental standards can lead to environmental degradation.  Here are some examples:

Mining –

Human: In the Democratic Republic of Congo, civilians (including children) are forced to mine for conflict minerals by the Congolese National Army and various armed rebel groups.  Violence and rape are used to control the population, and people in the area are illegally taxed, extorted and coerced into working in these mines.  People are forced to work up to 48-hour shifts in tunnels prone to soil erosion, leading to mass landslides and cave-ins.  These individuals are forced to mine for cassiterite, wolframite, coltan, and gold: minerals that are used in our everyday electronics including our laptops, iPods, and cell phones. 

Environment: Mining of any kind will lead to the degradation of the environment – soil erosion, contamination of groundwater, surface water and soil by chemical extractors, and poisonous tailing ponds: all byproducts that must be effectively managed.  Without proper working conditions, safety equipment, and mandated protocols, communities living around this area will be hazardously exposed for decades to come, ultimately leading to even more unstable living conditions.    

Fishing –

Human: In the oceans around Sumatra, children are falsely promised “good” employment working on some 1,500 fishing farms.  Each farm imprisons on average between three to ten children, whose only exit route is a twenty-mile swim to the closest coastline.  Children are exploited and abused, and live in a constant state of insecurity.  The fish caught by these children are sent for export to countries such as America, one of the top destinations for shrimp, fish, canned tuna, and tilapia from this area. 

Environment: Poor fishing practices have lead to the draining of our oceans of its mass biodiversity.  Mangroves, home to some of the richest ecosystems, have been wiped out due to the implementation of profitable fish farms.  These mangroves also act as a natural buffer zone for coastal impact, and once eliminated no longer provide this protection.  This is the case around the coastlines of Sri Lanka where the 2004 tsunami took its deathly toll, thus creating more unstable and vulnerable communities at risk of exploitation.   

Forestry –

Environment: In the forests of Brazil, some vastly biodiverse areas of the Amazon are being cut down and replaced by mono-crops of Eucalyptus.  Any surviving native plants or animals in this region soon die off as plants compete for soil nutrients and resources, and animals starve due to lack of food or from consuming the noxious poisonous leaves of the Eucalyptus trees.  The crop is used to create charcoal, which makes the steel and iron we use in our vehicles and appliances.

Human: Eucalyptus is in many cases harvested by forced and child laborers illegally hired by labor brokers.  These workers are forced to hurl the lumber into mass piers, which is burnt to make a special type of charcoal used to make iron and steel.  Charcoal camps are rampant with human exploitation and labor abuse, and many workers face risk of severe burns and injuries.

All around us we see human value degraded alongside our environment.  But there are tangible and effective actions we can take to ensure that companies are making an effort toward empowering their workers, strengthening their protocols and monitoring standards, and providing proper and up to date best practice training to their suppliers.  When a company has begun to make real efforts in implementing a slave-free supply chain, we’ll ultimately see better environmental practices.  The Free2Work App highlights the initiative that certain companies are taking to better protect the rights of humans; these actions will hopefully in turn impact the sustainability of our planet.    

 The California Transparency in Supply Chains Act (SB 657) requires that all companies, retailers, and manufacturers with annual sales of $100 million or more address and publicly disclose the extent to which their verification, auditing, certification, internal accountability, and training activities impact human trafficking.  At each of these five levels, companies have the option to contract with independent providers or NGOs for assistance in developing responsible sourcing services. 

 1. Verification:  The extent to which a company has identified the risk of human trafficking in supply chains and engages third-party verification to evaluate and address the presence of slavery, child labour, migrant labour, etc.  An example of an apparel company that is complying with SB 657’s verification requirements is Eileen Fisher, which discloses its efforts on surveying suppliers on recruitment practices and grievance systems.  Read more about Eileen Fisher’s adherence to SB 657 here. 

 2.  Auditing:  The extent to which independent and unannounced compliance audits are conducted in accordance with the company’s standards on human trafficking.  Companies that are actively engaged in disclosing auditing practices include the Gap Inc., which works directly with factory management and workers to monitor and prevent involuntary labour through announced and unannounced visits.  Read about the Gap Inc.’s public disclosure efforts here.

 3.  Certification:  The extent to which a company’s direct suppliers certify that their raw materials are in compliance with local laws. 

 4.  Internal accountability:  The extent to which a company holds its employees and contractors accountable to adhering to company standards on human trafficking.  Hewlett Packard, for example, states that it requires suppliers to rectify any problem exposed in an audit within 30 days and holds its employees and contractors accountable by returning to the facility to confirm the resolution of the issue between 30 and 90 days after the audit.  Read more here.

 5.  Training activities:  The extent to which employees and managers are trained to mitigate the risk of human trafficking within their specific industry.  One course of action that some companies are taking include hosting employee training sessions that distill the process of identifying any red flags that may be indicative of indentured servitude or any potentially abusive situation in factories. 

 Since coming into effect on January 1, 2012, SB 657 has presented several challenges to companies engaged in business in California.  Companies that have remained inert in the human rights movement are confronted with the need for drastic structural changes within their business practices.  Other companies have already been engaged in human rights dialogue prior to the implementation of SB 657, and must focus on continuing to examine their supply chains to increase transparency.  But even this is no simple task. 

A law that requires companies to report on their efforts to eliminate forced or child labour is a useful mechanism for consumers, non-profit organizations, and educational resources such as Free2Work.  As a strategic tool for encouraging ethical corporate practices, Free2Work is well-aligned with the mandate of SB 657, since transparency is the focal point of both entities.  SB 657 requires companies to report on their efforts to eliminate forced or child labour, which is valuable information that Free2Work also discloses to the public.

 However, it is vital to keep in mind that this law does not demand anything beyond disclosure of policies and practices that an ethical company should already have in place.  While it is certainly a critical legislative step, SB 657 requires the momentum of engaged consumers to continually renew its paramount importance through unyielding demands for accountability.  Legislation is an imperative mechanism for economic and social change, yet it is the tenacious activism at the grassroots level that strengthens SB 657, giving it both life and relevance. 

There are numerous tangible and effective avenues for action.  Download the Free2Work mobile application on your iPhone or Android device, explore and compare the brand scorecards on the Free2Work website, peruse the Free2Work resources, follow Free2Work on Facebook or Twitter, or email feedback@free2work.org.

Recently, unjust labour practices within the supply chains of seafood production were exposed in Bloomberg Businessweek, cited by journalist Ben Skinner.  He flags a well-known New Zealand-based seafood company, United Fisheries, which was found to be purchasing and processing fish from vessels that paid crew members an average of one dollar an hour.  In some instances, workers were denied payment and were even threatened to pay a fine if they tried to escape the ship.   

Fish from these vessels were then sold to major U.S. companies, including Costco Wholesale Corp., America’s largest wholesaler and the world’s seventh-largest retailer.  This fish was also distributed to P.F.Chang’s China Bistro, Sam’s Club, and P&E Foods. 

Shockingly enough, it is not uncommon for workers in the fishing industry to be held in debt bondage, threatened with violence, or become otherwise exploited.  Before reaching its final destination, the seafood extracted from fishing boats is passed through many hands as it travels as raw material to the processor, distributor, and eventually to the consumer.  Free2Work underscores this connection between exploited workers in the fishing industry and the tainted $14.7 billion worth of seafood that the U.S. imports annually, most of which ends up on consumers’ plates.

While it is challenging to track these abuses since supply chains often remain opaque, there are existing avenues for action.   In response to the need for greater corporate transparency and monitoring through all levels of a company’s supply chains, Free2Work educates consumers about the true story behind the barcode by providing information about how popular brands relate to human trafficking and other labour abuses. 

Recently, Free2Work developed a user-friendly mobile application that informs consumers about their link to the global slave trade while they shop.  After scanning a product’s barcode with the app, the consumer receives a Free2Work scorecard for the particular brand, allowing the consumer to make an informed purchasing decision.

To learn more about the abuses occurring within the supply chains of the seafood industry, download the free Free2Work app or visit the brand scorecards on the recently-launched Free2Work website. 

This February 14, the National Retail Federation anticipates that U.S. consumers will spend $17.6 billion on gifts for their significant others.  But how much of this will be spent on ethically-sourced products?    

In the U.S., an estimated $1.9 billion will be spent on flowers alone for Valentine’s Day 2012—but most of these dollars will go to products harvested by workers under exploitive working conditions.  Would we still purchase flowers if we knew that they were produced at the expense of a sexually harassed flower worker in Ecuador?  Or by a Kenyan labourer who was paid less than a dollar for a 12-hour day of work?  Or by a flower worker in Columbia exposed to 127 different pesticides on a regular basis, including ones known to be extremely toxic or carcinogenic? 

Like flower sales, jewelry purchases fuel labour-related injustices where regard is not paid to how the products are sourced.  Of the $4.1 billion that shoppers are projected to spend on jewelry for Valentine’s Day 2012, a percentage of these sales will be propagating child labour.  For example, Surat, India—which cuts and polishes 92% of all diamonds in the global trade—relies heavily upon the labour of children under the age of ten. 

Chocolate has been flagged as a sweet industry that’s acquiring a sour reputation for its pervasive use of forced and child labour.  Over 109,000 children work under atrocious conditions in the cocoa industry of the Ivory Coast, and an estimated 10,000 of these children are enslaved.  With Ghana and the Ivory Coast producing around 70% of the world’s cocoa beans, it is more than likely that each of us has consumed chocolate produced at the expense of a child’s freedom. 

The good news is this:  we do not have to help finance exploitation.  There are plenty of ways we can resist partaking in the cycle of labour injustice as conscious consumers:  through accessing Free2Work resources, thinking ethically while we shop, and demanding more accountability from corporations as a grassroots activist.

1.  Seek out Free2Work:  One educational tool for learning more about the story behind the barcode is the Free2Work brand scorecard.  Brands are evaluated against a set of criteria:  company’s policies, transparency and traceability, monitoring and training, and worker rights.   The provision of this research to the public is intended to not only encourage smarter consumer purchases, but also to motivate companies to ensure activities within their supply chains are ethical.  Scorecards and additional resources are available through Free2Work’s mobile application and on the free2work.org website. 
2. Think ethical:  When you shop this Valentine’s Day, avoid brands that Free2Work allocated a low or failing grade to, such as flowers from Personal Creations (F), Peoples Jewellers (D-), or Behr’s Chocolate (F).  Instead, consider supporting higher rated companies, such as Equal Exchange (A-), Alter Eco (B+) or Divine Chocolate (A).  Check out the Not For Sale online store, where each purchase generates social enterprise and employment, and is a direct action to end slavery:  http://www.notforsalestore.org/
3. Demand more:  At Free2Work, we believe that everyone has a role in the movement to ruthlessly execute strategies that directly result in companies exerting more effort in cleaning up their act.  Last year, for example, 1-800-Flowers released its first ever Fairtrade certified collection after nearly 55,000 activists signed a petition urging them to protect exploited workers.   The impact of consumer power was also made visibly clear when long-resistant Hershey’s recently pledged $10 million to using a third-party certification system to monitor its sustainable growth of cocoa without the use of child or forced labour; creating long-term investments in education, health, and economic opportunities in cocoa-producing villages; and otherwise improving their trade.

Committing to these actions is where change happens.  It happens when consumers “vote with their dollars” by purchasing fair trade chocolate at Valentine’s Day instead of products that aren’t ethically sourced.  It is when consumers demand more transparency from corporations, lobby them to change their sourcing policies, and encourage a total commitment to new ethical standards that we get one step closer to corporate accountability … and to justice. 

On February 14, when we buy bouquets of roses for our Valentines, will we consider if the flowers were picked by slaves?  Will we take into account the hazardous work and exposure to dangerous chemicals during the mining process to produce that pair of diamond earrings … before we purchase them?  Will we choose the more ethical alternative instead of purchasing chocolate that compromised the freedom of a child? 

This Valentine’s Day, remember that your purchase is your advocacy. 

Written by Katie Bergman

We began by identifying how our app’s functionality differed from other apps with similar purpose.  Unlike most normal barcode scanning applications, our app needed to connect each individual scan to information that we had created.  Linking our assessments, news stories, industry summaries, and factoids to the product a consumer was holding required a multistep search process.   

To begin, we needed to locate a robust source of barcode information to search against. We presumed that a variety ofrobust data sources existed, allowing us to map our information to specific products Universal Product Codes (UPCs).  Through hours of research, consultation with experts, and testing, we discovered two constraints that we had to overcome:  first, there is no central database that provides every products UPC code that exists.  Second, at times, UPCs can be connected to multiple products.  As UPCs are not exact identifiers, there was no way for us to recognize whether the product a consumer scanned was a bottle of Vitamin Water or a Dragon Ball Z doll with the same UPC.  

To capitalize on the amount of correct returns we could provide our users, we ended up choosing to search against Amazon.com, as it was the most robust and accessible source of UPC information.  The Free2Work app functions by sending a scanned barcode to Amazon.com to see if Amazon can identify the product and brand that produces it. If it identifies the product and brand, then we search our database to see if we have an assessment for that brand or information for the industry.  If we can answer either of these questions, we are able to provide the user with the brands-specific scorecard or industry-related information.

In our testing, however, we discovered that only 65% of scans will return useful information to us.  The remaining 35% of barcodes will not be recognized by Amazon.  Moreover, at times, multiple products will be associated with the same barcode.  We realized that the complexity of barcode datasets was an opportunity—and an opportunity that could be realized if we were able to harness the power of our app users effectively.  The next question we had to answer was obvious:  how?

Given the gap in available data and that a UPC may be associated with multiple products, we knew that not every scan would produce a straight-forward return, and that the app user was best suited to validate the information we returned to them.  Therefore, we created a series of validation steps that allowed the user to confirm whether or not the information we were providing them was consistent with the product they had scanned.  Any time an app user scans a barcode, we present to them a list of products connected to that UPC.  Sometimes that means we present one product.  Other times, we present multiple products.  The app user is best situated to tell us whether or not they are holding a bag of Kettle Chips or a copy of The Berenstain bears. 

After selecting the appropriate product, we log this information for the purpose of improving the accuracy of the app and reducing the need for consumer validation.  Whenever validation is required, the “Help Us Out” function allows the app user to input their information to improve future returns.  Additionally, this valuable information is fed back to our research team, so we can further learn about where the product was produced, what materials are within the product, and if a certification system—like fair trade—is used.

Finally, we needed to determine what information we would be able to provide to our app users, when they did get an accurate return.  At the beginning of 2011, we began a process that greatly improved our evaluation tool.  We improved our assessment tool by analyzing the three different levels of production based on what industries they operate within and what inherent risks exist in their supply chain.   Then, we modified the assessment process to include over 60 questions to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how industries manage their supply chain (To learn more about our evaluation process watch this video). These drastic modifications made the assessment tool a much more in-depth and accurate tool for assessing companies. 

We work diligently to ensure our information is as accurate as possible, meaning any one assessment can take up to three months to complete and requires up to 20 hours of effort. To date, we have evaluations for around 20,000 products produced by over 300 brands—a number that pales in comparison to the amount of products any consumer might scan. 

In addition to these evaluations, we also focused our research and analysis on seven industries known to be ethically problematic, and provided app users with this information.  If you, as a consumer, were to scan a product outside one of those industries, we would not be able to provide you with any relevant assessments.  Therefore, we labored to create a variety of data points including product grades, industry news, factoids, and industry summaries.   If we don’t have a grade for your favorite brand, we are still able to tell you what we do know about the industry. 

Our team has worked hard to create an app that tells consumers the Story Behind the Barcode of the products they purchase—an impressive feat for a group of people that are more likely to major in human rights than computer science.

-Kilian Moote

Senior Director for Free2Work