Eradicating Slavery From Supply Chains, Part 1

Forced labor continues to be a serious issue in global supply chains today and it's extremely tough to root out. The problem exists worldwide, in developed and developing nations alike. Estimates of the number of people engaged in forced labor today range from 21 million to 35 million. Illicit traffickers are profiting from the practice to the tune of some $150bn. So how can this blight on the global economy be erased? In this first of two podcasts on the issue, we speak with Kilian Moote, project director of KnowTheChain at Humanity United. He describes three new reports being released over the summer of 2016, covering the presence of forced labor in information and communications technology, food and beverage, and apparel and footwear. The reports' authors polled global companies in an effort to divine best practices and policies for eliminating forced labor and human slavery worldwide. Moote reveals where the biggest risks lie, and talks about the challenge of identifying the presence of forced labor in global, multi-tier supply chains. When it comes to eliminating the practice, he says, ''We're at the end of the beginning.''