We Can't Do It On Our Own

As one of our corporate colleagues said recently, “We need concrete tools to assist the industry in avoiding raw materials tainted with forced labor. It is extremely difficult to do it all on our own.”

She’s right. We all want to see corporations completely eliminate slavery and violent human rights abuses from their supply chains, but the complexity of global commodity trading and lack of transparency makes it hard for them to do it on their own.

But with 35.8 million slaves recently listed on the Global Slavery Index, there is an urgent need to build the systems and tools that WILL make it possible - systems built in a credible and transparent way that gives confidence to consumers, investors, and companies.

Help us establish and expand slave-free sourcing tools, with your year-end gift to Responsible Sourcing Network.

Your year-end giving to Responsible Sourcing Network is more important this year than ever. In addition to our core programs in conflict minerals and anti-slavery sourcing, we have one of the most exciting projects in our history in the works: creating a Slave-free Spinner Verification tool for the cotton apparel industry. We intend to build an industry-wide initiative to drive the market away from cotton picked with slave labor.

In addition to establishing the Slave-free Spinner Verification initiative, we’re also:

• Upping the bar on conflict minerals SEC disclosures by publishing a report on the leader and laggard companies’ first year conflict mineral reporting
• Encouraging more companies and their suppliers to participate in the Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative and Conflict-Free Smelter Program
• Coordinating multi-stakeholders around harmonizing international conflict mineral regulation

Help us encourage transparent and accountable sourcing with your year-end gift to Responsible Sourcing Network.

We are moving the needle on these issues. The progress we make is the result of long-term engagement, and crafting and implementing concrete solutions. Please give generously, to help us end slavery and create economic prosperity in the world’s most vulnerable communities.

Sincerely,

Andrew Behar Chief Executive Officer As You Sow

Patricia Jurewicz Director Responsible Sourcing Network