Ethical Sourcing Guidelines

One-fifth of products coming into Australia have probable links to forced labour. It's time to stop leaving the burden of "clean" shopping on consumers. As a kid growing up in Australia, CHOICE magazine was the trusted independent source that helped consumers cut through the marketing, and know what to buy - for safety, integrity and price. So I'm delighted to see that once again CHOICE is doing the heavy lifting for Australian consumers, by shining a light on the reality that in 2026, Australian consumers are inadvertently buying goods suspected of being made by people in forced labour. Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Chris Evans, is calling for change, noting in the article that we must move beyond mere reporting toward due diligence that leads to real change. New data from Walk Free and Fair Supply shows the scale of the challenge: $98.6 billion worth of goods imported to Australia are at risk of being made by exploited labour. We cannot leave the burden of unravelling supply chain provenance to individual consumers. As I discussed in the article, the Federal Government has tools at its disposal that it isn't using yet. My recommendations here are pretty simple: ✅ An outright ban on the importation of goods to Australia produced with forced labour or slavery. ✅ Due diligence laws - as the Commissioner suggests - requiring businesses to take reasonable steps to respond to known risks of forced labour. ✅ Government-backed, multi-stakeholder initiatives to encourage cross-industry collaboration on clean supply chains. This couldn’t be more timely. In recent days, the U.S. Trade Representative confirmed it is investigating 60 countries - including Australia - to determine if their failure to enforce a ban on forced labour imports is "unreasonable or discriminatory" and burdens U.S. commerce. Australia risks being left behind both ethically and economically if we don't act. Read the full CHOICE investigation by Andy Kollmorgen here: https://lnkd.in/g75Sppuu And the US Trade Representative announcement here: https://lnkd.in/gyjCDVqz #ModernSlavery #SupplyChain #HumanRights #TradePolicy Fair Futures Tahlia McDonald Shannon Hobbs Hyun Jin Kim

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝, 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫: 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬. Taking shortcuts can lead to wasted money and a world of headaches downstream. (𝘙𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵-𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘙𝘍𝘗 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬𝘴?!) 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝: 💡 𝙁𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩: Be specific about your needs in RFx docs. If you’re unclear, suppliers will be, too. Before going to RFP, always have quantifiable evaluation criteria finalized and approved by the Spend Owner. 💡 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙚: The cheapest option often costs the most in the long run. Prioritize value over price. Suppliers who price things materially lower than benchmark norms usually cut corners somewhere to meet margins. 💡 𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙠 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙡𝙮: Source independent references via your network. Past performance tells the real story. Ask the right questions and listen closely to the answers.  💡 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙: Can the supplier grow and evolve with your business? Are they innovative and flexible? Does their company culture and ways of working align with yours?  💡 𝙆𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙠𝙨: Most suppliers come with some level of risk, the key is understanding and managing it. Conduct due diligence on short-listed suppliers. Outputs should inform the down-selection process, with material deficiency action items included in the contract. 💡 𝘾𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙧𝙨: The best suppliers care about your long-term success and aligning with your goals.  Look at proposals holistically, thinking beyond the transaction and into value creation. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠: Looking back, I’ve been at firms in seasons where costs were prioritized over total value, often leading to short-term gains but long-term challenges. There were times I should’ve taken a firmer stance about material supplier risks identified and bias in the selection process.  As procurement peeps, we provide recommendations based on long-term value, risk management, and partnership potential. This includes having the courage to speak up with informed and actionable guidance when things don't pass muster. The goal is to ensure sourcing outcomes build a foundation for success, not just a quick win. 📢 𝙋.𝙎. 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 “𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙨” 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛?

'the data reveals that artisanal mining for cobalt is a very hazardous vocation undertaken for basic survival, involving long hours, subsistence wages, and severe health impacts. The data further reveals that within the surveyed respondents, there is a high rate of forced labour and an almost 10% rate of child labour' Rights Lab, University of Nottingham recent report, Blood Batteries, The #humanrights and #environmental impacts of cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo demonstrates the continued issues with cobalt mining. '- 36.8% of respondents met the project’s conservative criteria for forced labour - 9.2% of respondents met the project’s conservative criteria for child labour - 27.7% of respondents began working in artisanal mining as a minor - Not a single respondent was a member of a trade union, as none exist - Not a single respondent had a written agreement for their work . For those #supplychain and #procurement professionals who are able to trace cobalt to source there are potential steps to be taken: 1. Ethical and Responsible Sourcing Ensure traceability from artisanal and industrial mining sites in the DRC to final product, especially for cobalt used in EVs and electronics. Demand transparency from suppliers, require disclosure of sourcing practices, human rights due diligence, and environmental impact assessments. Prioritise suppliers who can demonstrate compliance with international labour standards and reject those linked to exploitative practices. 2. Environmental Stewardship Incorporate geospatial and water toxicity data into supplier evaluations to avoid contributing to ecological degradation. Promote circular economy principles such as battery recycling, reuse, and alternative materials to reduce dependence on high-impact cobalt mining. 3. Compliance and Governance Align with UK Modern Slavery Act, ensure supply chain mapping and annual transparency statements reflect risks in high-impact regions like the DRC. Embed environmental, social, and governance standards into tendering and contract management processes. 4. Practical Procurement Measures Use multi-quote and business case procedures to ensure value for money and ethical sourcing, as outlined in UK finance and procurement policies. Establish KPIs related to ethical sourcing, labour conditions, and environmental impact. Anticipate changes from the Procurement Act 2025 and EU Critical Raw Materials Act that may affect sourcing obligations. For the majority of buying organisations or as consumers this is a very difficult area, but as the report recommends Government's could do a lot more to reduce exploitation: 'Strengthen supply chain transparency and due diligence requirements of consumer-facing tech and EV companies with more robust legislation; laws should include strict and severe penalties as opposed to simple reporting requirements, including a potential import ban;'

🌍 Transforming Gold Sourcing for a More Responsible Electronics Industry Proud to share more about our visit to Geita, Tanzania, where we’re evaluating the Responsible Gold Credit System—an initiative designed to address the challenges of ethical gold sourcing in the electronics industry. At Fairphone, we’ve always prioritized ethical sourcing for materials like gold, tungsten, tantalum, and tin—minerals that often come from regions facing social and environmental challenges. This new system supports artisanal and small-scale miners (ASM) by offering gold credits for every gram of gold they produce responsibly. These credits finance improvement projects at the mines, even when physical traceability isn’t feasible across our extensive supply chain. Why this matters: 🔑 Artisanal mining supports over 45 million livelihoods worldwide and provides 20% of the world’s gold. Properly managed, it can be a force for good, driving economic growth and strengthening communities. 📋 Our mission is to ensure the Responsible Gold Credit System is robust and scalable, creating a replicable model for ethical gold sourcing in the electronics sector. 🤝 Collaboration with our partners—Solidaridad Network, Solidaridad East and Central Africa, The Impact Facility and Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) | Partner in Sustainable Development—is central to this work, as we visit pilot mines like Nsangano and Mgusu to understand how best to support ASM practices. Being on the ground has given us a deeper appreciation of the daily realities these miners face, as well as insights into how responsible mining can empower communities and improve lives. Curious to learn more about this transformative initiative? Read the full blog here: https://lnkd.in/eUhSw-En Winifrida Kanwa Lisa Minère Kari-Anne Sandness Mary Mkonyi Stephen Kithuka Lewis Temple Calvin Laing Godwin Zimba Aron Vijzelman Gebre Marloes Philippo #ResponsibleMining #EthicalSourcing #Fairphone #Sustainability #CircularEconomy

🌍 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩/𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 - 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞? 🌍 Lately, at a major startup conference, while listening to the vibrant discussions on innovation and tech, I was struck by a concerning trend. While I love seeing startups expand into developing countries, it’s important to address the ethics of their operations. I heard several founders on stage brag about paying local workers in developing countries only the bare local minimum wage, a salary they and their families cannot even live of. I was shocked... about history repeating itself. As businesses grow, their impact on global communities scales too. Here’s where 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐄𝐒𝐆 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐲 comes into play. Responsible business practices in international supply chains are not just about compliance - they’re about building sustainable, supportive ecosystems that benefit all stakeholders. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩: 💡 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲: Develop comprehensive strategies that ensure your business operations contribute positively to the communities you operate in. 💡𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬: Implement wage systems that are not only compliant with local laws but are also reflective of the cost of living, ensuring workers and their families can lead dignified lives. 💡𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Move beyond the workplace to engage with the wider community, supporting local development through education, healthcare, and infrastructure. Expanding into new markets is an opportunity to bring innovation, but also a responsibility to uplift rather than undermine. If your company is ready to redefine success not just in profit margins but in positive global impact, let’s connect. Together, we can build supply chains that are robust, fair, and future-proof. 🔗 𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞. 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞. #ESG #SocialImpact #SustainableDevelopment #GlobalSupplyChain #BusinessEthics #CorporateResponsibility

Most people don't ignore procurement because they're malicious. Mavericks are usually impatient or just want to get it done. And the harder you push… The harder they resist. But I've noticed something: Compliance rarely wins trust. But the right questions can. Here are a few things that have helped me: 1. Shift from enforcing to exploring ❌ Instead of: "You should have involved procurement earlier." ✅ Try: "What outcome were you hoping to achieve with this supplier?" ❌ Instead of: "Why didn't you follow the process?" ✅ Try: "What pressures were you facing when you made that decision?" ❌ The wrong question triggers resistance. ✅ The right one creates space for collaboration. 2. Meet them where they are on the change curve ↳ Not every stakeholder is ready to engage. Some are in: "I don't need procurement." Others are in: "Maybe procurement could help." If they're in pre-awareness, your role isn't to enforce policy. It's to build credibility and plant seeds. 3. Look for quiet signs they're opening up ↳ It often shows before behaviour changes. They involve procurement earlier in conversations They ask for input on supplier decisions They start referencing procurement internally They shift from bypassing… to collaborating Those are all the signs of progress being made and you should see them as a win. Coaching a stakeholder into awareness takes time. The breakthrough often happens after the conversation ends. And sometimes… The mindset that changes most is procurement's. Influence works better than enforcement. But holding space, without forcing the moment, has rarely steered me wrong. ♻️ If this resonates, repost for your network. 📌24,000+ procurement professionals read my newsletter every week. Join them and get my best cheat sheets like this free on sign-up. 👉 https://procurebites.com/

We all know that worker welfare issues are higher risk within your supply chain. Many companies I've spoken to are reluctant to take responsibility for this; however, they are happy to charge the client for their work. Too many organizations assume subcontractor compliance is “someone else’s responsibility.” It isn’t. If your subcontractors’ workers are underpaid, overworked, or recruited unethically — your brand, contracts, and reputation are still on the line. Here’s what effective subcontractor worker welfare compliance actually looks like: 1. Clear contractual standards — embed labour standards, ethical recruitment, and welfare requirements into all subcontract agreements. 2. Pre-mobilisation due diligence — verify recruitment practices, worker costs, contracts, visas, accommodation, and wages before site access. 3. Worker voice mechanisms — ensure confidential grievance channels exist and are trusted by workers. 4. Regular audits & site checks — don’t rely on desktop compliance; speak directly to workers. 5. Remediation, not termination — fix harm to workers before escalating commercial consequences. 6. Leadership accountability — make subcontractor welfare KPIs part of operational performance. Worker welfare compliance isn’t about paperwork — it’s about preventing harm, protecting workers, and protecting your business. Strong subcontractor governance builds safer projects, stronger supply chains, and more resilient organisations. #WorkerWelfare #EthicalRecruitment #SupplyChainCompliance #ModernSlavery #ESG #Construction #FM #GCC #HumanRights #Leadership

A colleague messaged me yesterday. She's done. Not just tired. She is broken. Crushed by an industry that treats human expertise as an inconvenient cost to minimise. This isn't burnout. This is systemic exploitation hiding behind glossy global brands and their "ethical" facades. I promised her that I would use my voice to shine a light on the bad praxis still rampant in our industry. Because you know what? I advocate (and always will) for a fair industry, top to bottom. No half-measures. No empty values. Fair for the project managers drowning in unrealistic deadlines. Fair for the translators ghosted after delivering. Fair for the creatives asked to do unpaid tests, edits, prep. If you're going to talk about ethical sourcing and fair trade, make sure it includes the people behind your words. Because this is the supply chain too. So here it is. Colleagues, the only way to stop this is by SPEAKING UP! By spreading the word. By making sure the big players out there, those global brands that flaunt their "ethical sourcing", "fair trade" and "people-first values", start looking at the entire chain. Because here’s the thing: The translators, copywriters, transcreators, editors, the REAL creative workforce are being crushed by: rates from 2010 fuzzy match discounts applied to machine output unpaid tests soul-draining "first come, first served" system... And it’s happening behind the scenes of your favourite ad campaigns, global launches and shiny, multilingual websites. No shiny brand values mean anything if they don't trickle down to the very people who craft your message. If a brand claims to stand for quality, dignity and fairness, those values should extend to everyone who helps build it. Even the invisible ones. Audit your LSPs. Ask questions. Refuse to work with LSPs that exploit their freelancers. Because a brand is only as ethical as its weakest link, and right now, that link is bleeding TALENT. We’re losing BRILLIANT creatives, REAL ONES, every day to burnout and disillusionment. And unless we demand better, this will keep happening. Enough is enough, guys. Let’s look after the ones who give brands their global voice. Because without them, there is no story to tell. #LanguageMatters #TranslationEthics #CreativeWorkforce #TranslatorsDeserveBetter #EthicalBrands #CreativeTalent

🆕 Swedwatch report "Public Money, Private Harm" finds that Swedish tax-payers' money is being used to procure hospital textiles produced under exploitative labour conditions in Pakistan - exposing major gaps in the EU’s public procurement rules and highlighting the urgent need for binding due diligence standards in public spending. 👉 More info here: https://lnkd.in/dcrxBd6P As the European Commission reviews its 2014 Public Procurement Directive, our latest study - conducted in collaboration with Awaz Foundation Pakistan and based on interviews with 89 workers across nine factories in Faisalabad and Karachi - reveals the following: 🏭 Workers at factories supplying to Sweden's public sector report widespread exploitation. They earn far below the official minimum wage – which itself is less than half the estimated living wage – receive no formal contracts and little or no formal social protection if injured or sick, all while enduring excessive working hours and poor occupational safety. Workers also report union busting and discrimination and harassment against women. ⚙️ The EU’s Public Procurement Directive, with its voluntary framework, legal vagueness, and lack of enforcement mechanisms, is not fit for purpose to systemically address these harms. Since its inception in 2014, it has failed to meaningfully integrate social and environmental considerations into procurement processes, resulting in fragmented and often superficial implementation across Member States. ⚖️ The absence of mandatory HREDD requirements in public procurement legislation enables companies implicated in rights violations to continue winning public contracts – undercutting more responsible companies and distorting fair competition. 🔴 To improve working conditions in public sector supply chains, the revised Public Procurement Directive should introduce mandatory HREDD, enforceable transparency requirements, fair purchasing mandates, and alignment with global standards such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct. Public buyers must be equipped with coherent legal tools, harmonised criteria, and institutional support to implement these responsibilities effectively. *************

🌍 New ESG Supplier Assessment Handbook I've just completed a comprehensive handbook for assessing ESG risk across the supply chain — a practical framework covering screening, scoring, verification, and remediation. The handbook is built around current (2026) regulatory and standards landscape: 📋 EU Regulatory Frameworks: → CSDDD — human rights and environmental due diligence, reflecting the post-Omnibus I scope and timeline → CSRD / ESRS (S2 — Workers in the Value Chain) — value chain disclosure requirements → CBAM — Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, embedded emissions data for EU imports → EUDR — EU Deforestation Regulation, traceability for deforestation-free commodities → EU Forced Labour Regulation — bans products made with forced labour, with no company-size threshold → EU Conflict Minerals Regulation — due diligence for tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold ✅ Verification Standards: → SMETA (Sedex) — ethical trade and labour practice audits → SA8000 — certifiable social accountability standard → EcoVadis — comprehensive ESG scorecard → ISO 14001 / ISO 45001 — environmental and occupational health & safety management The framework is structured around four stages — Screening → Scoring → Verification → Remediation & Monitoring — and is designed to be useful whether or not an organisation falls within direct regulatory scope, since buyer-driven expectations increasingly travel down the supply chain regardless. #ESG #SupplyChain #DueDiligence #CSDDD #CSRD #ComplianceFramework