Unilever declared its tea supply chain to be slave-free following a vigorous public campaign by Traidcraft Exchange, a not-for-profit body promoting traceability.
In September the conglomerate identified its global tea suppliers, a list that spans 21 countries including China, India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. Unilever’s executive v.p. for beverages, Mick Van Ettinger, was quoted as saying, “With transparency comes transformation.”
Globally manufacturers are seeking to eradicate slave-like working conditions. Modern slavery is defined as people “coerced into working through force or fraud at no pay beyond subsistence. All types of slavery – including sex trafficking, debt bondage, domestic servitude, and forced labor – rely on violence or the threat of violence.”
The UN estimates 25 million people to be “trapped in forced labor”. The practice extends across manufacturing industries. The UN has set a goal to end modern-day slavery by 2030. The onus is on consumers to demand where the products they buy originate, by insisting producers demonstrated their suppliers ensure acceptable working conditions.