8 replies to this topic

[Touchdown]

I am looking for a policy on Human trafficking.  One of our suppliers is asking us for one.  

 

[Setanta]

I feel you need to customize this to your facility, with buy in from all departments. Here is a link I found on helping you write your own policy.

https://humantraffic...icking-policy/ 

[G M]

It can be quite simple.  Just take a look at the ethical trade initiative base code or something similar, and change the verbs etc. from a 'you should' voice into a 'we do' voice.

 

https://www.ethicalt...g/eti-base-code

[MDaleDDF]

Human trafficking?    Never had anyone ask about that before.   How does the food business tie in with human trafficking?

[G M]

Human trafficking?    Never had anyone ask about that before.   How does the food business tie in with human trafficking?

 

Big customers like Walmart and Costco are increasingly looking at sustainability and ethical trade requirements for suppliers.  I organize our SMETA 4P audits mostly because our department has more experience dealing with audits and auditors from the long history of food safety and quality program audits -- even though there isn't a single question in the audit that has anything to do with food safety or quality.  We could be making doorknobs for all they care.

[Scampi]

Human trafficking?    Never had anyone ask about that before.   How does the food business tie in with human trafficking?

 

 

Because it's a highly integrated supply chain, making it an easy target to move people 

 

More and more companies are demanding ethical audits, including Walmart and Costco        Walmart has recently added unannounced audits as a part of this

[Setanta]

Human trafficking?    Never had anyone ask about that before.   How does the food business tie in with human trafficking?

 

We are now under a required SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audits) unannounced audit that is over twice as long as an SQF audit and this is some of the stuff they audit. Every facility doesn't have the staff to answer or devote time to this...

[G M]

We are now under a required SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audits) unannounced audit that is over twice as long as an SQF audit and this is some of the stuff they audit. Every facility doesn't have the staff to answer or devote time to this...

 

Twice as long.  Yeah.  I will give them credit for actually spending time focusing on something that actually has the potential to indicate the reality of what is going on.  A very large portion of their time is spent interviewing team members, and they are strict about having privacy while doing so (last audit we had to disable the security camera in the training room).

 

If our GFSI auditors spent half their time on the floor actually inspecting sanitation or GMP practices people would probably take them more seriously.

[Scampi]

Agreed, we will be 4 pillar for the next ethical audit, the 2 pillar took 2 days, so expecting it to double

 

It is A lot of work to prep for, the bar is certainly higher than the paperwork exercise that is GFSI