Yes, it’s quite likely that the device you are viewing this article with was a product of supply chain slavery.
Supply chain slavery refers to the process of different elements being turned into a product, such as your cell phone. Take, for example, the supply chain of cobalt: a component of rechargeable batteries found in electronics and automobiles. First, the mineral is mined. Then, it is sent to a trader. Then to a refiner. Then to a component producer. Then to a contract manufacturer. And finally, to an electronics or automobile retailer.
Each of these steps along the supply chain leaves tremendous space for modern day slavery to occur quietly.
Most often, the cobalt is processed and then later assembled into items like batteries. This process most often takes place in China and Malaysia. The final products are then sent to retailers across the globe for consumers to purchase.
Thus, supply chain slavery occurs out of sight to most of us. We do not stop to think where the components of our devices were sourced from, but rather on getting the highest quality or lowest price. Fortunately, some electronics companies, like Apple, have been reacting to allegations of slavery in their supply chains. Still, it is critical that we, as consumers, put pressure on companies to ensure no enslaved individuals are involved in any part of production.
In the graph above, Know the Chain has assigned different electronics companies a score out of 100, with 100 being the best, depending on how they perform in areas relating to modern day slavery. These factors included Commitment and Governance, Traceability and Risk Assessment, Purchasing Practices, Recruitment, Worker Voice, and more. Keeping track of these scores allows the consumer to hold companies accountable for their wrongdoings and support companies that have made a stronger commitment to eliminating their use of slave labor.
Sources:
https://www.cfr.org/interactives/modern-slavery/#!/section1/item-1
https://www.globalslaveryindex.org/2018/findings/importing-risk/g20-countries/
https://knowthechain.org/benchmarks/comparison_tool/4/
http://fortune.com/2017/03/03/apple-cobalt-child-labor
https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=IND&mtdsg_no=XVIII-12-a&chapter=18&lang=en
