A few years ago, consumers around the world were horrified to learn that seafood they ate was the product of forced labor in Asia. They responded in the American way, by filing class actions against the retailers they believed had misled them. Now a prominent lawsuit against warehouse club Costco over its shrimp has been dismissed. [More]
forced labor
State Department: Thai Fishing Vessels Still Using Forced Labor
By 4.13.16 — Updated: 3.16.17
It’s been almost three years since activists first drew the world’s attention to the conditions on fishing boats out of Thailand, where migrant workers recruited from poorer Asian countries work under terrible conditions. Last year, two huge pieces of investigative journalism told their stories and reminded us that it’s still happening, and consumers sued companies like Nestle and Costco for selling seafood produced under these conditions to unwitting customers. That means that this situation has been fixed, right? Not really, the U.S. Department of State tells us. [More]
How Many Slaves Work For You?
By 11.1.11
There’s a decent chance that slaves have handled something you own. The coltan in your smartphone. The beans in that coffee you’re sipping. The cotton in the underwear you’re sitting in. All around the world, forced labor is used to mine and harvest the raw materials that goes up the supply chain and into the products you own. So how many slaves do you have working for you? This interactive, beautifully designed, 11-question survey calculates it for you. [More]
