Researchers develop tool to reduce slavery in seafood supply chains

Researchers develop tool to reduce slavery in seafood supply chains

6 years ago
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https://phys.org/news/2018-07-tool-slavery-seafood-chains.html

Intended to be used for seafood buyers, sellers and traders, the screening tool was developing using a unique method that combined human rights data from United Nations institutions, governments, non-governmental organizations and seafood companies, along with interviews with workers on fishing vessels and in processing plants in Asia. The framework was then used by 18 companies to screen 118 commercial seafood products, identifying areas where working conditions met minimum principles, were unknown, or were inadequate. They were able to do so by employing the technology already being used to manage production and food safety along the supply chain.

"The seafood sector has among the world's most complex supply chains, and utilizes sophisticated technology to track food safety conditions," said lead author Katrina Nakamura, now a director of Hawaii-based Sustainability Incubator who conducted the research as part of her doctoral research at UBC. "We wondered if the technology could also be used to collect data on working conditions. Our report shows the idea bears out. Companies in our study could see, for the first time, where conditions met minimum principles, were unknown, or were inadequate."

Researchers develop tool to reduce slavery in seafood supply chains

Jul 26, 2018, 4:51pm UTC
https://phys.org/news/2018-07-tool-slavery-seafood-chains.html > Intended to be used for seafood buyers, sellers and traders, the screening tool was developing using a unique method that combined human rights data from United Nations institutions, governments, non-governmental organizations and seafood companies, along with interviews with workers on fishing vessels and in processing plants in Asia. The framework was then used by 18 companies to screen 118 commercial seafood products, identifying areas where working conditions met minimum principles, were unknown, or were inadequate. They were able to do so by employing the technology already being used to manage production and food safety along the supply chain. > "The seafood sector has among the world's most complex supply chains, and utilizes sophisticated technology to track food safety conditions," said lead author Katrina Nakamura, now a director of Hawaii-based Sustainability Incubator who conducted the research as part of her doctoral research at UBC. "We wondered if the technology could also be used to collect data on working conditions. Our report shows the idea bears out. Companies in our study could see, for the first time, where conditions met minimum principles, were unknown, or were inadequate."