Having recently been on our travels meeting and chatting to new and existing suppliers, I am beginning to wonder if I am one of the few who actually takes their ethical responsibility seriously. For me it is about actually caring about who we do business with, secondly about protecting our customers brand, name and reputation and finally, by everyone following the process we help ensure workers in less developed countries are fairly treated. We know that the buyers check details on the “tick list” at a tender process – but what happens after that? We ask our suppliers for proof on an ongoing basis but we know that many industry players are purely paying lip service to win contracts.
Being ethically responsible does cost more but it is a price worth paying. So, when comparing two quotes, ask yourself – Is this product ethically sourced?