Conscious Consumer Tool Kit

When we choose one product over another, we financially support not only that product but also the way it was produced. Too often, that tacit support goes to producers who rely on unethical practices, including trafficked labor. Certification by credible, independent standards bodies such as Fair Trade, UTZ Certified, and Rainforest Alliance makes it much easier to find traffic-free goods, and we believe this is one of the key steps toward eradicating trafficking.

Across the globe, thousands of people are economically exploited to produce the goods that drive the global economy. The Bureau of International Labor Affairs maintains a List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor, which as of 2021 includes 156 goods from 77 countries, from gold to coffee to clothing, sugar, and bricks. Deceptive recruitment, false promises of fair wages, and debt bondage trap workers who cannot work off their debts in any reasonable time.

Governments are drafting new laws, law enforcement is receiving funding, survivors are gaining access to recovery services, education, and healthcare, and supply chains are monitored more closely than ever. There is still work to do, and everyone, regardless of age, vocation, or economic standing, can make a difference as a conscious consumer.