Yesterday I had a good discussion with Bergson Wang, who has worked in the CSR (corporate social responsibility) departments of Adidas and Puma. There is one thing both of us believe: using audits does not work if the goal is to improve … [Read more...]
Traceability of production in China: it has a cost!
Earlier this week, I got a few questions from a European importer who has positioned his brand as "socially and environmentally responsible". They asked me how they could make sure their productions are done in conditions they would … [Read more...]
How to ensure that your factory can pass a social audit?
I have been contacted several times by trading companies or importers to "prepare the field" for a social audit. Generally, one of their potential customers conducts a social compliance audit to qualify factories, before issuing any … [Read more...]
Social compliance audits in factories: perverse effects
Several articles and books have described the perverse effects of audits for social compliance. An auditor goes to a factory, looks for evidence of non-compliance to local law and some international standards, and produces a report used by … [Read more...]