In recent years, demand for ethically sourced and sustainable products has grown tremendously both from the consumer and the company. Globalisation has caused consumers to become more aware of the affects manufacturing of products has on the people that make them all over the world. This has given ethical sourcing an extremely important role in the total sourcing ofproducts within the supply chain of numerous companies.

Ethical Sourcing is the process of ensuring that the products made are obtained through responsible and sustainable methods. This includes ensuring that the workers who make the products are safe, treated fairly and all human rights are met, the factories are clean and safe environments to work in, and that all social and environmental aspects of production to the workers and the surrounding communities are considered.

Companies often take the first step to ethically produce their products for the following reasons:

• to mitigate their risks,
• to reduce operating costs,
• to protect their brand image and meet customer demands in order to grow sales.

Bob Ernst, who serves as the director of procurement infrastructure at KPMG and is also involved in the company’s supplier diversity and sustainable procurement efforts, said awareness around sustainable and ethical sourcing has really grown and company efforts are notonly just about building up a brand.

“Yes, sustainable practices and even supplier diversity efforts, are “feel good” initiatives for businesses’’, Bob said. “These practices also serve as acompetitive advantage, especially when it comes to recruiting young talent out of college’’, as Bob said many of those entering the workforce are very sensitive to sustainability. However, companies still practice sustainability and ethical sourcing for ‘’the right reasons”, he added.

Light Tree Ventures ensures to follow the ethical sourcing and manufacturing standards. Further, our company is ISO:13485 certified and MDSAP cleared. Hence, we make sure on every product we produce is high quality and ethically sourced. We work directly with suppliers that ensure product quality, sustainability, and responsible sourcing to create dignified work for people. Our Code of Conduct applies to every level of our supply chainfrom materials to the factory.

References:

https://www.intertek.com/blog/2016-11-15-ethical-sourcing/

https://spendmatters.com/2016/02/15/ethical-sourcing-do-consumers-and-companies-really-care/

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