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Sustainable consumer products have been in select demand for a few years, but only recently have they become much more common within big retail chains such as Walmart and Target. The reason behind this retail trend is no more complex than the fact that it has been increasingly profitable, but fortunately that is a direct side effect of a much more important trend: consumers caring about what’s inside a product and where it came from. Target’s former Director of Sustainability, Kate Heiny described the phenomenon. “With their words and wallets, our customers are asking for more sustainable products.”

Consumers have always called for sustainable products, it just wasn’t until recently that the big market consumer goods companies have started to listen. But in order for these companies to prove to their customers that sustainable products was something they actually cared about, they needed to put in the time and effort to audit their own goods. Target “painstakingly built its own Sustainable Product Standard. Working with UL’s Good Guide system, Target scores 7,000 products on a 100-point scale, with 50 points at stake related to the toxicity of ingredients. Additional points are awarded for reduced packaging impacts (can consumers recycle it?) and transparency (that is, sharing all ingredients on the product labels with deductions for things like “fragrance” without the details).”

While the current emphasis in regards to sustainable goods is what goes into the products rather than where a product comes from or who makes it, it is nonetheless a step in the right direction. On top of this, the most important aspect of sustainable goods is the initial conscientiousness that leads to consumers choosing to shop responsibly. Shoppers being mindful of what goes into products they buy is the first step to creating change within consumer targeted businesses. Hopefully Target and Walmart’s emphasis on sustainable products will cause other big name retailers to join the trend.

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Source: Harvard Business Review

Human trafficking is a crime that is found all over the world, at any given moment. Although there are hundreds of anti-trafficking organizations, not enough people take the necessary actions to combat the criminal activity.

A recent study conducted by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), found that trafficking is often a direct result of disaster. Whether it be natural or man-made disaster, human trafficking has been proven to flourish in chaotic situations. Upon discovering that, the IOM now makes the case that preventing trafficking should be considered a “life-saving action,” alongside “traditional” relief interventions.

In places like Syria, Nepal, and the Philippines, traffickers exploit vulnerabilities caused by all sorts of disasters. “In conflict, the lack of rule of law creates a condition of impunity, where people are trafficked to finance the war, to provide sexual services, and to reinforce enslavement of ethnic minorities.”

Massive disasters create the perfect opportunity for traffickers to experiment with new ways of “exploiting vulnerable people.” Out of the estimated 800,000 people that are trafficked across borders each year, only 45,000 of them are identified. That means there are still hundreds of thousands of victims that need our help.

Ultimately, trafficking is an issue that needs emergency responses from the worldwide community. “The links between the vulnerability of mobile populations and exploitive practices which existed prior to a crisis need to be factored into a humanitarian response.” The key to this is raising awareness, and taking the initiative to combat human trafficking — not only in times of crisis — but everyday.

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Source: International Organization for Migration

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“Modern slavery” has become such a large industry, that it is now found almost everywhere. From getting our nails done to having a clean hotel room, forced labor is something many Americans fail to recognize. Victims who tell stories of working long hours with no pay help us realize how easy and common it is for people to be trafficked into the U.S.

“It’s astonishing, really, just how easy it is for unethical labor recruiters to prey on people, trick them into paying large sums of money to secure ‘good jobs in the United States’ where victims end up trafficked and trapped under debt bondage with no documents to establish identity or legal status, no English skills, and no easy means of escape.”

A lack of regulation on foreign labor recruitment is what prevents these cases from being stopped. Unfortunately, the Fraudulent Overseas Recruitment and Trafficking Elimination Act (FORTE), did not pass when introduced to Congress. “Such legislation would deter human trafficking, forced labor and exploitation in part by increasing transparency for overseas workers, providing them with accurate information about the job, visa, and other terms and conditions of work in the United States. It would also require registration of foreign labor recruitment agencies at the Department of Labor, and prohibit recruitment fees paid by workers.”

Assisting victims is another goal the United States should strive for. While there are some shelters and immediate services offered to victims, space is limited and long-term support is rare. Many victims never receive the help they need to get back on their feet, which leads to a life of poverty with a high chance of being trafficked again.

Although the State Department’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report ranks the U.S. as a Tier 1 nation, the country has to continually improve its efforts to combat human trafficking. As a country, we should encourage Congress to be more committed to ending forced labor, and pass laws that will prevent workers from being trafficked across our border.

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Source: CNN

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The lawless seas are some of the few places terrible crimes can go unnoticed. Because “no one is required to report violent crimes committed in international waters,” thousands of sea-travelers die each year from murders and modern slavery.

One of the worst offenders has been the Dona Liberta, a 370-foot cargo ship notorious for misconduct. This refrigerator ship routinely abused, cheated, and abandoned its crew, caused a 100-mile long oil slick, violated countless environmental laws, left debts unpaid, and still managed to operate freely. “In the maritime world, it’s far easier for countries to look the other way with problem ships like the Dona Liberta than to do something about them,” a retired U.S. Coast Guard commander said. Many other vessels like the Dona Liberta prove how weak and ineffective ship regulation laws are, which causes a huge problem for human trafficking.

Thousands of stowaways endure dreadful living conditions on ships to try and find work, in search of a better life. Roughly 2,000 of them are caught each year, after suffering from dehydration, starvation, and exhaustion. They say it is “jail with a salary,” except a salary is rarely granted.

Crew members of the Dona Liberta frequently begged for help, and reported the harsh conditions, wages, and mistreatment they endured. The captain would lie and never transfer money he promised to his workers, leaving all of them with nothing. Despite their desire to leave the ship, many stayed for the small chance that they would receive what was promised to them. Unfortunately, this happens on many different ships, and more than 2,300 seafarers have been stranded by their employers in the past decade.

The Dona Liberta is a prime example of how difficult it is to investigate crimes that occur at sea. With limited technology and the constant changing of crew members, witnesses are hard to come by. “The rules on land, though, often conflict with the realities at sea. Captains are prohibited from jettisoning stowaways, but they are blocked or fined if they bring them to shore.” When faced with these problems, most captains take the easy, unethical way out and force their stowaways overboard. Ultimately, the crimes committed at sea are getting worse and need to be addressed.

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Source: The New York Times

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Malaysia is an object of contention amongst US officials, after reports claim they will be upgraded to the Human Trafficking Tier 2 Watch List. This is a significant improvement for Malysia due to the fact that they earned a Tier 3 rating last year. This substandard rating is the lowest a country can receive in the United States’ assessment of human trafficking in other countries. Although the U.S. recognizes their recent efforts to combat this inhumane crime, certain officials have had a different view on the matter and expressed their opinions publicly.

US Senator, Bob Menendez states, “The deplorable human trafficking crisis in Malaysia merits a global cry for action and justice — not an attempt to sweep them under the rug for political expediency.”

In the past year Malysia has made an attempt to dissolve human trafficking rings but have only made a meniscal dent in the matter. Most recently, abandoned jungle camps for hosting captives was discovered. These camps included pens to confine hostages and more than 100 graves for those unable to endure the oppressive living conditions.

Despite disagreement, Malysia will be moved to the watch list next week during John Kerry’s U.S. global government assessment.

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Source: Associated Press

More than 200 witnesses/victims have been placed into witness protection programs in Thailand after receiving death threats and intimidating visits from criminal organizations suspected to be involved in human trafficking. Police investigations have led to members of the trafficking networks taking desperate measures to keep the witnesses quiet.

The location of the 236 witnesses/victims will remain private until the suspects are charged and the case goes to trial. 56 people have been arrested since Thailand’s anti-trafficking campaign began, and another 21 suspects are being pursued.

In just two months, police have seized assets worth over $5.9 million dollars belonging to human traffickers. Over 4 million baht (over $118,000 dollars), were seized from Thai Army General Manas Kongpaen, the highest ranking person arrested.

Many police officers, local officials, and a former president are facing human trafficking charges. “Thai officials have been implicated by rights groups as colluding with human smugglers who have been preying on migrants — many of whom are Rohingya fleeing persecution described by some human rights groups as ‘state sponsored’ in Myanmar.“

Indonesia and Malaysia have taken in most of the 7,000 Rohingya Muslims and Bangladeshis, but Thailand refuses to offer them housing. Their navy provides them with food and water before turning their vessels back to sea.

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Source: Andolu Agency