An excerpt from a guest blog on Cascale’s website, authored by Dr. Marsha Dickson, President and Co-founder at Better Buying Institute I’m delighted to start 2025 with good news – no, better news – for responsible purchasing advocates. There’s now the inclusion of Better Buying tools and expertise at Cascale. This is a game-changer for […]

‘“First mile thinking” applies to regulators just as much as companies. And as they challenge us to get it right, we need to hold them to that same standard,’ Steve Lamar, AAFA President and CEO To paraphrase Game of Thrones, “regulations are coming.” In some parts of the apparel and footwear industry, they’re already here. […]

Rethinking the company’s purchasing model is now widely understood to be a necessary component of effective human rights due diligence. Far from being only a supplier’s concern, supply chain labour rights conditions, including those that increase vulnerability to forced labour, are shaped significantly by the buyer’s purchasing practices. From order predictability, lead time, and pricing […]

Think about some of the conferences, events, or webinars you have been to recently that were focused on improving social or environmental conditions in supply chains. Chances are you heard themes like: Combatting audit fatigue Overcoming traceability challenges The need for more collaboration. The industry seems clear that these are topics that need to be […]

The regulatory age is upon us. And this creates some profound opportunities for new collaboration across the supply chain. Governments across the globe are proposing and enacting new requirements at a speed and with a purpose that we haven’t seen in our industry ever. International, regional, national, and subnational authorities are all actively working to impose new […]

An article from Dr. Marsha Dickson, President and Co-Founder of Better Buying Institute I’ve been noticing lately the need to repeat important information about Better BuyingTM supplier surveys. Employee turnover among buyers, suppliers, and other stakeholders leaves gaps in experience and knowledge of Better BuyingTM history, and the potential for confusion, regarding decisions about what […]

Chana Rosenthal, Principal & Founder, reDesign Consulting and Ethical Denim Council (EDC) Consultant “The goal for the EDC is to not exist.” There is a sense of community and camaraderie that emanates throughout the denim trade show, Kingpins.  There is nothing like it. The energy is electric. Denim-clad artisans and mills fill the rooms, each […]

Better Buying’s President and Co-Founder, Dr. Marsha Dickson, argues for a new language, and a new concept, to secure human rights for workers Recently I was reminded of the concept of leverage, promoted in the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights and adopted into the OECD’s Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business. The […]