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GUEST BLOG: Taking First Steps on Responsible Purchasing Practices, by Áine Clarke, Head of KnowTheChain

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 […]

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GUEST BLOG: Why suppliers have the most to gain from open data, by Hannah Lennett, Director of Stakeholder Engagement at Open Supply Hub

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 […]

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GUEST BLOG: Collaboration is the New Compliance, by Steve Lamar, President and CEO OF American Apparel & Footwear Association

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 […]

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ARTICLE: Do you know how the Better Buying Purchasing Practices IndexTM was created?

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 […]

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GUEST BLOG: Responsible purchasing practices as a tool to promote ethical behavior 

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 […]

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ARTICLE: Has the concept of “leverage” had its day? Dr. Marsha Dickson

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 […]

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GUEST BLOG: Wage negotiations in Bangladesh – lessons for the global apparel industry, from Steve Lamar, AAFA President and CEO

Recent negotiations in Bangladesh to update the wage structure generated protests, violence, widespread arrests, and intense emotions that continue to reverberate both in Bangladesh and around the world.  The legacy of that period, which is still being written, will remain deeply tarnished until the government releases all those unlawfully detained and fully investigates and holds […]

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ARTICLE: The Apparel Industry is a Real Mess, writes Dr. Marsha Dickson

I’m just back from a whirlwind trip to visit suppliers and subscribers in Vietnam and Hong Kong. It was fantastic to be back in face-to-face contact with those doing the hard work of managing supply chains and manufacturing our clothes. But what I heard resulted in a harsh reminder that the apparel industry and how […]

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ARTICLE: Getting Started on the Path to Responsible Purchasing Practices: Time to ditch the buzzwords for clear and measurable action, Dr. Marsha Dickson

I noticed the word “partnership” being used recently in the context of responsible purchasing practices.  This time it was paired with the idea of “equitable relationships” between buyers and suppliers. But neither term was well-defined, so a substantive opportunity to guide better buying behavior on the part of brands and retailers was lost.  Will “equitable […]

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Putting the Brakes on Purchasing Practices Survey Fatigue: An article from Dr. Marsha Dickson

Buyer surveys on purchasing practices do not produce credible data, and waste money and resources that brands and retailers could be spending elsewhere in the business. So let’s put the brakes on, before this train gets out of control. Read the latest article from our President and Co-Founder, Dr. Marsha Dickson. Steve Lamar’s blog on […]