Modern Slavery in Supply Chains

Abstract

Recent estimates suggest that 40.3 million people have been trafficked into, or otherwise trapped in, modern slavery. Modern slavery takes many forms, including forced labor, bonded labor, domestic servitude, child labor, forced marriage, child soldiers, and the exploitation of migrant workers. It is common in labor-intensive industries that have opaque supply chains, and generates enormous profits through exploitation of vulnerable workers. This chapter aims to provide a critical assessment of the vicious problem of modern slavery in supply chains. It does this by first defining modern slavery and attempting to understand the conditions that incubate modern slavery. In doing so it asks scho..