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A group that will try to raise and maintain the ethical standards of products from the Asia Pacific area was formed in the US in January. The Fair Factories Clearinghouse (FFC), a non-profit organization set up at the National Retail Federation's annual convention in New York City, is intended to collate and give cost-effective, web-based information to buyers so they can make informed sourcing decisions.
FFC was developed through a collaborative effort by retailers, consumer brands and trade associations. Reebok International donated the software, which it has developed and deployed in more than 30 countries.
David Hogan, the federation's chief information officer, said: 'It is not unusual for workplace monitors to inspect a factory in China multiple times each month on behalf of different buyers, without any mechanism for tracking or sharing the information. There is a need for a sophisticated, efficient information management system to monitor companies' internal compliance initiatives and, if they wish, to share compliance information voluntarily with others.'
Doug Cahn, vice-president of human rights programmes at Reebok International, said: 'By sharing the database we have developed, we hope to drive increased corporate activity to support decent workplace conditions in factories. In this area of our business we should collaborate, not compete. With voluntary information sharing, retailers and consumer brands can save valuable resources while learning more about workplace conditions.'
Sharon Maloney, senior vice-president and general counsel of the Retail Council of Canada, added: 'Canadian retailers are looking for better ways to protect the workers that make their company's products and to promote responsible trading practices. The FFC will serve our members well.'
The FFC is not meant to establish a universal standard and will not judge the quality of monitoring or rate factories, but it aims to make choosing a supplier simpler by minimizing duplication of effort. Participants can use their own compliance standards or those of multi-stakeholder initiatives such as the Fair Labor Association, Social Accountability 8000, the Toy Industry Association and the Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production.
The annual subscription ranges from $5000 (£2700) to $60,000 (£32,500), depending on a company's size.
FFC was developed through a collaborative effort by retailers, consumer brands and trade associations. Reebok International donated the software, which it has developed and deployed in more than 30 countries.
David Hogan, the federation's chief information officer, said: 'It is not unusual for workplace monitors to inspect a factory in China multiple times each month on behalf of different buyers, without any mechanism for tracking or sharing the information. There is a need for a sophisticated, efficient information management system to monitor companies' internal compliance initiatives and, if they wish, to share compliance information voluntarily with others.'
Doug Cahn, vice-president of human rights programmes at Reebok International, said: 'By sharing the database we have developed, we hope to drive increased corporate activity to support decent workplace conditions in factories. In this area of our business we should collaborate, not compete. With voluntary information sharing, retailers and consumer brands can save valuable resources while learning more about workplace conditions.'
Sharon Maloney, senior vice-president and general counsel of the Retail Council of Canada, added: 'Canadian retailers are looking for better ways to protect the workers that make their company's products and to promote responsible trading practices. The FFC will serve our members well.'
The FFC is not meant to establish a universal standard and will not judge the quality of monitoring or rate factories, but it aims to make choosing a supplier simpler by minimizing duplication of effort. Participants can use their own compliance standards or those of multi-stakeholder initiatives such as the Fair Labor Association, Social Accountability 8000, the Toy Industry Association and the Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production.
The annual subscription ranges from $5000 (£2700) to $60,000 (£32,500), depending on a company's size.
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