KnowTheChain publicly assesses companies across three high-risk sectors: Apparel & Footwear, Food & Beverage and Information Communications and Technology, on how they are addressing forced labour and labour rights issues within their global supply chains.
The benchmarking model seeks to harness the competitive nature of markets to incentivize companies to improve practice: through increasing reputational risk and speaking directly to investors, it can apply a unique type of leverage to change corporate behaviour.
KnowTheChain Benchmarks 2022-2023
2023 KnowTheChain Apparel & Footwear Benchmark
KnowTheChain's latest assessment of 65 of the biggest apparel and footwear companies reveals that, with an average score of just 21/100, the sector remained largely reactive to human rights violations rather than evidencing robust, embedded human rights and environmental due diligence practices designed to prevent abuse. In the face of conflict, the climate crisis and economic instability exacerbating the risk of forced labour, company policy and practice is falling short.
2023 KnowTheChain Food & Beverage Benchmark
KnowTheChain assessed the world's 60 largest Food & Beverage companies & found the largest companies in the sector are failing to tackle forced labour risks in their supply chains, with an average score of just 16/100. After six years of benchmarking – progress is stagnating in the sector which is cause for concern, especially against the backdrop of current geo-political and climate crises.
2022 KnowTheChain ICT Benchmark
KnowTheChain assessed the world's 60 largest ICT companies & found significant gaps in corporate practices to address forced labour within the sector. A median score of just 14/100 signals widespread failure to conduct robust human rights due diligence. In a sector that is chronically under-unionised, poor performance on worker voice and purchasing practices, indicates that workers in vulnerable positions are at increased risk.