The 2018 Global Slavery Index is now here to report on one of the world's biggest human rights atrocities: modern slavery. We're here to break down the economics.
Modern Slavery. It is an atrocity that afflicts humanity and effects everything from the food we eat, to the phones we use, to the clothes we wear. Why? Because approximately 40 million 300 thousand people globally are trafficking, coerced, and held captive by owners of businesses, factories, and farms to produce the products we consume.
The Global Slavery Index (GSI) is a yearly report detailing the depth, intricacy, and horror of modern slavery.
Just released, the GSI 2018 report specifically tackles the topics of how many people are trapped in slavery, what factors play a part in someone's enslavement, what national governments are doing to fight against slavery, and also where in the world these slave-made products are being sold to.
This process of products being made by slaves, transported and traded for sale, then sold to you, is known as the Slavery Supply Chain. This is what our focus is on today.
Read on to learn about the world's slavery supply chains as well as what you can do to help combat modern slavery and human trafficking.
Out of all the billions of products in the world that are consumed, the GSI was able to determine through measuring the imports and exports of the G20 countries (the countries with the biggest markets accounting for 3/4ths of global trade) these 3 things:
The top 5 categories of slave produced items traded globally
The "source countries" of slave produced product
The top 5 slave produced imports per G20 country
Top 5 categories of slave-produced items traded globally
1) Technology (Laptops, phones, computers, etc.): $200.1 BILLION
2) Clothing/Garments: $127.7 BILLION
3) Fish: $12.9 BILLION
4) Cocoa: $3.6 BILLION
5) Sugarcane: $2.1 BILLION
The "source countries" of slave produced product
The below table is the GSI's list of products known to be involved in slavery supply chains and their main point of origin in the slavery supply chain process. By clicking on the table image, you can read about their methodology, process, and research.
The top 5 slave produced imports per G20 country
What goods and products is your home country buying from industries using slave workers?
GSI pulled together a list of each G20 country's top slave chain import industries. The list is long and detailed, far too large to fit into this post. However, by following this link here, you can find what 5 industries your country is contributing to slavery through. It is titled as Table 3.
For example, Addressing Freedom's writers are all located in the United States of America. Our country's stats are these:
G20 country Imported Product Source Countries Import Value $USD
What Can You Do to Help?
You have already taken the first step in making a difference: becoming aware!
Here are some other ways you can help break the slavery supply chain:
Discover if your personal purchases originated with slave work by visiting SlaveryFootprint.org
Start choosing to make purchases from companies committed to a slave-free supply chain. We suggest looking into Fair Trade Certified products to guarantee no child labor or slavery.
Speak up and be a modern-day Abolitionist! Use your social media presence, friend group, local church, even your co-worker relationships to spread the word about how prevalent slavery is in our modern day. All it takes is one person to listen to start a ripple effect of change.
Give of your time or money by volunteering or donating to a non-profit organization dedicated to ending modern day slavery. Don't know where to start? Check out End Slavery Now's global index of Anti-Trafficking organizations to find one near you.
Let's end slavery together.