What do deforestation, forced labor and global warming have in common?

Experts have argued that enforcing and funding anti-slavery laws will naturally lead to protection of the environment. But what do these complex issues have in common?

Slave labor is often used to cut down the world’s forests.

Rapid deforestation has a direct link to climate change and global warming. Loss of tree cover accelerates levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere - a key culprit behind global warming. Slave labor is often used to cut down the world’s forests, most notably in cases where said deforestation is illegal. Often, activities that violate environmental regulations take place in areas where the government lacks the capacity to adequately enforce the law. Research by Sourcemap partner Verité has found that the absence of the rule of law at remote worksites can result in permanent ecosystem damage, dangerous working conditions, and risk of forced labor.

If a practice is harmful to the environment, it is also likely to be harmful to the workers involved.

Deforestation is a global problem, but it affects the Amazon rainforest with particular severity. Despite some measures being put into place to curb deforestation, forest-clearing practices in Brazil have largely continued through illegal channels. Many of the forest-clearing activities are facilitated by exploitative and unregulated labor practices. These mutually destructive, illegal practices compromise both environmental sustainability and human rights in the region. The reality is if a supply chain is at risk of contributing to deforestation, it is most likely also at risk of human rights concerns.

What is supply chain mapping?

People have been mapping supply chains as long as they’ve been making maps. But traditional maps only provide a summary view - they don't show how supply chains change in real time. Modern supply chain mapping is the process of engaging across companies and suppliers to document the exact source of every material, every process and every shipment involved in bringing goods to market. Accurate supply chain mapping only became possible with the rise of online maps and the social web. The first online supply chain mapping platform was developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2008 (the underlying open source technology is the basis for Sourcemap). From the beginning it was clear that online supply chain mapping had a number of key advantages. Learn more about supply chain mapping here.

How can supply chain mapping prevent deforestation?

Supply chain mapping allows brands, retailers and importers to understand exactly where their raw materials are coming from and how they are being produced. Risk heat assessment maps can offer up red flags when an area of your supply chain may be contributing to deforestation, human rights violations, or other environmental risks. Deforestation is a direct cause of global warming, as the destruction of forests leads to more of the greenhouse gases that continue to warm the earth. The UN’s recent report on climate change warns that we are reaching a red alert level of irreversible global warming, and deforestation plays a key role.

We are all responsible for creating a more sustainable world for future generations. Supply chain mapping is an essential first step in lessening the environmental footprint of the products we rely on every day. To learn more about how supply chain mapping can help your organization meet its sustainability objectives, get in touch with one of our experts.