Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility

From Bean To Bar: Supply Chain Connects Small Farmers And Premium Chocolate Industry

January 17, 2017

Eladio Pop greets me for a tour of his 30-acre acre farm with a football-size cacao pod strapped to his back and a braided reed across his forehead. "Welcome to my paradise," he says, as we head into his Belizean rain forest brimming with cacao trees, pineapple shrubs, banana and mango trees, coconuts palms and a host of medicinal plants.

Ralph Lauren Unveils Forest-Friendly Sourcing Policy

January 17, 2017

Supply Management

Ralph Lauren has committed to tracing its supply of wood-based fabrics to prevent rainforest destruction and human rights abuses.

UN Experts: Rebels, Criminals And Army Interfere With Supply Chain, Exploit Congo Gold

January 17, 2017

The New York Times

Some army officers, rebel groups and criminal networks in Congo are still illegally exploiting the country's gold and mineral riches despite government and military bans, U.N. experts said in a report circulated last week.

Ralph Lauren Joins Fight To Ensure Fabrics Not Damaging Forests And Lives

January 12, 2017

The New York Times

Fashion giant Ralph Lauren Corp, whose designs are sashayed on Hollywood's red carpets, has unveiled plans to trace wood pulp used in its clothes to avoid buying from regions destroying forests or violating human rights.

Solar Could Beat Coal To Become The Cheapest Power On Earth

January 10, 2017

Bloomberg

Solar power is now cheaper than coal in some parts of the world. In less than a decade, it's likely to be the lowest-cost option almost everywhere.

World's First Hybrid Trimaran Vessels Ordered

January 9, 2017

Maritime Executive

Dutch shipbuilder Veka Group is building two hybrid trimarans for transporting personnel and freight to offshore wind farms. The company claims that the vessels will be the first hybrid trimarans in the world.

The Future Of Fashion Is Mushroom Leather: A More Sustainable Fashion Industry

January 9, 2017

Bloomberg

As you slipped into heels or a tux to toast the New Year, you probably weren't thinking about the fact that the leather in your shoes polluted drinking water in Indian villages, or that merino sheep were made miserable for your suit - and François-Henri Pinault doesn't want you to have to. This year, the 54-year-old Frenchman is toasting the results in his 2016 sustainability report.

Food Companies' Environmental Efforts Are Increasing Production and Profits

January 5, 2017

Environmental Leader

The food and agriculture industry depend on natural resources, along with predictable weather and climate patterns, to produce their products and turn a profit. And yet these two industries have historically been divided over climate change and often slow to embrace new technologies and practices that can help reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and environmental footprint.

Retail: Transportation, Tech & Other Trends

January 3, 2017

Russell Goodman, Editor-in-Chief, SupplyChainBrain

The Growing Pressure on Supply Chains to Eradicate Slavery and Human Trafficking

January 3, 2017

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

Laws and regulations to eliminate human-rights violations in global supply chains are multiplying. But companies shouldn't consider their current lack of "teeth" as a license to ignore them.

Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility

The latest news, analysis, trends and solutions for sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) and their impact on supply chain management. New customer expectations for green and ethical products and practices are transforming the way companies do business — and requiring more supply chain transparency than ever before. As solutions continue to evolve, businesses are discovering new ways to increase efficiency and cut costs. Learn how companies around the world are leveraging sustainability and CSR to stay ahead of the competition in their industries.