From new gender policies to commitments on living wages, we’ve come a long way since Oxfam published its first supermarkets scorecard in 2018, when retailers lacked the understanding and appetite to do human rights due diligence, says Radhika Sarin. What does the 2022 scorecard reveal – and what more must be done?
Is your business serious about gender justice? Here’s what you need to do
In the second blog in our series to mark International Women’s Day, Jiselle Steele of the Oxfam Business Advisory Service shares five tips for firms that want to make a real difference when it comes to gender inequality and gender justice in supply chains
Four steps to transform women’s lives in coffee farming
Jiselle Steele of the Oxfam Business Advisory Service (OBAS) explains how we are supporting the integration of a “gender transformative approach” into the policies and practices of the coffee industry – and invites you to a webinar next month to learn more
Corona Boom: How supermarkets became pandemic winners while women workers lose out
With nearly 85% of the adult population having received at least one vaccination, UK citizens can look forward to seeing loved ones, having a holiday and going back into the workplace. By contrast, in the countries Oxfam where conducted research in 2020 (Brazil, Thailand, India, Pakistan and South Africa), just 9% had received a Covid jab by late June 2021, …
The value of partnership in boosting ambitious corporate commitments
The need for bold commitment and action from the private sector The private sector – whether global multinationals or local businesses – has a huge impact on livelihoods and living conditions worldwide. But all too often, the actions (or inactions) of private sector actors can reinforce the systems that trap people in poverty. We urgently need fairer business models that …
What are supermarkets doing to tackle human suffering in their supply chains?
Last year, Oxfam embarked on a campaign asking 16 supermarkets to take responsibility for ending human suffering in their food supply chains. A year on, Monica Romis asks, what has changed? Slow progress to respect human rights The 2019 Supermarket Scorecard shows that, while some are doing better than others, all supermarkets lack sufficient policies to properly protect the people who produce our food. No supermarket does even 40% of what the Oxfam benchmark asks them to. Eight of the 16 companies, including Lidl, Plus and Whole …
Are supermarket canned tomatoes now free from labour exploitation?
Tim Gore shares three key findings from Oxfam’s human rights impact assessment of the Italian processed tomato sector. There have been a range of media and NGO reports in recent years about endemic labour exploitation in the Italian tomato sector. But as Oxfam’s The People Behind the Prices, shows, while some progress has been made, many of the root causes …
Fairer procurement: The equitable business tool
Today, Oxfam launches a new procurement tool to help buying teams source products from fairer businesses. Alex Maitland, who developed the tool, describes the unique approach we have taken, and looks to its potential for reducing inequality in global supply chains. Growing inequality in global supply chains is a barrier to a decent standard of living for many workers and …
Why is Oxfam campaigning against ALDI?
When Oxfam scored major supermarkets according to their public policies and practices that prevent human suffering, ALDI came bottom. As part of our #BehindtheBarcodes campaign, Rachel Wilshaw explains why they ranked so low and what can be done to improve it. Update Since Oxfam started campaigning against ALDI in October, the company has published a human rights policy, appointed a …
What more should supermarkets do to respect workers’ rights in their supply chain?
Recently Oxfam has been calling on supermarkets to end the human suffering in their supply chains for the Behind the Barcodes campaign. Here Rachel Wilshaw goes into more detail on the practical actions supermarkets can take and why it’s so important. Oxfam’s Ripe for Change report highlights hunger and suffering amongst the people who grow and process our food. Across a …