We are delighted to have become the first independent caterer to commit to Sedex ethical trading – joining thousands of businesses which have pledged to share data to help improve working conditions in global supply chains.
As part of the move, bartlett mitchell will join one of the largest collaborative platforms in the world for buyers, suppliers and auditors to store, share and report on information quickly and easily.
By using Sedex, it will enable bartlett mitchell to work with other businesses to better manage their social and environmental performance, and protect people working in the supply chain.
Sedex has over 60,000 members in 180 countries, across 35 industry sectors, including food, agriculture, financial services, clothing and apparel, packaging and chemicals.
bartlett mitchell joins the likes of Nestle, Waitrose, M&S who have all committed to the platform.
The move will enable the company to audit supply chains back to source, either by reviewing previous SMETA audits (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) uploaded by members or, where an audit hasn’t been conducted, require a supplier to complete one.
We can now demonstrate further visibility in our supply chain. And it enables us to remove any suppliers in the unlikely event they rate poorly when measured against the ETI (Ethical Trade Initiative) key principals.
These principles fall into nine key categories:
- Employment is freely chosen
- Working conditions are safe and hygienic
- Child labour shall not be used
- Living wages are paid
- Working hours are not excessive
- No discrimination is practised
- Regular employment is provided
- No harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed
Steve Fox, procurement director, said: “This is a significant step for our business. As a responsible business, it has always been our aim to ensure that we are working with organisations which conform to our own ethical codes of practice. This platform will provide us a more efficient and widespread range of data to track what we are doing.
“The key requirement will be to identify the number in our supply chain of any product, identify any areas of concern and take action.
“For example, if pineapple was imported from Costa Rica, we can now tell who the grower is, who distributes it, who imported it and who the bartlett mitchell supplier is. This data is going to be invaluable.”
Mark Hooper, commercial director, Sedex, added: “We are delighted to develop our working relationship with bartlett mitchell, and looking forward to collaborating more closely to drive ethical trading practices. With responsible sourcing and supply chain transparency more critical than ever, it is wonderful to see bartlett mitchell take a leading position in these areas.”
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