March 18, 2010

UL STR's 5th Annual Responsible Sourcing Summit, which drew hundreds of senior compliance and ethical trading experts from diverse industries, focused on practical strategies for addressing various CSR issues.

Starbucks, Timberland and TransFair USA were just a few of the venerable organizations who presented at the event, which drew senior compliance and ethical trading experts from diverse industries.

The 2010 Responsible Sourcing Summit

Attendees gained clarity on many pressing issues in the responsible sourcing arena.  Virginia Bergin, Ethical Sourcing Regional Manager at Starbucks, offered an in-depth look at Starbucks' innovative new partnership with vendor PMI and shared best practices on vendor-owned compliance programs.  Participants also heard from Rachel Rigby of the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB), who discussed the List of Goods Produced by Child or Forced Labor and its implications for businesses.   

UL STR RS's Greg Gardner addresses the 2010 Responsible Sourcing Summit

The second day of the RS Summit showcased a three-hour interactive workshop focusing on forced and indentured labor as well as child labor.  Experts from the Office of International Affairs and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement were on hand to discuss new enforcement policies and to offer tips on how companies can stay in compliance.

In addition to its strategic content, the 5th Annual Responsible Sourcing Summit offered attendees the opportunity to network and exchange ideas with other CSR thought leaders.