UK unveils £6.85m scheme to protect retail supply chains

The government has launched a new scheme to help high street businesses strengthen their global supply chains.

Working in partnership with businesses including Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrisons, Co-op and Waitrose, the scheme will support workers in developing countries during the coronavirus pandemic.

The new Vulnerable Supply Chains Facility, announced by International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan, is made up of £4.85 million UK aid and £2 million from businesses.

“We want to ensure people in Britain can continue to buy affordable, high quality goods from around the world,” Trevelyan said.

“This new fund will strengthen vital supply chains for UK consumers, while supporting some of the most vulnerable workers in developing countries. It will make a real difference to people in the UK and abroad.”

The scheme will partner up UK businesses with organisations such as CARE UK, the Fairtrade Foundation and the Ethical Trading Initiative, focusing primarily on supply chains and workers in Myanmar, Bangladesh, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda and Ghana.

The funding aims to help ensure the steady supply of products like vegetables, coffee and clothes to the UK high street.

As part of the initiative, M&S will work with CARE to improve health services for 80,000 factory workers in Bangladesh. The programme is expected to have knock-on benefits for a further 300,000 people in Bangladesh’s poorest communities.

Fiona Sadler, head of ethical trading for M&S said: “At M&S we have a robust approach to ethical fashion – we know we’re only as strong as the communities where we operate and we’re committed to helping improve the lives of workers in our supply chain through collaborative initiatives.

“We’re proud to be partnering again with DFID and CARE to strengthen healthcare systems and services in our factories in Bangladesh and the wider community.”

The component of the scheme run by Ethical Trading Initiative aims to improve workplace health and safety for vegetable, coffee and flower suppliers to retailers such as Sainsbury’s, Co-op, Waitrose and Tesco. It is estimated that 10,000 workers in African countries, mainly women, will benefit from safer working environments.

Judith Batchelar, director of Sainsbury’s Brand, said:  “We are proud to support DFID’s Vulnerable Supply Chains Facility along with the Ethical Trading Initiative, dedicated to improving occupational safety and health standards for many of our suppliers in East Africa. As a responsible retailer, this work further demonstrates our commitment to trading ethically and making a positive difference to the communities we source from.”

Overall, more than 200,000 workers in agriculture and nearly 120,000 garment workers are expected to benefit from the facility.