Breaking Chains with Blockchain – How Tech is Battling Forced Labour & Slavery
It’s not an area that’s brought up in topics such as forced labour, but blockchain might change things. According to the Alliance 8.7, forced labour affects over 25 million people worldwide with major companies lagging behind. Know The Chain; a forced labour advocacy group has found that food and beverage companies fall far behind.
Companies like have-Cola have been looking for solutions to combatting forced labour within the US. Companies and the US State Department have banded together.
All made possible by the Blockchain Trust Accelerator (BTA), which has pushed for its uses for philanthropy since 2017. The Medium reported that BTA is harnassing $1bn annually to charitable projects, the latest being against forced labour.
Coca-Cola and US State Department join forces with Blockchain
Brent Wilton, Head of Coca-Cola’s Department of Workplace Rights, made plain the companies desire to battle forced labour. “We are partnering with the pilot of this project to further increase transparency and efficiency of the verification process related to labour policies within our supply chain.”
Between KTC and BTA, the funding and means of creating an organisation of companies are possible. With KTC providing a means to register workers within co-operating companies to monitor employment practices. This method, while unable to take direct action, would give evidence as a means of encouraging companies to participate.
So Can this system prevent forced labour worldwide?
While this initiative is a spectacular leap forwards in the US, forced labour remains prevalent worldwide. According to the Alliance 8.7, over 40 Million people are under some form of slavery with 73% in Asia. The use of Blockchain being one of the solutions which could see many suffering under modern slavery freed.
Examples include ‘Provenance‘, a London-based NGO seeking to combat forced labour in Indonesia’s fishing industry. It’s only a matter of time before technology can help eradicate the tragic use of forced labour. With the US and UK already leading the way: using Blockchain to break chains.
