Mar
3
Nestle Traces Coffee Beans Back to Possible Slave Labor in Brazil
It seems like recently, Nestle has uncovered quite a bit of illegal labor in their supply chain but most industry experts tout the company for working towards a more transparent, ethical supply chain. First, Nestle discovered child labor in their cocoa supply chains in the Ivory Coast. A few months back, Nestle discovered forced labor in the fish used to produce it’s pet food “Fancy Feast” and now they seem to have uncovered possible slave labor in Brazil coffee plantations. Nestle believes they may have found slave labor due to the volume of coffee beans purchased from two major plants in Brazil and the dubious history of the coffee trade in the country. While the recent investigations into Nestle’s supply chain have raised concerns on the company’s ethical standards, Nestle is trailblazing a trend towards more ethical supply chain through self-investigations and public transparency. Read more…
Sports Authority Files for Bankruptcy, Closes 1/3 of Stores
In the retail world, major athletics retailer Sports Authority officially filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday morning and has announced a plan to close 140 stores. The company was pushed to file for bankruptcy after missing a $20 million dollar debt payment. The closing of 140 stores roughly equates to 1/3 of all retail locations and will take place over the next three months. Exact store details have not yet been disclosed but the bankruptcy filing will allow Sports Authority to break their leases. Sports Authority has been forced to take out a $595 million dollar loan to fund its bankruptcy operations but in order to repay that loan, they will most likely need to find a buyer for the remaining stores. Sports Authority is the latest retail chain to file for bankruptcy, only a few years after the fall of Circuit City and Borders. Read more…
Kraft-Heinz Hops on the ‘Cage-Free’ Train
Kraft-Heinz is the latest food manufacturer to announce they will be making the switch to cage-free eggs. The company estimates that all products should be fully cage-free by 2025. Kraft-Heinz states that the reason for the change was to implement more sustainable initiatives. Kraft-Heinz mostly buys North American eggs to use in their Miracle Whip, Heinz Mayo, and Kraft Salad Dressing products. Kraft-Heinz is among many other major food processors to make the switch to cage-free, coming just a few months after the McDonald’s announcement, Panera Bread and Taco Bell. Retailers such as Target and Trader Joe’s have also joined the cage-free movement to improve ethics and focus on sustainability. Read more…