Human Rights / Modern Slavery Supply Chain Assessment for Global Steel Company, Brasil

A global steel manufacturer engaged Acorn International to perform a modern slavery assessment for its critical primary and secondary suppliers in Brasil, following allegations of slavery in the operations of its supply chain. We assembled teams of international and in-country human rights experts who performed desktop and in-field assessments of dozens of operations throughout Brasil, developed an independent assessment and report of findings and recommendations, and worked with the primary supplier to help them develop remedies to identified gaps against international labor and human rights standards. Remedies applied included development and deployment of fair labor training for workers, an enhanced internal auditing program, and a world-class grievance mechanism.

Our initial assessment began in 2019, and based on the credible assessment and results delivered and diplomacy applied in working with the primary supplier, the client has engaged Acorn International to perform follow-up monitoring to confirm appropriate application of the recommended remedies and to assess supply chain risks for other operations. As a result of our work, the steel manufacturer has satisfied its Board of Directors’ concerns about supply chain slavery allegations, and is able to continue working with the primary supplier that is critical to its ability to continue producing its blend of steel profitably.