Responsible Sourcing Network and Shahi Exports have announced their collaboration in promoting due diligence towards ethical cotton sourcing practices in the garment industry.
The partnership aims to build a transparent and forced labour-free supply chain for cotton as countries across the world move to strengthen due diligence and sourcing standards.
YESS( Yarn Ethically & Sustainably Sourced) is an initiative by Responsible Sourcing Network that dedicated several years to developing rigorous due diligence standards to achieve a forced labour-free cotton supply chain for the garment and textile industry.
“This joint effort represents a significant milestone in the pursuit of responsible and transparent cotton supply chains. As we expand conducting assessments in India later this year, we invite industry members to join this collective advancement and have their mills trained and assessed,”
said Patricia Jurewicz, CEO of Responsible Sourcing Network.
YESS conducted its initial independent assessments in India at Shahi Exports’ knitting and spinning facilities in Shivamogga.
The YESS program assesses management systems and inventory controls of mills to identify, assess, and mitigate the risks of forced labor based on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) due diligence framework.
In 2022, Shahi was one of the seven global suppliers that piloted the YESS Standards and has now become the first mill in India to take the lead in implementing robust due diligence measures.
Head Organizational Development at Shahi Exports & CEO and Co-founder at Good Business Lab
“As India’s largest apparel manufacturer and exporter, Shahi is committed to producing goods using ethical, fair, and sustainable practices. We are thrilled to embark on this journey and align ourselves with global standards of due diligence. We recognize that efforts towards traceability require industry collaboration, and we are confident that YESS will provide valuable support in achieving this goal.”
stated Anant Ahuja, Head of Organizational Development at Shahi Exports.
While already operating with firm checkpoints for cotton sourcing, the YESS assessment provided additional insights that enabled Shahi to further strengthen its management processes in response to evolving legislation and growing consumer demand on traceability against forced labor.
Spinners and textile mills play a critical role in facilitating visibility and due diligence in the complex cotton-sourcing landscape as gatekeepers.