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Kroger proposal seeks to pull human trafficking from supply chain

May 24, 2013 by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

A pile of honeycrisp apples in the grocery aisle isn't likely to get shoppers thinking about human trafficking, but some shareholders of Kroger Co. want it to.

Four shareholders filed a proposal through Kroger’s annual proxy statement requesting that it publish a report assessing human rights risks, including trafficking and slavery, throughout its supply chain. The group sites information from the Polaris Project, a leading organization in the fight against human trafficking and slavery, which claims victims of labor trafficking have been found among the nation’s migrant and seasonal farmworkers. Some of the victims are as young as 5 or 6 years old.

The proposal will go before Kroger shareholders at its annual meeting on June 27 in Cincinnati. But it is unlikely to be adopted, in part because Kroger’s board recommends a vote against it. Among the reasons: the company already has a code of conduct for all vendors that prohibits child, involuntary or prison labor. It also prohibits work in hazardous or unhealthy conditions.

Human trafficking and forced labor are becoming major international issues — almost 21 million people are estimated to have been in forced labor in 2012, according to the International Labour Organization. But this crime is of particular concern in Ohio, Kroger’s home state. According to a recent story in the Columbus Dispatch, the Salvation Army in central Ohio alone helped 260 trafficking victims since 2008.

Kroger is a giant company, with more than 2,000 stores to stock with products. But from a distribution standpoint, it is an industry leader to which many merchants aspire. I am not sure why another report would be a major undertaking, unless it would make the company more vulnerable to lawsuits.

And this is, indeed, a fight for the most vulnerable. If Kroger stands so solidly behind its policies, then perhaps it should throw a little weight against them as well. It can publicize its code of conduct as a proven method for deterring and preventing human trafficking and slavery. Imagine if the chain could tell actual stories of families or children rescued from this potential crime, thanks to its preventative measures.

Not only would it be good for the community, it would be good for business. If you saw a pile of apples accompanied by a photo of a smiling child, freed from trafficking, wouldn’t you be more likely to buy one?

About Lisa Biank Fasig

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