The scorecard below is evidence that campaigning works! Three years ago the international team I headed up at Oxfam launched the Behind the Barcodes (Price) campaign to expose human suffering behind the food on our supermarket shelves and tell supermarkets to use their power in supply chains to end human rights abuses.
We launched a supermarket scorecard that judged supermarkets from several countries on their policies on the rights of workers, women, small scale producers and on their transparency/accountability. Three years on it's incredible to see the shifts - most major supermarkets have improved their policies significantly. This is massive step forward.
Three years on it's incredible to see the shifts - most major supermarkets have improved their policies significantly
There is of course much more to do to shift the laggards such as Asda and, importantly to ensure these policies are now translated into actual practice that makes a difference to workers and producers. That will mean staying the course and holding these companies to account for their policies. However some, such as fruit farm workers in Brazil, are seeing changes already.
Success happened through a mix of public pressure from Oxfam supporters and highly skilled engagement with the supermarkets from my former Oxfam colleagues. That in turn only happened after a truly collaborative process of campaign planning that brought together colleagues and partners from around the world.
Viva to all the Oxfamers past and present involved in making this happen! (Rachel WilshawRachel ColbourneMarita HutjesTimothy GoreGeorgi Y. Monique van Zijl Anouk Franck Robin Willoughby and many many more!)
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