Modern slavery and labour exploitation are issues that no responsible business can afford to ignore. But recognising the problem is one thing. Actually doing something about it is another.
That was very much the message from this week’s Modern Slavery Intelligence Network (MSIN) Annual Conference, hosted at G’s Fresh in Cambridgeshire, which we were delighted to attend and capture through both video and photography. The theme for the day couldn’t really have been clearer:
ACTION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS.
Throughout the conference, businesses, industry leaders and specialists came together to discuss the continuing challenge of modern slavery, how organisations can identify potential risks within their businesses and supply chains, and – perhaps most importantly – why collaboration and intelligence sharing are so important in creating meaningful, long-term solutions.
And during the day we caught up with some of the people at the heart of that conversation.
JOHN SHROPSHIRE OBE – WHY WAS MSIN CREATED?
John Shropshire OBE, Chairman of G’s Fresh and a Board Member of MSIN, explains how the Modern Slavery Intelligence Network came about and why he believes more businesses should become involved.
MSIN grew out of the lessons from Operation Fort, the UK’s largest modern slavery investigation, and the recognition that businesses needed a way to work collectively, share intelligence and identify potential exploitation.
John’s message is simple: No individual business can tackle modern slavery alone.
MATT JOLLEY – TURNING INTELLIGENCE INTO ACTION
We also spoke with Matt Jolley, Intelligence Manager at STOP THE TRAFFIK, following his highly informative presentation to the conference.
STOP THE TRAFFIK works closely with MSIN, helping turn information and intelligence into something that can be analysed, understood and acted upon.
It’s a powerful example of what can happen when expertise, technology, intelligence and businesses work together towards a common objective.
PAUL WILLGOSS – THE POWER OF COLLABORATION
Paul Willgoss, Independent Chair of MSIN, explains why he believes more companies should join the network and why collaboration is fundamental to tackling modern slavery.
Businesses inevitably see different pieces of the picture.
Bringing those pieces together – sharing intelligence, experiences and potential warning signs – creates something considerably more powerful.
DAME SARA THORNTON & GILES BOLTON – COLLECTIVE ACTION
We also brought together two hugely experienced voices.
Dame Sara Thornton, former UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, chaired key discussions throughout the conference, while Giles Bolton, CEO of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), brought his extensive experience of human rights, responsible business and collective action.
Following Giles’s presentation earlier in the day, we spoke to them about why collaboration between businesses, NGOs, industry organisations and others is so important.
Because the scale and complexity of modern slavery means there simply isn’t going to be a solution delivered by one organisation acting independently.
CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO WATCH THE INTERVIEW:
CLAIRE DONOVAN – WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
And finally, we caught up with Claire Donovan, CEO of MSIN, to reflect on a very successful conference and, more importantly, what needs to happen next.
Her request to businesses is straightforward:
Get involved. Collaborate. Share intelligence. Become part of the solution.
Growing the number of businesses participating in MSIN means more intelligence, greater visibility of potential risks and a stronger collective ability to tackle exploitation.
THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE CONFERENCE
Alongside the interviews, we also documented the day through our photography – capturing the speakers, delegates, discussions and many of the conversations taking place away from the main stage. Because, as we so often find at industry events, some of the most important conversations happen when people simply get together in the same room.
WANT TO FIND OUT MORE – OR GET YOUR BUSINESS INVOLVED?
The conference may be over, but the work very definitely isn’t. If you’re involved in agriculture, horticulture, food, fresh produce, retail, recruitment or the wider supply chain and want to understand more about MSIN – including how your business can become involved – take a look at: www.msin.org.uk
The overriding message we took away from the conference?
Collaboration isn’t simply desirable when tackling modern slavery. It’s essential.
And perhaps that’s why the conference theme summed it up so well:
ACTION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS.
Video and photography our own – Beanstalk.Global