From Bangladesh to Myanmar: Level-Set Responsible Sourcing

By Jeremy Prepscius, Vice President, Asia-Pacific; Chris Nolan, Associate Director, Advisory Services; Rosa Kusbiantoro, Associate, Advisory Services, BSR

At a recent meeting with some BSR members in Hong Kong, we discussed opportunities for responsible sourcing in Myanmar: As companies consider entering the country, many familiar issues are coming to the surface, such as child labor, hours and wages, land acquisition, environmental discharges, health, and living conditions.

In the course of our conversation, two key questions arose: How can buyers, in collaboration with international and local stakeholders, support the development of a sustainable manufacturing sector in the country? And how can buyers looking to move into Myanmar learn from experiences in Cambodia, China, Vietnam, and, most recently, Bangladesh?

The tragedies of Bangladesh are still reverberating and should force companies to take a critical look at their approach to sourcing from high-risk countries. Fire safety, construction safety, and the basic risk to life and limb are (appropriately) at the top of the agenda. Sadly, though, these issues are not new and are certainly not the only challenges facing companies that are seeking to build sustainable supply chains.

BSR members have worked on many issues, from freedom of association and collective bargaining to wages, hours and overtime, health and safety, environmental pollution, child labor, harassment, and more. Clearly, these things are intertwined with economic development and thus bound up in globalization and global supply chains.

With this context as the backdrop to our discussion, we came away with a clear consensus on how companies can level-set responsible sourcing in Myanmar...

To read the full blog, including three ways companies can level-set responsible sourcing and four ways buyer engagement and collaboration can achieve this, please click here.

BSR works with its global network of more than 250 member companies to build a just and sustainable world. From its offices in Asia, Europe, and North and South America, BSR develops sustainable business strategies and solutions through consulting,research, and cross-sector collaboration. For more information, visit www.bsr.org.