When people think about the supply chain data held by Open Supply Hub (OS Hub), there is often an assumption that it mainly comes from companies disclosing their supplier lists, which indeed form a significant portion of our dataset and are what many stakeholders look to OS Hub for. While corporations contribute valuable information, they are not the sole—or even the most comprehensive—sources of insights into global supply chains.
There is another critical and often overlooked piece of the puzzle: information provided by civil society organizations (CSOs), trade and worker unions, investigative organizations, and public databases. They are often the first to uncover broader issues like: forced labor, wage theft, unsafe working conditions, deforestation, and other systemic risks hidden deep within global supply chains. These frontline actors bring essential knowledge from the ground up, offering insights rooted in the lived experiences of workers and communities—filling critical gaps in our understanding of supply chains. By incorporating data from diverse sets of sources, OS Hub offers the opportunity to build a nuanced and comprehensive view of global supply chains collectively.
Different Supply Chain Datasets, Different Stories
Understanding global supply chains is akin to assembling a complex jigsaw puzzle, where each piece represents a different stakeholder’s perspective, like:
- Identifying Risks: Datasets from investigative organizations and unions help others identify salient risks and where to focus their attention when addressing issues like labor rights abuses, safety violations, and environmental issues. These insights reveal previously “hidden” risks in supply chains, enabling more targeted advocacy and corrective actions.
- Accountability and Advocacy: Publicly available reports, such as those from investigative CSOs, bring accountability by spotlighting unethical practices like forced labor, unsafe working conditions, and environmental destruction. Stakeholders can leverage this data to demand greater corporate responsibility or collaborative action.
- Climate Change and Environmental Degradation: Environmental organizations contribute datasets highlighting issues such as deforestation, pollution, and climate impacts related to specific commodities or regions. This data helps stakeholders assess sustainability risks and advocate for environmentally responsible sourcing practices.
- Worker and Community Perspectives: Trade unions and local CSOs provide grassroots data directly from workers and communities impacted by global supply chains. This firsthand information is crucial for understanding actual working conditions, wage fairness, and the broader community impacts of supply chain activities.
Examples of Non-Corporate Supply Chain Datasets in OS Hub
OS Hub integrates datasets from diverse sources that comprehensively shine a light on the realities of global supply chains. Here are some key examples:
China Labour Bulletin (CLB)
- Who: CLB is a Hong Kong-based organization monitoring and reporting on workers’ rights and labor issues in China, including strike actions, labor disputes, and occupational safety.
- How to use it: Stakeholders can use CLB data to proactively understand labor conditions in listed factories, conduct practical risk assessments, engage suppliers in improving working conditions, and identify regions or facilities requiring greater scrutiny or intervention. Explore their data here.
Electronics Watch
- Who: Electronics Watch is an independent monitoring organization that protects labor rights within the global electronics industry supply chains through transparent reporting and collaboration.
- How to use it: Stakeholders could leverage Electronics Watch’s findings to identify and address labor violations within electronics supply chains, guide procurement practices, and strengthen accountability by collaborating with facilities committed to ethical labor standards. Access their data here.
MADE Myanmar (Multi-Stakeholder Alliance for Decent Employment in Myanmar)
- Who: MADE in Myanmar promotes transparency, decent work practices, and responsible business behavior in Myanmar’s garment industry through monitoring factory conditions and fostering dialogue among workers, businesses, and policymakers.
- How to use it: Stakeholders could use this dataset to engage with MADE in relevant factories to assess labor rights conditions, manage supply chain risks, and collaborate effectively with stakeholders dedicated to improving labor standards. Learn more and access their data here.
Registry of Employers who have subjected workers to forced labor (“Dirty List”)
- Who: Published by the Brazilian Ministry of Labor and Employment, the document is popularly known as the “Dirty List” in Brazil. This registry identifies companies legally penalized for forced labor practices in Brazil, aiming for transparency and accountability to combat forced labor.
- How to use it: Stakeholders can utilize this list to conduct rigorous due diligence, mitigate reputational risks, and make informed sourcing decisions. OS Hub’s database includes only legal entities; individual name entities are removed, ensuring compliance with data protection while enabling informed decision-making. View the list here.
RISE Program
- Who: RISE is an initiative that promotes gender equality and improved labor rights in global garment, footwear, and home textile supply chains by sharing a database of factories participating in workplace improvement programs.
- How to use it: Stakeholders can use these lists to identify factories where different types of training or programs have been implemented. They can then reach out to RISE to understand better who/how to engage at these locations and/or reduce duplication of effort around program implementation, for example. Take a closer look at their lists here.
The International Accord
- Who: The International Accord for Health and Safety in the Garment and Textile Industry provides a publicly accessible list of garment factories that meet or fail to meet critical safety standards, ensuring safer workplaces in the garment sector.
- How to use it: Stakeholders can leverage this data to conduct supply chain risk assessments, engage responsibly with suppliers, and make sourcing decisions, enhancing worker safety and brand accountability. You can explore their lists here.
Looking for even more examples? You can explore other datasets from additional organizations, such as Apparel Impact Institute, Fair Trade Certified, IDH, Mapped in Bangladesh, Nirapon Inc., Wage Indicator, Wikirate International, Worker Rights Consortium, and many more.
Integrating Data for a Comprehensive Picture
Each of these stakeholders contributes a unique piece of the puzzle, filling gaps that other stakeholders might not be able to fill. No single dataset tells the whole story of global supply chains, but when combined, these varied data sources create a much clearer picture of the supply chain’s risks, challenges, and opportunities. This integration enables stakeholders to identify challenges and opportunities, understand industry standards, find collaborators, and make informed decisions that promote sustainability and social responsibility.
By integrating these diverse data sources, platforms like Open Supply Hub can present a more accurate and holistic view of global supply chains. With these different sources, we hope OS Hub users can use them to:
- Identify and mitigate supply chain risks effectively.
- Prioritize advocacy and remediation efforts based on concrete evidence.
- Engage more meaningfully with suppliers, communities, and workers.
- Promote transparency and accountability across industries.
Contribute to Strengthening a Supply Chain Transparency Ecosystem
A truly transparent supply chain ecosystem requires data from multiple stakeholders. If you represent a CSO, trade union, or investigative initiative, consider sharing your data with Open Supply Hub. Your contributions can help drive systemic change by ensuring that supply chain information is open and accessible to all. At OS Hub, we believe this data is just as crucial as corporate disclosures—and we’re building infrastructure to make sure it’s seen, shared, and acted on. Join us in our mission to map the world’s production locations and create a more transparent, ethical, and sustainable future.
