Perils known and knowable: understanding illegal labor risk in fashion supply chains

Can brands claim ignorance of illegal supply chain subcontracting? Research suggests the answer is no

One of the most publicly distressing aspects of modern supply chains in many industries is the subcontracting of work by well-known brands to generally reputable suppliers who in turn send some of that work to suppliers with poor working conditions. The Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh in April 2013, which killed 1,129 people, revealed the horrible asp…