In conversation with the STITCH consortium: Introducing Ethical Trading Initiative

The STITCH consortium brings together six organisations connected to key stakeholders across the whole value chain. Today, we are in conversation with Elisa Shepherd, Senior Advisor Business Practices at Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), on the focus of her work within the partnership. 

What is your role at ETI?  

I lead ETI’s efforts to promote progress towards responsible business practices. ETI is a leading alliance of trade unions, NGOs, and companies, working together to advance human rights in global supply chains. Business practices, such as purchasing practices, can have a big impact on conditions for workers. It’s important that companies understand this and take steps to prevent causing harm. 

This may seem obvious, but the dynamics can be complex. Many different functions within a company influence purchasing practices, so there is a need to build understanding and support knowledge exchange across functions and with supply chain partners. Importantly, there is also a need to enable change at an industry-level by addressing incentives and accountability mechanisms, such as legislation. 

What are you responsible for within STITCH? 

Elisa Shepherd disseminating learning from the Learning and Implementation Community (LIC)

Responsible purchasing practices, short RPP, are an important component of the STITCH theory of change. I represent ETI within the Working Group on Responsible Purchasing Practices which counts Fair Wear, Ethical Trade Norway, Ethical Trade Denmark, PST, Solidaridad and Fair Labor Association to its members and partners with the Sustainable Terms of Trade Initiative. 

As a group, we focus on bringing stakeholders together to understand each other’s perspectives and build communication. In 2022, we established the Learning and Implementation Community (LIC) on RPP, through which we created a safe and creative space to connect responsible sourcing, buying teams, and suppliers, to share ideas, and support one another to develop practical solutions to improving practices over the course of two years. 

Alongside this, I work with ETI company members to support them to make practical improvements to their ways of working and to further disseminate learning from the LIC. 

Ultimately, as a group we are using these insights to influence the wider industry landscape. Working together alongside several other industry initiatives and stakeholders has enabled significant industry alignment. The industry needs a whole ecosystem of tools and mechanisms, from clear expectations and guidance to regulation and grievance mechanisms, to support progress towards RPP. The more we can collaborate and harmonise how these systems work together, the more effective they will be. 

What does your average day look like? 

No two days are the same and the activities can be diverse. We run workshops structured around the key principles of responsible purchasing. Of course, the workshops themselves don’t change purchasing practices, but the feedback is that they help to build understanding of the issues and prompt ideas of how to overcome challenges. Importantly, they help to connect people on a human level. The vast majority of us are well-meaning. It’s the systems that need to change, and exploring this in community can be very motivating. 

I spend time connecting with other industry initiatives and working together to develop harmonised tools and resources. Maintaining awareness of wider changes, whether these are technological, regulatory or related to human rights risks, is important. We know purchasing practices can impact human rights, but they are one contributing factor among many. STITCH has enabled multiple thematic, and country focus groups to work in parallel, and ETI colleagues are always involved in a wide variety of initiatives. We meet regularly to compare notes and inform each other’s progress. This enables a holistic perspective which is important. 

Human rights risks are influenced by so many contextual factors. The solutions need to be holistic as well. 

ETI RPP awareness raising session in Bangladesh with brand representatives

What achievement has ETI contributed to within STITCH that you are proud of? 

An early output was the Common Framework for Responsible Purchasing Practices which provides shared language on responsible purchasing through five core principles. These support purchasing companies to engage with stakeholders and take practical action to create an enabling environment for good labour standards in their supply chains. Companies are encouraged to use the framework as part of a human rights due diligence (HRDD) approach and adapt the practices to suit their buyer-supplier context. 

It has proved to be an incredibly valuable resource. Purchasing practices can be an overwhelming topic. The framework breaks this down into a more digestible structure: five overarching principles of responsible purchasing within which are suggested practices of how to achieve these principles. We are now developing a Purchasing Practices HRDD Framework which outlines the application of HRDD principles to purchasing and specifies requirements for companies at each step, to ensure a meaningful approach. 

What is the biggest challenge on the path to transforming the garment industry, and which solution to this challenge do you think can be the most impactful? 

Through my work, I encounter wonderful individuals, across many different functions within the industry and beyond. Like me, many were drawn to fashion by a love of design and trend. All are committed to having a positive impact on people and planet. But the garment industry is intensely competitive and, for an industry that runs on innovation, can be surprisingly stuck in ineffective ways of working. People who strive for a better way to do business are too often constrained by rigid systems and short-term targets. 

Better regulation could be transformative in terms of raising the bar. A level playing field that sets the expectation that all business should be responsible, as a prerequisite, would reward the forward-thinking companies that are striving for better and would enable progress towards better practices. There is legislation on the horizon that explicitly recognises the importance of purchasing practices within HRDD. This is an opportunity for ETI and the working group on responsible purchasing practices to help define what that means in practice and support companies to get there.