Human trafficking and slavery, particularly of children, has been an intractable global problem that defies an easy government solution, especially at the state and local levels. But California has just adopted a new law that could begin to make a difference, by taking aim at the economic beneficiaries of slavery — namely, manufacturers and retailers whose international supply chains perpetuate the abuse of workers in their foreign factories and facilities.
For Americans, slavery may seem a distant concern — after all, the Emancipation Proclamation was signed nearly a century and a half ago. But on the global level, slavery remains a massive moral catastrophe. The problem cannot be underestimated. The U.S. departments of State and Labor monitor conditions for foreign workers for signs of slavery or human trafficking. To date they’ve identified 71 countries engaged in some form of slavery, with the overwhelming majority of instances involving children. They also cited 130 goods produced in slave-like conditions in China, India, Brazil, the Philippines and Ethiopia, to name a few locales. The products include a broad range of items made of leather, cotton, textiles, gems, precious metals, embroidery and silk.
