About GFI

Responsible Competitiveness

Responsible Competitiveness

• Partner with governments, donors, and corporations
• Identify opportunities in the supply chain to adopt socially responsible practices
• Create market demand for socially responsible products and working conditions
• Increase competitiveness among a more socially conscious society

Corporations, donors, and governments are increasingly being held accountable for the working practices of the value chain of products they purchase or produce. As highlighted in our core values, using GFI’s multi-stakeholder approach to address decent working conditions through a market lens, GFI partners with governments, donors, and corporations to identify opportunities in the supply chain where these social responsibilities can be best addressed. By adopting socially responsible practices or using one’s leverage to create market demand for socially responsible products, governments and corporations increase their competitiveness among a more socially conscious society.

Example:

In Nepal, GFI is working with donor governments, domestic and international buyers to create a demand for socially responsible bricks that are child labor, bonded and forced labor free. GFI also worked with the Government of Cambodia to improve working conditions in its garment factories so that multi-national corporations would be interested in locating their manufacturing centers there.

Our programs that focus on responsible competitiveness include:

Building Inclusive Shea Economies

Central American Labor Rights Project

Better Brick Nepal

Salt Workers Economic Empowerment Program

Sustainable Forestry Program

Better Factories