Juicy Fruit. Altoids. Doublemint. Lifesavers. Countless numbers of these sweets are produced, packaged, and sold by workers all around the world, following a path from mint farmers in Idaho to the stalls of street vendors in Indonesia and Brazil.
Wrigley’s, the well-known corporation that makes them, recently agreed to develop a new “supplier code of conduct,” as well as begin to audit their ingredient and packaging supply chain, and become transparent on progress related to overseas vendors.
These steps were stimulated by a recent shareholder resolution co-filed by Walden Asset Management and UUSC, and reflect a corporate advocacy strategy that strengthens human rights by moving companies to new levels of social responsibility.
To grasp the potential impact that accountable, responsible corporations could have in ensuring human and environmental rights, consider Wrigley’s “footprint,” which includes production facilities in 14 countries and offices in 36 countries. Wrigley’s brands -- including licorice candy in Sweden and Pim Pom lollipops in China and India -- are available in more than 180 countries, representing 97 percent of the global population. In 2005 alone, Wrigley’s netted $517 million in annual earnings, with over $4 billion in net sales. And they’re just one multinational corporation among thousands.
Wrigley’s recent strategic decision to close U.S.-based production facilities in Illinois and New Jersey and open a new factory in Silao, Mexico, also reflects the push-pull of an increasingly globalized economy. Wrigley’s represents both the scale, scope, and production trends of today’s multinational corporation. Their sign-on to a supplier code of conduct is an important step forward and reflects a growing trend by large corporations to invest new attention into how raw materials are derived, and how resulting product is produced and delivered.
It also demonstrates the kind of impact that consumers and shareholders can have in strengthening human and environmental rights through corporate advocacy. One of UUSC’s partners in this effort is the Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility.
Jim Gunning, a chief architect of UUSC’s shareholder advocacy program and a leader at ICCR says, “This agreement by Wrigley to our demands is a win-win situation, and the full chain of Wrigley suppliers will become more socially accountable in the process.”
Now that’s something to chew on!
