Mon Sep 30 04:13:12 UTC 2024: ## Supermarkets’ Price Wars Drive Exploitation in Global Shrimp Industry: Report
**BANGKOK (AP) -** An investigation by a coalition of NGOs reveals that aggressive price demands from major Western supermarkets are pushing down wages and fueling labor exploitation in the global shrimp industry, particularly in Vietnam, Indonesia, and India. These three countries produce roughly half of the world’s shrimp supply, feeding the demand of top markets like the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom.
The report, titled “Human Rights for Dinner,” paints a grim picture of working conditions in the shrimp supply chain. Workers, mostly women, face long hours, low wages, and unsafe conditions in processing facilities. In Vietnam, shrimp peelers often work six or seven days a week in freezing temperatures, with their wages based on production and not guaranteed to reach minimum wage. In India, child labor is prevalent, with girls as young as 14 being recruited for peeling work. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, shrimp workers’ wages have dropped since the pandemic, and they routinely work 12-hour shifts to meet production quotas.
The report implicates major supermarket chains such as Target, Walmart, Costco, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Aldi, and Co-op in contributing to these exploitative practices through their relentless pursuit of lower wholesale prices. While some companies have responded with statements of commitment to ethical sourcing and fair prices, the report argues that their procurement practices are failing to reach the bottom of the supply chain where the workers are most vulnerable.
The researchers advocate for higher wholesale prices from supermarkets, with the extra revenue flowing to workers. They also suggest that U.S. policymakers utilize antitrust and other existing laws to regulate pricing practices and ensure fair treatment for suppliers.
The report’s findings are a stark reminder of the human cost of globalized food systems and the need for increased transparency and accountability within the supply chain. The international community, retailers, and governments must take immediate action to address the exploitation of workers in the shrimp industry and ensure that “human rights are on the menu.”
First Piper 