ETI’s experimental projects provide our corporate, trade union and NGO members with an opportunity of working together to identify and promote good practice in specific aspects of code implementation, often in collaboration with their suppliers and partners. Each ETI project focuses on a different and often challenging area of code implementation.

Current projects cover a wide range of issues, sectors and locations - from the pay of homeworkers making Christmas crackers in the UK, to the challenges of working in China. Pages 12 - 14 detail the activities and achievements of our projects on child labour, homeworkers and temporary farm workers in the UK. Other projects are:

Smallholders Project: this project aims to establish how the ETI Base Code can be applied, implemented and monitored with smallholders and their workers, and to document different approaches to improving their conditions. The project group has drafted guidelines on these issues for suppliers and smallholders, and is refining these guidelines through field testing in Kenya.

China Project: over the next three years this project will explore various approaches to addressing the many challenges of ethical sourcing in this country. Our initial focus will be on raising awareness about codes and tackling health and safety issues. The project will also continue as a forum for members to share experiences, discuss particular issues in sourcing from China and hear from guest speakers.

Collective Risk Assessment Project: this aims to test and improve a one-day, oneperson, single-site risk assessment process, and to establish the circumstances under which the use of this process is credible. The resulting risk assessment tool and framework for its application will enable companies to prioritise sites for more thorough inspection and follow-up work.

Sri Lanka Garment Industry Project: we are investigating ways of applying the provisions of our Base Code in the Sri Lankan garment industry, by developing robust methods for identifying issues, formulating corrective actions and assessing their impact.

Costa Rica Project: we spent almost four years trying to facilitate a tripartite local group to agree and develop a collaborative inspection methodology for use in banana plantations. Sadly we concluded that the engagement was not working and we closed the project. We are, however, documenting the project’s experience and learning.
 

Web edition link - see also:

Activities: Experimental Projects

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Our China project will raise awareness about codes in garment factories and other workplaces.