How to disrupt human trafficking? Change how we shop!

By Our Sunday Visitor Editorial Board, OSV News

We all want stuff. And we want it cheap -- particularly as inflation continues to drive even basic kitchen table needs. The allure of cheap labor and goods has become an undeniable force driving consumer choices. But too often, in our quest for affordability and convenience, we look past the consequences of our buying habits. Behind the scenes, an insidious web of exploitation, suffering and human rights abuses emerges, fueled by the demand for low-cost products and services. The alarming reality is that the demand for cheap labor and goods is a significant contributor to the pervasive crime of human trafficking.

Labor trafficking, a form of modern slavery, finds fertile ground in industries where cost-cutting measures are given priority over human welfare. From agriculture to manufacturing, construction to domestic work, unscrupulous employers capitalize on a workforce lacking legal protections and often composed of migrants seeking a chance at survival. Workers suffer deplorable conditions, substandard wages and limited rights. Their cries for fair treatment are stifled by the cacophony of profit-driven motivations.

The connection between cheap goods and human trafficking is equally disturbing. Global supply chains, while efficient in delivering products to our doorsteps, often remain opaque, allowing traffickers to exploit the cracks in the system. Exploitation pervades factories hidden in remote corners of the world, where workers toil under duress to produce the latest gadgets, garments and other consumer goods. Their plight remains hidden behind the shiny veneer of finished products.

Estimates from the International Labour Organization (ILO) provide insights into the scale of this form of modern slavery. A 2022 ILO report reveals that of the 50 million people trafficked in 2021, an alarming 27.6 million individuals were trapped in the grim clutches of forced labor.

To put this staggering figure into perspective, that’s equivalent to 3.5 individuals subjected to this inhumane plight for every thousand people around the globe. Among them, a heartbreaking 11.8 million are women and girls, while an equally distressing 3.3 million are innocent children, their childhoods stolen from them.

Regrettably, the scourge of forced labor has been on the rise in recent times. A comparison with the 2016 global estimates unveils a sobering truth: 2.7 million individuals have fallen prey to forced labor between 2016 and 2021.

We need to acknowledge that our individual choices have far-reaching consequences. Every dollar we spend on cheap products and services that rely on exploited labor further fuels the demand that traffickers exploit. When we ignore the origin of our purchases, we may participate in perpetuating a cycle of suffering that ensnares millions.

As consumers, we must engage in conscientious decision-making. Governments, businesses and civil society alike must collaborate to ensure that human rights are respected across supply chains. Transparent sourcing practices, fair wages and safe working conditions are not luxuries but basic human rights that must be upheld. Businesses have a moral obligation to give priority to ethical practices over short-term gains. Governments must strengthen labor protections, enforce anti-trafficking laws and support the most vulnerable.

In his first trip outside of Rome as pope, Pope Francis visited the Italian island of Lampedusa, a major entry point for migrants and refugees. During his visit, he denounced the “globalization of indifference” and highlighted the plight of migrants who often fall victim to human trafficking. The pope told a stadium filled with young people, “The culture of comfort, which makes us think only of ourselves, makes us insensitive to the cries of other people, makes us live in soap bubbles which, however lovely, are insubstantial; they offer a fleeting and empty illusion which results in indifference to others; indeed, it even leads to the globalization of indifference.”

The heinous crime of human trafficking thrives on that indifference. Unseen and unnoticed, merchants of evil, trafficking in human beings, rely on the consumerist desires of others.
To dismantle the intricate web of human trafficking, we must acknowledge the role that our desire for cheap labor and goods plays in perpetuating this crime. By altering our consumption habits, advocating for change, and supporting businesses that uphold ethical standards, we can make a powerful stand against human trafficking. Affordable prices must never come at the cost of other human beings.

The Catholic Church in the United States is deeply committed to ending human trafficking. But decisions each of us make every day can contribute to that fight. Our buying decisions are ethical choices.