FFC Home
Retailers, consumer brands, trading agents and other buyers face the challenge of ensuring that factory workplace standards are properly integrated into their supply chain and sourcing operations.
A key tool in assessing factory workplace conditions is the use of social compliance audits. Buyers also use audits to assess security and environmental conditions in factories. Nevertheless, there is no comprehensive process for managing or sharing social compliance audit information. Many laudable efforts to create a widespread process have resulted in multiple, duplicative systems.
To help address this challenge, Federated Merchandising Group, Hudson's Bay Company, Mark's Work Wearhouse Ltd., Reebok International Ltd., The Wet Seal, the National Retail Federation, the Retail Council of Canada, and World Monitors Inc. have jointly organized the Fair Factories Clearinghouse (FFC), a collaborative industry effort involving retail and consumer brands and retail trade associations to create a system for managing and sharing audit information.
The FFC will house a global database of factory information and social compliance audit reports for the purpose of managing and sharing non-competitive information about workplace conditions in a manner that is cost-effective, can inform sourcing decisions by retailers and brands, and help improve factory workplace conditions around the world.
The FFC is a New York non-profit corporation founded in 2004 and funded by member contributions and a grant from the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor.