SAI Newsletter – December 2023

Thank you for an impactful year - here are just a few highlights:

Over 2 million workers are impacted at 5,291 SA8000-certified facilities across 49 countries and 56 industries. Visit our SA8000 program page to take a deeper look at our SA8000 numbers from this year and read our recent profile of SA8000-certified company, Tropical Cheese.

SA8000 Standard Revision Workshop in Portugal

This year, SAI held 13 SA8000 Standard Revision workshops across 10 countries, gathering feedback on our initial draft materials and input to inform future stages of the drafting process. From everyone at SAI, we would like to thank the nearly 250 people from SA8000-certified organizations, audit firms, government agencies, and human rights and workers’ rights organizations, who attended the workshops and provided their valuable expertise and insights. 

We also launched our Social Accountability Consultant Registry and Consultant Course for social accountability consultants. The Registry aims to elevate and recognize consultants who demonstrate a baseline level of relevant training and experience and advance credible capacity building and change management.

Palma Futuro festival in Colombia

Palma Futuro implemented many community activities, including festivals, talent shows, community circles, and more. The Palma team has now reached 100+ communities, formed 60 community circles, and helped develop over 300 improvement plans for private sector partners in the palm oil sector.

The Mexico Awareness-Raising project, a USDOL-funded grant implemented in partnership with Partners of the Americas, reached 635 employers through in-person and online training, held 21 workshops, and conducted 9 technical assistance sessions for the auto parts, auto assembly, electronics, steel and aluminum sectors in Mexico.

Sustentar Project Director, Claudia Derbez

Sustentar, which aims to improve working conditions in the Mexican chile and tomato sectors, conducted 44 field visits, formed 11 partnerships with growers, processors, and retailers, and reached 18 labor recruiters through trainings, events, and workshops this year.

TenSquared launch workshop in Shenzhen

TenSquared, our accelerated change management challenge to improve social performance and relations between workers and management, launched four cohorts this year and expanded into two additional countries, India and Malaysia.

Selva Grapragasem leads MY Voice training

MY Voice, a project to increase worker voice and address forced and child labor in Malaysia's garment and palm oil sectors, held 10 training sessions and workshops on social compliance systems and child labor remediation, built 4 partnerships with private sector partners in the garment and palm oil industries, and relaunched the Just Good Work app for migrant workers.

SA8000 Basic Course in Coimbatore, India

750+ social auditors, business managers, union leaders, civil society representatives, government officials, and many others attended SAI's 50 public trainings in 14 countries, a growing movement of professionals around the world dedicated to human rights at work.