Labeling for Lent - An Effort to Prevent Human Trafficking

By the Coalition of Catholic Organizations Against Human Trafficking (CCOAHT)

Human trafficking is a global phenomenon that enslaves women, men, and children into situations of forced labor, debt bondage, and sexual servitude. Human trafficking is wide spread in many products’ supply chains, including products sold in the United States. For example, the United States imports 80-90% of its seafood, and tens of thousands of people are exploited at every link in the seafood harvesting and production chain. This exploitation occurs through abusive recruitment practices, as well as slavery at sea and in seafood processing plants.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

So what can we, as Catholics, do to prevent human trafficking and exploitation in supply chains? We can educate ourselves and use our power as ethical consumers to help stamp out trafficking.

“Together with the social responsibility of businesses, there is also the social responsibility of consumers. Every person ought to have the awareness that purchasing is always a moral – and not simply an economic – act.” —Pope Francis, World Day of Peace, January 1, 2015

HOW CAN WE DO THIS?

Currently, we are not always given the information we need to make moral purchasing decisions. CCOAHT wants to ask seafood companies that are engaged in cleaning up their supply chains to label their packaged products. Through labeling, we as consumers can make educated purchasing choices that help eradicate human trafficking.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

This Lent, we ask you to fill out this short, five-question survey. CCOAHT will use the data from this survey when it reaches out to seafood companies to request that they include a label on their packaged products. As human trafficking often includes child-victims, please consider participating in this program as part of your ministry and vocation. 

Take the survey today to help end human trafficking!