CIPS Futures | The Procurement and Supply Chain Podcast

CIPS Foundation tackles modern slavery: the five hundred billion dollar crime in your supply chain

CIPS Futures | The Procurement and Supply Chain Podcast

Show Notes

An estimated 28 million people are employed in forced labour in supply chains. Procurement professionals are on the frontline of this global crime - one estimated to be worth half a trillion dollars. It is a challenge the CIPS Foundation is working with UK-based modern slavery charity Unseen to tackle head on by providing funding to turn data from its Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline into actionable insights for procurement professionals. In this CIPS Foundation special we lift the lid on an issue that exposes organisations to significant financial, legal and reputational risks - where "plausible deniability" is no longer an option and fundamental human rights are at stake. Andrew Wallis OBE, CEO of Unseen, and Sodexo's Madeline Fitton MCIPS, founder and chair of the BSA Modern Slavery Council, share what progress has been made 10 years on from the UK's landmark Modern Slavery Act. We uncover the scale of the challenge facing procurement, address why effective legislation must be designed as a "spiky carrot", and provide essential advice on how to identify and respond to modern slavery in your own supply chain. Further reading:

Learn more about the CIPS Foundation Read: How the CIPS Foundation is supporting Unseen Watch: CIPS Foundation & Unseen tackling modern slavery together Find out more about Unseen and the Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline

More from CIPS Futures | The Procurement and Supply Chain Podcast

Sep 21, 2026

Corruption in procurement is changing. It is no longer simply a buyer taking a bribe from a supplier. Nor does it exist only in certain geographies or industries. As global supply networks become more complex, risks are becoming harder to spot, from hidden beneficial ownership and inflated intermediary fees to manipulated e-auctions, tailored specifications and AI-generated documentation designed to look legitimate.We’re joined by Sope Williams, Distinguished Visiting Professor in Government Contracts Law at George Washington University and CIPS Global Head of Sustainability Maxfield Weiss, to explore why corruption remains a persistent challenge in modern supply chains. And what procurement professionals can do about it.We discuss why traditional compliance programmes often fail to change behaviour, how technology can both expose and enable misconduct, and why digital literacy is now a core procurement competency. The conversation also examines the importance of asking difficult questions early, strengthening transparency across supply chains, and ensuring that subcontractors and their suppliers can be trusted.Plus, why leaders must "walk the talk" and give their teams genuine authority to challenge corrupt practices. Further reading:

Aug 24, 2026

Part two of the CIPS Foundation special features Tony’s Chocolonely Chief Impact Officer, Pascal Baltussen, sharing how the company exists to end exploitation and child labour in cocoa farming. Pascal talks us through the company’s five sourcing principles – and why all of them must be done in a united impact model, consistently, to bring about real systemic change.

Aug 17, 2026

In the first of a two-part series, CIPS Foundation lead Emma Scott speaks with ActionAid programme officer, Afram Kwame, about the work being done by the charity in West Africa to address the problem of child labour in coca supply chains.

Jul 27, 2026

In this episode, we talk to one of procurement's great thinkers, Dr Elouise Epstein, futurist, author and partner at Kearney. In a fascinating conversation with CIPS global CEO Ben Farrell and governance director Kate Tomlinson, she discusses: why AI will change everything but won't take your job; why we should watch how private equity deploys procurement; supply chains as national security assets; and the importance of telling great stories. Plus, we reveal how CIPS and Elouise will be working together to take procurement professionals to a new level of AI expertise. Related links...

Jun 22, 2026

The AI revolution, shifting geopolitical alliances, and a new generation in the workforce. Mike Soutar, author of Next Gen CEO and star from the BBC’s The Apprentice describes these as "the three storms". What does this mean for the next generation of leaders? Mike has 60 lessons, but here are just two: it's a leader's job to maintain momentum; and people don't follow pessimists. Plus, why procurement and supply chain professionals are in a unique position to lead organisations in an uncertain, fast-moving world. From creating space for constructive dissent to building culture in remote organisations, this revealing conversation with CIPS CEO Ben Farrell is a fascinating insight into the future of leadership. This episode is sponsored by Vantify, the vantage point for connected compliance. You can find out more about them at Vantify.com Related links...

See all episodes →