Overseas sourcing can be the most complex part of any business, especially one that strives toward social responsibility.

We’ve consolidated here some of the best articles, links and materials on everything from sweatshops to certifications.

On sweatshops:

• Green America’s Guide to Ending Sweatshops, Spring 2008
• Confessions of a Sweatshop Inspector Washington Monthly April 2008

 Alternatives:

• Green America’s Guide to Fair Trade 2009
• SweatFree Communities Wholesale Guide, www.sweatfree.org/wsguide

 On standards-setting:

• International Labor Organization, www.ilo.org
• International Labor Rights Forum, www.laborrights.org
• Ethical Trading Initiative, www.ethicaltrade.org
• Fair Trade Federation, www.fairtradefederation.org
• Social Accountability International, www.sa-intl.org
• Fair Labor Association, www.fairlabor.org/conduct
• Maquila Solidarity Network, http://en.maquilasolidarity.org/

Labor Monitoring:

• The Worker Rights Consortium www.workersrights.org
• Verité www.verite.org

China:

At Green America, we tip our hats to Rony Alcalay of Approved Member company Vital Hemptations who openly discusses his experience in the pursuit of ethical sourcing. As many of you know, this can often feel like an endless pursuit!

Rony’s journey led him to China where he sought to personally verify the working conditions of laborers making his products. For the latest on his factory, check out Vital Hemptations summer 2010 newsletter.

Meanwhile, our friends at the International Labor Rights Forum developed and shared the followings documents with us. This one has resources on labor rights in China: http://www.laborrights.org/creating-a-sweatfree-world/rule-of-law/china-program/resources/10767 and this includes questions to ask your factory managers: http://www.laborrights.org/creating-a-sweatfree-world/sweatshops/resources/10768

For more information on sourcing from China:

• China Labor Watch, http://www.chinalaborwatch.org
• China Labor News Translations, http://www.clntranslations.org
• Labour Action China, http://www.lac.org.hk/en/index.php
  • International Labour Organization, http://www.ilo.org/public/english/region/asro/beijing/
  • Asia Monitor Resource Centre, http://www.amrc.org.hk/
  • China CSR, http://www.chinacsr.com/en/
  • China Labour Bulletin, http://www.china-labour.org.hk/en/
  • All China Federation of Trade Unions, http://www.acftu.org

 To see Green America’s Seal of Approval guiding principles relating to sourcing and the workplace, click here.