Steering clear of products tainted by child labor

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.investors.com/breakingnews.asp?journalid=67959591

By Marshall Loeb
Last Updated: 2/11/2008 7:30:00 PM

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- For years American consumers have faced the challenge of recognizing and avoiding goods manufactured by child laborers, estimated to number 218 million by the U.N.'s International Labor Organization. But having penetrated key industries such as apparel and agriculture, the offending merchandise is not always easy to reject.

Forbes' magazine writer Megha Bahree suggests several steps you can take to minimize the chances that the things you buy have passed through the hands of a child laborer.

* Know the company and learn about its labor policies. Every time you buy an imported homemade carpet, an embroidered pair of jeans or a soccer ball chances are you're acquiring something fashioned by a child. Such goods are available in places like GapKids, Macy's, ABC Carpet & Home, Lowe's and Home Depot. These retailers say they are aware of child-labor problems, but a supply chain has many links and even a well-intentioned importer can't police them all.

* Check the label. This may seem obvious, but if you are serious about fighting child labor, check the item's registered identification number (RN) on the label against the Federal Trade Commission's database (http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/rn/index.shtml). Among the noteworthy offenders are Mali, Cambodia and Guatemala, with 63%, 38% and 23%, respectively, of children working.

* Keep an eye out for certifications. While no universal certification exists for child-labor-free products, there are groups that monitor specific industries. The Rugmark Foundation (www.rugmark.org) certifies rug manufacturers that adhere to strict labor standards. TransFair USA (www.transfairusa.org) monitors commodities like coffee and tea and makes sure farmers are paid a far price for fair-trade-certified goods. Additionally, when you see the emblem of the AFL-CIO (www.aflcio.org) on a product or store, you can rest assured the employees who make the product are fairly treated members of a union.

* Avoid counterfeits. Counterfeit items such as watches, purses and clothing don't just shortchange the companies that produce the real thing. Their proceeds often support criminal activity, and there's a fair chance the goods were made in a sweatshop.