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M & S highlights that , in the world of retail , establishing trust and meeting customer expectations is an imperative criteria in today ’ s market . Aside from the ethical responsibilities of maintaining an accountable supply chain , the company also emphasises that doing so simply makes good business sense : “ Growing pressure on natural resources and poor global stewardship may increase our costs , restrict our access to key raw materials and make our global supply chains more volatile ,” says its website .
Selling 3 billion items a year from over 2,000 suppliers , sourced from 20,000 farms 100,000 smallholders , M & S estimates that its supply chain features around 2 million people , therefore demonstrating an awareness both of its own ecosystem but also the scale of any practicable solution . An innovative step towards greater transparency was achieved in 2016 , when it made an interactive map available which allows the public to locate its clothing and food manufacturers worldwide . M & S ’ overall
JULY 2020