By: Patricia Jurewicz & Mara Curtis

Yarn Spinning Mill

Photo Credit: Responsible Sourcing Network

YESS: Yarn Ethically & Sustainably Sourced, an initiative of Responsible Sourcing Network (RSN), has just published a publicly-available list of yarn and fabric suppliers that are participating in its due diligence initiative. Spinning and fabric mills are assessed by third-party auditors on their management systems and inventory controls to mitigate the risk of forced labor in their cotton supply chains against the YESS Standards.

Recent legislation, such as the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) is requiring companies to cascade due diligence through multiple tiers of its suppliers. As a multi-stakeholder initiative, YESS can assist brands in coordinating their requirements to identify and address harm in the upstream tiers of their supply chains. YESS trains yarn and textile manufacturers to understand and implement risk-based due diligence activities.

RSN’s Director of Program Development and Coordinator of YESS, Michael Baldino-Kelly, said “We’re excited to make the list public and specifically to highlight the hard work of the first movers - mills that have started out on incorporating due diligence work into their supply chains. It takes time and effort to implement these processes, so I want to commend them on their hard work and foresight.”

While the list of YESS Participating Mills is publicly available, status and details of their assessment results and other related data points will only available via the YESS Portal to YESS members. Membership is open to diverse stakeholders including community groups, CSOs, academics, industry associations, service providers, spinning and fabric mills, brands, retailers, and others.

RSN has ambitious plans to grow the list of YESS Participating Mills globally. To accomplish this, RSN has partnered with audit management company Sumerra. Sumerra currently manages audits and verifications around the world for initiatives such as the Social/Labor Convergence Program (SLCP), Cascale, and the Ethical Supplier Engagement Program (ESEP).

“Sumerra is honored to partner with RSN on the implementation and expansion of the YESS Program,” said Jason Roberts, CEO of Sumerra. “To support the global trend toward a due diligence approach, we are committed to training auditors and managing a program that will drive positive impact up the supply chain. Furthermore, we can leverage existing infrastructure and relationships to efficiently scale YESS.”

Patricia Jurewicz, RSN CEO and creator of YESS, stated “This is the tip of the iceberg. With the help of Sumerra, we can create a standardized and global approach to addressing forced labor throughout cotton supply chains. By having a public list of the mills proactively preventing and mitigating harm, brands can support their efforts and drive demand for cotton that is harvested responsibly.”

RSN recently hosted a webinar highlighting the public YESS Participation Mills List, detailing the partnership with Sumerra, and providing updates on the implementation of YESS on July 16th, viewable here.

To learn more about the mills participating in YESS and the partnership with Sumerra, view our recent webinar.

To access the press release, please visit: YESS Participating Mills List Live, Sumerra Partnership Will Enable YESS to Scale visit.