Table of Contents
Child Labor cited by U.S. Government
Risk of Forced Labor or Trafficking in Persons cited by other source
Documented presence of other vulnerable workers
Forced Labor or Trafficking in Persons cited by U.S. Government
Risk of Child Labor cited by other source
Documented presence of migrant workers
Documented presence or significant likelihood of third-party labor recruiters
Large numbers of dispersed, unorganized, or informal small producers or other worksites
Multiple points of aggregation, co-mingling, and/or transformation across supply chain
Complex/opaque supply chains and/or lack of vertical integration
High degree of flexibility in procurement practices of downstream entities
Scale or nature of risk is present across multiple tiers or nodes of supply chain (including in associated downstream or upstream goods)
Scale or nature of risk varies significantly based on geographic area of production
Scale or nature of risk is strongly associated with certain types of suppliers/entities
Silk thread is produced from the cocoons of silkworms. The process includes boiling the cocoons, then unravelling the cocoons to make long silk strands, which are then reeled together to make silk thread.10Egglestone, Ryan. “Silk-Making Is an Ancient Practice That Presents an Ethical Dilemma.” Discover Magazine, 2021, www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/silk-making-is-an-ancient-practice-that-presents-an-ethical-dilemma. The reeling of silk thread can be done either manually or by machines. The raw silk is then sold either through traders or directly to twisters.11Roy, Chandan and Mukherjee, Sanchari. “Issues of Productivity, Employment and Exploitation in Artisanal Silk Industry of West Bengal.” Indian Journal of Social and Natural Sciences, 2015, dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2826492. In some cases, the farmers are responsible for both the reeling process, and the twisting and bleaching of silk threads.12Pratama, Andi et.al. “Examining forest economies: A case study of silk value chain analysis in Wajo District”. Forest and Society, 2019, dx.doi.org/10.24259/fs.v3i1.4912. The raw silk then undergoes throwing and twisting into silk yarn, which is then dyed and ready to be sold either through middlemen or directly to customers, such as weavers, to turn yarns into silk fabric.13“How Is Silk Made? From Silkworm to Silk Fabric: The Secrets of Silk Production.” Lalouette, lalouettesilk.com/blog/how-is-silk-made/#stifling.
Reeling (i.e boiling silkworm cocoons, unraveling the cocoons and reeling to make silk thread)
Twisting and bleaching (i.e. throwing and twisting into fine silk threads/silk yarns, and dyeing)
Weaving
Transportation/Sale of raw silk
Silk thread is produced from silk cocoons, the production of which has been associated with forced and child labor.
The primary use of silk thread is to produce silk fabric.