Product Tracking

Table of Contents

Companies already track the movement of products through their supply chains for all kinds of reasons: food companies track the movement of ingredients to ensure food safety; automotive companies track the movement of products to ensure consumer safety; companies in all sectors track the movement of products to enable forecasting and to generally optimize supply chain efficiency. The business community’s longstanding familiarity with product tracking for these purposes is a jumping off point for harnessing product tracking to combat labor abuses.

Most methods of tracking products for any purpose allow companies to make claims relevant to the Chain of Custody of goods in their supply chain. Chain of Custody refers to a record of the series of supply chain entities that had physical possession of a product or materials. (Note that one form of product tracking, certificate trading, does not support Chain of Custody claims. However, authoritative reports in the field such as A Guide to Traceability by the United Nations Global Compact and BSR, and ISEAL’s Chain of Custody Models and Definitions report include certificate trading under analyses of the product tracking field.) This focus on the Chain of Custody of goods and materials differentiates Product Tracking from efforts like supply chain mapping that identify and enable engagement with supply chain entities, separate from the movement of any specific good or batch of goods.

The multiple methods that fulfill a product tracking functional element vary in terms of requirements to segregate batches of product, the Chain of Custody requirements, and the resulting claims that can be made.

How can tracking the movement of products help combat forced labor and child labor in supply chains?

All approaches for tracking the movement of product through supply chains can help companies move towards more ethical supply chain practices.

Many approaches to tracking products that focus on sustainability specifically are centered around tracking and documenting the Chain of Custody of batches or volumes goods or materials as they are produced, aggregated, and/or transformed by supply chain entities that can demonstrate compliance with social responsibility or other sustainability standards, often under the umbrella of a certification scheme or another voluntary sustainability initiative. (For more examples of how certification schemes support traceability in a range of sectors, see the Examples page). To be considered credible labor and human rights due diligence approaches, voluntary sustainability schemes (including certification schemes) should:

have standards that are aligned with ILO core labor conventions and clearly address issues such as forced labor and child labor;
access and reflect the voices, experiences, and needs of workers and their advocates; and
outline a comprehensive plan for integrating worker experiences into due diligence systems to address risk and abuses.

For more information on assessing the degree to which certification schemes and other voluntary sustainability initiatives address serious labor rights abuses, see: Responsible Sourcing Tool’s Evaluating the Anti-Trafficking Requirements of Voluntary Sustainability Systems.

Downstream companies participating in traceability efforts that leverage certification or other voluntary sustainability schemes that meet these benchmarks can support improved conditions for workers at participating worksites and provide market incentives for producers to continue producing socially responsible goods.

In supply chain contexts where certification schemes that adequately address forced labor and child labor are not available or feasible, it is still possible to implement product tracking approaches that support labor rights due diligence goals by leveraging the supply chain information surfaced by product tracking approaches. For example, tracking products for the purposes of consumer safety, quality control, or fraud control can be leveraged to surface information about the identities of supply chain entities taking possession of goods and materials and the relationships between these entities. These approaches also typically require commercial procurement teams to build relationships with suppliers to implement these systems; the relationships stemming from this engagement are powerful resources for driving future due diligence and compliance efforts.

Identity preservation is a type of tracking method enabling a product or component of a product to be traced back to a single point of origin. It is important to note, however, that the level of granularity of this origin point can vary (i.e. to an individual farm or facility, to a region, or to a country). When conducted at a regional or country level, Identity Preservation is similar to Bulk Commodity product tracking. Identity preservation differs from other Product Tracking traceability methods in that product from a certified or otherwise designated source is kept separate from materials from other sources, including from other certified or otherwise designated sources. This degree of segregation allows visibility to sources of the material as well as supply chain transaction points for a specific batch of products if identity preservation is maintained throughout a supply chain. Identity preservation is typically viewed as the most comprehensive traceability method, although it is also considered to be resource intensive and may not be feasible in certain supply chain contexts. Note that there is not a single definition of Identity Preservation, although leading definitions overlap significantly. For more on the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) definition, see ISO 22095:2020(en) Chain of custody — General terminology and models. For more on ISEAL’s definition, see ISEAL Guidance: Chain of custody models and definitions.

Benefit	Applicable?
Provides information on origin of good or material in actual physical good	Yes
Provides information on geographic locations of transit points of actual good along supply chain	In some cases, if there is batch-level tracking occurring throughout the supply chain.
Provides information on transactions between entities along supply chain tied to specific good/batch of goods (Chain of Custody)	Yes
Provides information on location and identities of entities along supply chain	Yes
Provides information on sourcing relationships between entities along supply chain such as indirect suppliers and facilities management groups	Yes
Provides information on volume of certified or assessed sustainable product supported by purchase	Yes
Supports collection of information about labor conditions, or access to / reflection of the voices, experiences, and needs of workers in the supply chain	In some cases, depending on the presence and strength of the associated certification or other voluntary sustainability scheme. When used alongside a credible certification or voluntary sustainability scheme with strong labor rights standards and a mechanism for accessing and reflecting the voices, experiences, and needs of workers, identity preservation can act to attach information about working conditions to a specific batch or volume of material. On the other hand, some forms of the identity preservation model -- such as tracking the chain of custody of a batch of product for food safety or anti-fraud purposes -- will not collect any information on working conditions. Many models of identity preservation will be somewhere along this spectrum, for example, by offering assurances that supply chain entities have systems to address labor rights, but not directly surfacing credible information on actual working conditions in practice.
Decreases market for unethical goods and increases market for goods produced with less FL/CL risk; Provides structure to drive increased value to producers and suppliers with demonstrated commitment to labor and human rights due diligence	In some cases. Because of the challenges of implementing at scale, particularly in complex supply chains with multiple points of aggregation and transformation, insistence on an identity preservation model may actually hinder participation of small-scale producers and suppliers – and therefore access to market access and a return on investment.
Facilitates increased engagement with supply chain actors	Yes. Implementation of identity preservation typically requires some degree of pre-engagement with participating suppliers. The scope of that participation will vary depending on the level of granularity of the identity preservation approach being implemented as well as the specific technologies used. As noted above, participating in some forms of identity preservation may not be feasible for smaller suppliers with limited financial or administrative capacity.

How can identity preservation help combat forced labor and child labor in supply chains?

Identity preservation approaches track specific products or components of products; it is important to remember that the primary unit of analysis is the product/component of product/good itself. However, implementing identity preservation product traceability requires a system in place to ensure that all supply chain entities can comply with Chain of Custody requirements. That level of engagement and visibility into Chain of Custody practices can be leveraged to communicate and embed expectations for the ethical labor and hiring practices for each of those suppliers.

As noted above, a high level of transparency into supply chain entities is required to implement identity preservation traceability. Some implementation examples of identity preservation traceability schemes include standards and assessment for labor rights, but this cannot be assumed. Companies can use the granular supply chain visibility to prioritize and assess labor rights risk at specific worksites along the supply chain, including the original producers of the target good, as well as entities and suppliers further downstream that process or otherwise handle the target good.

What are some examples of identity preservation product tracking that could be used to combat forced labor and child labor in action?

What supply chain characteristics would support the use of identity preservation product tracking?

There is evidence of the most serious labor/human rights abuses in a particular sourcing region or among certain producer types.
Consumer and/or regulatory demand for assurance is tied to a specific physical product in a company’s supply chain.
Entities along the length of the supply chain have the capacity to implement Chain of Custody requirements.
The producer base is well organized and has the capacity to participate and implement any technical requirements.
Downstream supply chains are relatively vertical/streamlined, and there are limited points of aggregation and transformation.
The value chain can support higher financial investments needed for logistics to maintain an identity preserved Chain of Custody.

What tools and technologies can support identity preservation product tracking?

Implementing a traceability system that preserves the identity of a good from origin to retailer requires significant technological support.

Functionality Needed	Potential Facilitating Technology Types
Creating an identity for an individual good or batch to which Chain of Custody information and other desired information can be attached	Tags Additive Tracers
Identify certified or other designated product as distinct from other product	Tags Additive Tracers
Documenting transactions throughout length of supply chain, including points of aggregation or transformation, if relevant	Transaction ledgers (e.g., blockchain) Digital Chain of Custody Platform

Like Identity Preservation product tracking, the Bulk Commodity method of product tracking also requires that certified or other designated materials be kept separate from non-certified/non-designated materials. However, Bulk Commodity allows mixing of products from different producers, so the origin of goods in any specific physical product cannot typically be identified to the level of individual producers – although identification of origin of goods to national or regional level may be possible (Bulk Commodity product tracking is similar to country-level Identity Preservation product tracking in this way).¹ Further, depending on how a scheme is implemented – both in terms of supply chain structure and the use of digital platforms to capture and display transactional data – it may be possible to leverage a Bulk Commodity traceability program to allow downstream companies and suppliers to gain visibility into the identities of upstream producers and suppliers who contributed to the total volume of a certified good purchased.

Benefits	Applicable?
Provides information on origin of good or material in actual physical good	In some cases
Provides information on geographic locations of transit points of actual good along supply chain	In some cases
Provides information on transactions between entities along supply chain tied to specific good/batch of goods (Chain of Custody)	Partially
Provides information on location and identities of entities along supply chain	In some cases
Provides information on sourcing relationships between entities along supply chain such as indirect suppliers and facilities management groups	In some cases
Provides information on volume of certified or assessed sustainable product supported by purchase	Yes
Supports collection of information about labor conditions, or access to / reflection of the voices, experiences, and needs of workers in the supply chain	In some cases – depending on the presence and strength of the associated certification or other voluntary sustainability scheme. When used alongside a credible certification or voluntary sustainability scheme with strong labor rights standards and a mechanism for accessing and reflecting the voices, experiences, and needs of workers, bulk commodity product tracking can act to “attach” information about working conditions to a volume of material. On the other hand, some forms of the bulk commodity method will not collect any information on working conditions. Many models of bulk commodity product tracking will be somewhere along this spectrum –for example, by offering assurances that supply chain entities have systems to address labor rights, but not directly surfacing credible information on actual working conditions in practice.
Decreases market for unethical goods and increases market for goods produced with less FL/CL risk; Provides structure to drive increased value to producers and suppliers with demonstrated commitment to labor and human rights due diligence	In some cases. It is helpful to note that because bulk commodity models are not as intensive as full identity preservation methods, they may be more feasible to implement for a broader range of producers and suppliers.
Facilitates increased engagement with supply chain actors	Yes. It is helpful to note that because bulk commodity models are not as intensive as full identity preservation methods, they may be more feasible to implement for a broader range of producers and suppliers.

How can bulk commodity help combat forced labor and child labor in supply chains?

Like other forms of product tracking, traceability data from a Bulk Commodity system is centered around tracing the certified product itself, rather than collecting information on the entities that handle the good. However, in many cases, it may be possible to leverage a Bulk Commodity traceability program to allow downstream companies to gain visibility into the identities of upstream producers and suppliers who contributed to the total volume of a certified good purchased. Once these identities have been established, a company could work to communicate and embed expectations about labor rights practices to upstream suppliers.

Bulk Commodity traceability cannot provide specific producer-level origin information, since goods from multiple certified producers can be combined. However, origin information may still be available at a national or regional level, allowing for initial high-level risk assessments to be conducted. Further, as noted above, if the system is leveraged to identify specific suppliers along the supply chain, more targeted work-site level risk assessments can be conducted. Depending on the type of certification in question, the certifying standards may also include some degree of labor assessment at the producer level, but not all sustainability or traceability schemes include a robust labor rights focus. Further, sustainability schemes that do include a labor rights assessment at the point of material origin typically do not conduct assessments for downstream suppliers and worksites.

What are some examples of Bulk Commodity Product Tracking that could be used to combat forced labor and child labor in action?

What supply chain characteristics would support the use of bulk commodity product tracking?

Evidence of the most serious labor/human rights abuses at a national level or amongst certain types of producers/suppliers (i.e. risk could be addressed by sourcing from certified or other designated producers participating in a scheme with strong labor rights standards and mechanisms to access and reflect the voices, experiences, and needs of workers).
Consumer and/or regulatory demand for assurance is tied to a specific physical product in the company’s supply chain.
Consumer/regulatory demand does not require the ability to identify individual producer of origin.
Entities along the length of the supply chain have capacity to implement Chain of Custody requirements necessary to segregate certified materials from non-certified materials.
The producer base is relatively well-organized.
Downstream suppliers/processors are relatively vertical or streamlined, although bulk commodity traceability is likely to be more feasible than identity preservation product tracking in supply chain contexts with moderate levels of aggregation and transformation.
The value chain can support higher financial investments needed for logistics to maintain segregation of certified products – which is likely less cost-intensive than identity segregation, but still requires a relatively high level of investment throughout the length of the supply chain.

What tools and technologies can support bulk commodity product tracking?

Functionality Needed	Potential Facilitating Technology Types
Creating an identity for an individual good or batch to which Chain of Custody information and other desired information can be attached	Tags Additive Tracers
Identify certified or other designated product as distinct from other product	Tags Additive Tracers
Documenting transactions throughout length of supply chain, including points of aggregation or transformation if relevant	Transaction ledgers (e.g., blockchain) Digital Chain of Custody Platform

Mass Balance² is a traceability method that allows materials with specified sets of characteristics (such as being produced or processed by certified suppliers and/or originating from a specific geographic region) to be mixed with materials without those characteristics, according to defined criteria as the product moves along the supply chain. However, a Mass Balance approach does require supply chain entities to control and document the total volume of claimed material in a value chain, ensuring that the total volume of claimed goods sold does not exceed the total volume of claimed goods being produced. Mass Balance systems can vary based on the point in the supply chain that it is permissible to mix certified and non-certified materials, as well as whether mass balance is applied at the batch, site, company group, or country-level (or any combination of these elements). Typically, the use of Mass Balance systems does not support making claims attached to a specific physical product because the volume of claimed or designated material in any specific physical product will vary.³

Benefits	Applicable?
Provides information on origin of good or material in actual physical good	No. Mass balance approaches may in some cases provide information on the geographic origin of the volume of certified or designated goods entering a supply chain, but mass balance methods of product traceability do not support attaching this origin information to any specific physical product.
Provides information on geographic locations of transit points of actual good along supply chain	No
Provides information on transactions between entities along supply chain tied to specific good/batch of goods (Chain of Custody)	In some cases. Information on transactions will be collected to some degree – depending on the point in the supply chain where it becomes permissible to mix certified/otherwise designated materials with non-designated materials. However, past that point, requirements are based on overall volume of certified or designated material claimed along a supply chain, rather than the establishing a chain of custody for any specific physical batch of goods, so these schemes are typically not able to provide chain of custody information for physical goods to downstream companies.
Provides information on location and identities of entities along supply chain	In some cases. Information on participating supply chain entities will be collected to some degree – depending on the point in the supply chain where it becomes permissible to mix certified/otherwise designated materials with non-designated materials. However, past that point, requirements are based on overall volume of certified or designated material claimed along a supply chain, rather than the establishing a chain of custody for any specific physical batch of goods, so these schemes likely will not be set up to provide reliable information on supply chain entities to downstream companies.
Provides information on sourcing relationships between entities along supply chain such as indirect suppliers and facilities management groups	No
Provides information on volume of certified or assessed sustainable product supported by purchase	Yes
Supports collection of information about labor conditions, or access to / reflection of the voices, experiences, and needs of workers in the supply chain	In some cases – depending on the presence and strength of the associated certification or other voluntary sustainability scheme. When used alongside a credible certification or voluntary sustainability scheme with strong labor rights standards and a mechanism for accessing and reflecting the voices, experiences, and needs of workers, mass balance product tracking can act to provide assurances regarding working conditions at worksites contributing a given volume of designated material to the supply chain. On the other hand, some forms of the mass balance product tracking method will not collect any information on working conditions. Many models of bulk commodity product tracking will be somewhere along this spectrum –for example, by offering assurances that supply chain entities have systems to address labor rights, but not directly surfacing credible information on actual working conditions in practice.
Decreases market for unethical goods and increase market for goods produced with less FL/CL risk; Provides structure to drive increased value to producers and suppliers with demonstrated commitment to labor and human rights due diligence	In some cases. It is helpful to note that because mass balance methods are typically not as intensive as full identity preservation methods, they may be more feasible to implement for a broader range of producers and suppliers.
Facilitates increased engagement with supply chain actors	Yes. It is helpful to note that because mass balance methods are typically not as intensive as full identity preservation methods, they may be more feasible to implement for a broader range of producers and suppliers. At the same time, downstream suppliers such as processors and manufacturers need at least moderate levels of administrative capacity to maintain certified/designated volume documentation requirements.

How can mass balance help combat forced labor and child labor in supply chains?

Mass Balance systems are centered around tracing the certified product itself, rather than collecting information on the entities that handle the good. However, in some cases, it may be possible to leverage a Mass Balance traceability program to allow downstream companies gain visibility into the identities of some upstream producers and suppliers who contributed certified goods purchased by a company, although it will not be possible to link a supplier to any particular physical product. Once these identities have been established, a company could work to communicate and embed expectations about labor rights practices to upstream suppliers. Identifying the origin of raw material producers may not be possible, depending on the point in the supply chain at which mixing occurs.

While Mass Balance approaches do not typically support linking individual producers and suppliers with physical product, as noted above, participation in a Mass Balance certification scheme may enable companies to identify some upstream suppliers and contributors of certified goods, due to the documentation required to reconcile volumes of certified goods. This can facilitate high level risk assessments as well as potentially prioritization of more specific sites for more in-depth assessment. It is unlikely that a Mass Balance approach would enable assessment of risk at the level of the raw material producer, so any risk assessments would be contingent on the standards and processes of the certifying body.

Participation in a Mass Balance certification scheme may enable companies to identify some upstream suppliers and contributors of certified goods, due to the documentation required to reconcile volumes of certified goods. Once companies have conducted a risk assessment, they could act to implement intervention programming. In some cases, depending on the point of blending, it may be more feasible to consider interventions that address risks in a sourcing area, rather than targeting individual suppliers.

Mass Balance systems can allow companies to make claims about the overall volume/proportion of certified or sustainable materials used in a given product line, and in some cases (depending on the Mass Balance system used, certification process, and good) can allow companies to make claims about specific consumer products. Companies could further communicate with stakeholders regarding the due-diligence steps taken based on identification of upstream suppliers.

What are some examples of Mass Balance Product Tracking that could be used to combat forced labor and child labor in action?

What supply chain characteristics would support the use of mass balance product tracking?

Supply chains where maintaining physical segregation of the material product is challenging, such as in agricultural commodities.
Complex supply chains with large numbers of producers, processors, and manufacturers.
Downstream suppliers such as processors and manufacturers with at least moderate levels of administrative sophistication to maintain certified volume documentation requirements.
Where the consumer or regulatory demand does not necessitate claims linked to the origin or transit points of a physical consumer product.
Where potential labor rights abuses at the point of material origin are relatively well-understood and are not extremely severe.
Where potential labor rights abuses are of heightened concern at downstream level suppliers (processor and producer), as documentation of these supplier identities is likely to be more robust.

What tools and technologies can support mass balance product tracking?

Functionality Needed	Potential Facilitating Technology Types
Identify certified or other designated product as distinct from other product, even when product is mixed	Additive Tracers
Means of verifying volume certified and traded	Digital Chain of Custody Platform (in some cases)
Documenting transactions throughout length of supply chain, including points of aggregation or transformation, if relevant	Transaction ledgers (e.g., blockchain) Digital Chain of Custody Platform (in some cases)

Certificate trading (also known under the proprietary system name “Book and Claim”⁴) is the only Product Tracking traceability method that does not establish or document a Chain of Custody for physical possession of the target goods at any level in the supply chain. Claims are completely decoupled from the physical good moving through the supply chain. Instead, producers who are certified or otherwise designated under a scheme can sell their product freely on the open market but obtain certificates for the volume of certified material produced. These certificates can be purchased by companies on digital trading platforms, providing financial incentives for sustainable production to the original producer and allowing the purchaser to demonstrate financial support of that volume of sustainable production. There is no link to the physical product as transactions of the certified product are not documented past the point where a virtual certificate or credit is generated based on the volume produced.

In some cases, certificate trading allows certificate purchasers to make a direct trade from a certificate seller, allowing purchasers to support producers they choose.⁵ Even in those cases, however, there is still no link between the producer and the final product.

Certificate tracing approaches can still support labor rights due diligence. If the relevant certification or other voluntary sustainability program includes a robust labor rights due diligence component – including requirements for compliance with core labor rights standards and mechanisms to access or reflect the voices, experiences, and needs of workers – purchasing certificates allows a downstream company to financially support producers with more ethical practices and to demonstrate that support to external stakeholders. However, certificate trading approaches typically do not provide any information on a company’s actual upstream supply chain and therefore cannot be easily harnessed to support upstream due diligence steps such as engaging with the supply chain or assessing and addressing risks in a company’s supply chain. Because claims are de-coupled from any actual product or volume of product in a company’s supply chain, they only allow a company to make claims about their financial support for sustainable production. They do not allow companies to make claims or offer assurances about any specific good or batch of goods, and therefore, are not likely to be sufficient to meet regulatory and legal expectations in supply chains with heightened risk.

Despite these limitations, certificate trading methods might be considered in contexts where other product tracking approaches are not feasible. The “Operationalizing Certificate Trading in the Supply Chain” section discusses supply chain contexts where certificate trading may be a feasible and reasonable approach to traceability for labor rights due diligence.

Benefits	Applicable?
Provides information on origin of good or material in actual physical good	No
Provides information on geographic locations of transit points of actual good along supply chain	No
Provide information on transactions between entities along supply chain tied to specific good/batch of goods (Chain of Custody)	No
Provides information on location and identities of entities along supply chain	No
Provide information on sourcing relationships between entities along supply chain such as indirect suppliers and facilities management groups	No
Provides information on volume of certified or assessed sustainable product supported by purchase	Yes
Supports collection of information about labor conditions, or access to / reflection of the voices, experiences, and needs of workers in the supply chain	In some cases. Depending on the presence and strength of the associated certification scheme or other voluntary sustainability scheme, certificate trading may allow downstream companies to make some indirect claims: namely, that a certain volume of their purchases of a given good supports production from worksites that meet specified standards.
Decreases market for unethical goods and increases market for goods produced with less FL/CL risk	Yes
Provides structure to drive increased value to producers and suppliers with demonstrated commitment to labor and human rights due diligence	Yes
Facilitates increased engagement with supply chain actors	No

How Can Certificate Trading Help Combat Forced Labor and Child Labor in Supply Chains?

Certificate trading does not support a systems management approach to continuous improvement within a company’s supply chain. However, companies can make choices about which certification schemes to support and should prioritize schemes with robust labor rights standards and assurances. Companies can also choose direct trading, in which they can actively elect to purchase certificates representing the commodity from a specific producer. In these cases, a company may engage with their network of direct trading producers as an opportunity to learn more about the context and challenges of production, and potentially move towards more direct sourcing relationship.

Certificate trading allows companies to communicate to stakeholders about their support for production of materials that reduce labor rights risk. The meaningfulness of these statements is contingent on the volume represented by certificates purchased relative to the companies’ actual procurement of physical materials and, further, by the robustness of the labor rights standards and assurances offered by the certification scheme.

What are some examples of Certificate Trading that could be used to combat forced labor and child labor in action?

Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (Certificate Trading)

What supply chain characteristics would support the use of bulk commodity product tracking?

Supply chain contexts where downstream companies are earlier in their traceability and due diligence journeys but want to take shorter term steps to support socially responsible production as they develop and implement a longer-term strategy.
Supply chains where maintaining physical segregation of the material product is challenging, such as in agricultural commodities.
Complex supply chains with large numbers of producers, processors, and manufacturers.
Where upstream suppliers such as processors and manufacturers lack the administrative capacity to maintain segregation or implement other components of traceability schemes.
Where the consumer or regulatory demand does not necessitate claims linked to the origin or transit points of a physical consumer product.
Where potential labor rights abuses at the point of material origin are relatively well-understood and are not extremely severe.
Where labor rights concerns in the lifespan of a certain good or material are limited to the production of raw materials – or, where a company has other robust measures to address labor rights risks in more downstream supply chain nodes.

What tools and technologies can support certificate trading?

Functionality Needed	Potential Facilitating Technology Types
Means of registering and trading certificates	Trading platform
Means of verifying volume certified and traded	Digital Chain of Custody Platform (in some cases)

1
“The certified products are mixed but the documentation may retain specific origin information to denote the origin from a specific region or country in the claim.” ISEAL Guidance: Chain of custody models and definitions. ISEAL, 2016, www.isealalliance.org/sites/default/files/resource/2017-11/ISEAL_Chain_of_Custody_Models_Guidance_September_2016.pdf.
2
Note there are multiple widely used parameters for different types of Mass Balance. ISEAL provides definitions for: Group, Site, and Batch-level mass balance, as well as alternative names for Group: “multi-site;” alternative names for Site: “controlled blending” and “factory gate mass balance;” alternative names for Batch: “percentage blending and batch blending.” Source: ISEAL Guidance: Chain of custody models and definitions. ISEAL, 2016, www.isealalliance.org/sites/default/files/resource/2017-11/ISEAL_Chain_of_Custody_Models_Guidance_September_2016.pdf. ISO provides a definition that does not break out various levels of the mass balance approach, and instead describes a chain of custody model in which “materials or products with a set of specified characteristics are mixed according to defined criteria with materials or products without that set of characteristics.” Source: ISO 22095:2020(en) Chain of custody — General terminology and models. ISO, 2020, www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:std:iso:22095:ed-1:v1:en.
3
ISEAL Guidance: Chain of custody models and definitions. ISEAL, 2016, www.isealalliance.org/sites/default/files/resource/2017-11/ISEAL_Chain_of_Custody_Models_Guidance_September_2016.pdf.
4
ISEAL Guidance: Chain of custody models and definitions. ISEAL, 2016, www.isealalliance.org/sites/default/files/resource/2017-11/ISEAL_Chain_of_Custody_Models_Guidance_September_2016.pdf
5
ChainPoint RTRS Trading Platform. ChainPoint: Connecting Supply Chains,, www.chainpoint.com/our-customers/rtrs-sustainable-soy-supply-chain/

Funding is provided by the United States Department of Labor under cooperative agreement number IL‐35805. 100 percent of the total costs of the project or program is financed with federal funds, for a total of USD 4,000,000. This material does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the United States Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the United States Government

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Product Tracking

Traceability System Element: Tracking Movement and Transactions of Products Throughout the Supply Chain

Product Tracking: The Basics

Product Tracking & the Intersection with Labor Due Diligence

Product Tracking Method: Identity Preservation

Identity Preservation Product Tracking: The Basics

Potential Benefits of Using Identity Preservation Product Tracking for Downstream Users

Identity Preservation Product Tracking & Labor Due Diligence

Examples of Identity Preservation

Operationalizing Identity Preservation Product Tracking in the Supply Chain

Identity Preservation Product Tracking & Supporting Technologies

Product Tracking Method: Bulk Commodity

Bulk Commodity Product Tracking: The Basics

Potential Benefits of Using Bulk Commodity Product Tracking for Downstream Users

Bulk Commodity Product Tracking & Labor Due Diligence

Examples of Bulk Commodity

Operationalizing Bulk Commodity Product Tracking in the Supply Chain

Bulk Commodity Product Tracking & Supporting Technologies

Product Tracking Method: Mass Balance

Mass Balance Product Tracking: The Basics

Potential Benefits of Using Mass Balance Product Tracking For Downstream Users

Mass Balance Product Tracking & Labor Due Diligence

Examples of Mass Balance

Operationalizing Mass Balance Product Tracking

Mass Balance Product Tracking & Supporting Technologies

Product Tracking Method: Certificate Trading

Certificate Trading: The Basics

Potential Benefits of Using Certificate Trading for Downstream Users

Certificate Trading & Labor Due Diligence

Examples of Certificate Trading

Operationalizing Certificate Trading in the Supply Chain

Certificate Trading & Supporting Technologies

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Product Tracking

Traceability System Element: Tracking Movement and Transactions of Products Throughout the Supply Chain

Product Tracking: The Basics

Product Tracking & the Intersection with Labor Due Diligence

Product Tracking Method: Identity Preservation

Identity Preservation Product Tracking: The Basics

Potential Benefits of Using Identity Preservation Product Tracking for Downstream Users

Identity Preservation Product Tracking & Labor Due Diligence

Labor Rights Due Diligence Goal: Establish due diligence systems and policies and engage with supply chain partners to integrate due diligence systems throughout the supply chain

Labor Rights Due Diligence Goal: Understand the risks and root causes of forced labor, child labor, and other labor rights abuses facing workers in the supply chain

Labor Rights Due Diligence Goal: Actively address the risks and root causes of forced labor and child labor identified in the supply chain

Labor Rights Due Diligence Goal: Close gaps in knowledge and continuously improve due diligence systems

Labor Rights Due Diligence Goal: Demonstrate compliance with laws and regulations as well as progress towards commitments to government officials and the public

Examples of Identity Preservation

Operationalizing Identity Preservation Product Tracking in the Supply Chain

Identity Preservation Product Tracking & Supporting Technologies

Product Tracking Method: Bulk Commodity

Bulk Commodity Product Tracking: The Basics

Potential Benefits of Using Bulk Commodity Product Tracking for Downstream Users

Bulk Commodity Product Tracking & Labor Due Diligence

Labor Rights Due Diligence Goal: Establish due diligence systems and policies and engage with supply chain partners to integrate due diligence systems throughout the supply chain

Labor Rights Due Diligence Goal: Understand the risks and root causes of forced labor, child labor, and other labor rights abuses facing workers in supply chains

Labor Rights Due Diligence Goal: Actively address the risks and root causes of forced labor and child labor identified

Labor Rights Due Diligence Goal: Close gaps in knowledge and continuously improve due diligence systems

Labor Rights Due Diligence Goal: Demonstrate compliance with laws and regulations as well as progress towards commitments to government officials and the public

Examples of Bulk Commodity

Operationalizing Bulk Commodity Product Tracking in the Supply Chain

Bulk Commodity Product Tracking & Supporting Technologies

Product Tracking Method: Mass Balance

Mass Balance Product Tracking: The Basics

Potential Benefits of Using Mass Balance Product Tracking For Downstream Users

Mass Balance Product Tracking & Labor Due Diligence

Labor Rights Due Diligence Goal: Establish due diligence systems and policies and engage with supply chain partners to integrate due diligence systems throughout the supply chain

Labor Rights Due Diligence Goal: Understand the risks and root causes of forced labor, child labor, and other labor rights abuses facing workers in supply chains

Labor Rights Due Diligence Goal: Actively address the risks and root causes of forced labor and child labor identified

Labor Rights Due Diligence Goal: Close gaps in knowledge and continuously improve due-diligence systems

Labor Rights Due Diligence Goal: Demonstrate compliance with laws and regulations as well as progress towards commitments to government officials and the public

Examples of Mass Balance

Operationalizing Mass Balance Product Tracking

Mass Balance Product Tracking & Supporting Technologies

Product Tracking Method: Certificate Trading

Certificate Trading: The Basics

Potential Benefits of Using Certificate Trading for Downstream Users

Certificate Trading & Labor Due Diligence

Labor Rights Due Diligence Goal: Establish due diligence systems and policies and engage with supply chain partners to integrate due diligence systems throughout the supply chain

Labor Rights Due Diligence Goal: Understand the risks and root causes of forced labor, child labor, and other labor rights abuses facing workers in supply chains

Labor Rights Due Diligence Goal: Actively address the risks and root causes of forced labor and child labor identified

Labor Rights Due Diligence Goal: Close gaps in knowledge and continuously improve due-diligence systems

Labor Rights Due Diligence Goal: Demonstrate compliance with laws and regulations as well as progress towards commitments to government officials and the public

Examples of Certificate Trading

Operationalizing Certificate Trading in the Supply Chain

Certificate Trading & Supporting Technologies

Supply Chain Engagement

Scientific Validation