Responsible value chains depend on understanding how work is organised, listening to workers and acting on reliable evidence. Karibuni connects applied research, practical methodologies and management education to help companies and suppliers build these capabilities.
A continuous process of responsibility
Due diligence goes beyond individual audits and certifications. It is a continuous process of identifying actual and potential harm, preventing and mitigating adverse impacts, assessing whether action is effective and communicating progress. It also involves enabling remedy where a business has caused or contributed to harm.
Our approach starts with risks to people: working conditions, wages and working hours, health and safety, freedom of association, discrimination and exploitation. It connects these issues with the commercial decisions that shape conditions throughout the supply chain.
From knowledge to implementation
We support companies, suppliers, industry associations and production districts through:
- Governance and accountability — defining responsibilities, resources and information flows so that due diligence informs board oversight and management decisions.
- Supply chain mapping and impact assessment — identifying relevant suppliers and subcontractors, gathering reliable information and prioritising impacts according to their severity and likelihood.
- Worker participation and remedy — developing safe ways to hear workers’ perspectives, raise concerns without retaliation and support appropriate remedy.
- Responsible purchasing and corrective action — addressing how prices, delivery schedules, contracts and sourcing practices can contribute to adverse impacts.
- Evidence and monitoring — combining targeted audits, supplier information and stakeholder engagement to assess progress and improve action.
- Education and shared learning — equipping boards, managers and suppliers with practical tools, alongside collective learning programmes adapted to SMEs and production districts.
Building shared capabilities
Our aim is to connect support for individual businesses with stronger knowledge infrastructure across the fashion ecosystem: shared methodologies, useful indicators, applied research and learning resources.
Each engagement is adapted to the organisation’s size, supply chain and operating context. The objective is to establish a workable due diligence cycle and develop the internal capabilities needed to sustain it.