After discussion with Gabrielle McHugh from Merida, the goal of my project became focused on the exploration of safe and sustainable labor practices, specifically how to ensure that partners pairing with Merida were practicing sustainable labor practices. It turns out, that this is a very difficult subject and so far there are no real good answers yet. This of course has not prevented people from trying to address the issue, especially where child labor is concerned. Currently, Merida has worked to seek out suppliers that are certified by Goodweave (an international organization committed to ending child labor and promoting sustainable labor practices in industry supply chains) and SA 8000 (an international labor certification created and standardized by Social Accountability International). These certifications currently assist Merida in determining who to partner with but don’t necessarily cover all bases.

During the course of my research I found that the best line of attack when looking to ensure sustainable labor practices was to always do your research on the company/studio/person you were planning on partnering with and then once partnered, working in tandem with the partner to ensure that goals align and standards are being met. The second thing that became apparent was that the next thing to do was to solidify a Code of Conduct and Ethics into company policy that included sustainable labor goals. This would make these goals something that could be enforced internally and company wide as well as making crystal clear to any potential partners of a sincere dedication to sustainable labor practices. Lastly, the most important thing I have found over the course of my research is company motivation. The only way to truly ensure that safe and sustainable labor practices are being practiced is to always be aware and actively seek out people who are willing to put these practices in place and work to make sure all sustainable labor goals are being met.