Rare Earth Materials Industry and Child Labor

Workers digging with hand tools at an open-pit mine.
Julien Harneis, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The rare earth supply chain behind everyday electronics often relies on child labor in hazardous mining conditions, hidden within opaque global supply chains that make ethical sourcing very hard to verify.
The rare earth materials industry that employs children in hazardous conditions, often driven by extreme poverty in mining regions, presents a profoundly wicked commission if one aims to eliminate this exploitation from the supply chain of our digital gadgets. These materials are vital for countless electronics, yet their journey from mine to device is typically hidden within opaque global supply chains, making ethical sourcing incredibly difficult.

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Entries this one is tied to through the book.

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In the framework

  • Wicked · variable
  • Commission Component

In the book

  • Chapter 11, section 116 · Variables influencing the Commission Component

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