The YESS Initiative Transitions To A Membership Model

Responsible Sourcing Network (RSN) is transitioning its due diligence initiative,  YESS: Yarn Ethically and Sustainably Sourced to a multi-stakeholder membership model. The shift aims for YESS to best meet the needs of the diverse international due diligence community. 

RSN dedicated several years to developing rigorous YESS due diligence standards to achieve a forced labor-free cotton supply chain for the garment and textile industry. This work was supported by brand sponsorships; grants from Humanity United, Disney, and FLA; and the U.S. DOL via the STREAMS Project managed by Verité.

RSN surveyed its sponsors, participating mills, and related stakeholders to understand their needs and expectations of YESS, and to gather thoughts on potentially transitioning from a sponsorship-supported initiative to a membership model. Through the survey, it was found that the respondents saw opportunities for greater and more diverse engagement with YESS, with 70% welcoming the shift.

The new YESS Membership Model allows participation from different types of stakeholders, such as mills, industry associations, and civil society organizations (CSOs), in addition to brands and retailers. As YESS evolves and expands, it will offer increased capacity building, working groups, collaboration opportunities. YESS’s vision is to broaden its scope and due diligence approach beyond cotton and forced labor to apply to a variety of materials and risks at the raw commodity level.

“As mandatory due diligence implementation and reporting become the norm, the industry will need solutions and opportunities for their involvement. Although conducting due diligence is always a company’s ultimate responsibility, YESS can help build capacity with mid-tier suppliers, provide a forum for collaboration through working groups and partnerships, and assess where further efforts are needed. Companies can include in their due diligence reporting the activities they are undertaking with YESS,” said Patricia Jurewicz, CEO of Responsible Sourcing Network.

As gatekeepers, spinning and fabric mills play a critical role in facilitating visibility and due diligence in the complex cotton-sourcing landscape. By engaging this sector of the supply chain with an industry-wide initiative, mills will have a common understanding of due diligence expectations and implementation. YESS recognizes the key position mills hold and is committed to offering the tools they need to identify and address risks in their own cotton supply chains.