Modelling Modern Slavery Interventions Using a System Dynamics Approach

Modern slavery is a complex problem which poses grand challenges to society. Despite numerous efforts to eradicate it, modern slavery is still a widespread practice in global supply chains. There is a consensus in the literature that stakeholders need to coordinate their actions for tackling this practice. However, they often lack the tools which would enable them to take a holistic approach incorporating varying stakeholder views and expectations. In this study we adopt a socio-technical perspective to examine complex interactions among root causes of modern slavery. To do so, we develop a system dynamics (SD) model and apply it to the Turkish hazelnut industry where modern slavery and child labor are of particular concern. We develop multiple intervention scenarios inspired by our discussions with stakeholders and test their effects on tackling modern slavery. Our results show that under the right conditions, government audits and fines, child prevention subsidy, and agricultural mechanization are effective mechanisms to reduce the incidence of modern slavery and child labor. Our recommendations provide stakeholders with specific suggestions on how to address this problem and improve labor practices in the hazelnut industry. Overall, our results underline that SD is a useful method for involving different stakeholder perspectives and for taking a holistic approach on complex sustainability problems, such as modern slavery.