It’s a familiar scene for anyone working in responsible sourcing: the meeting room walls lined with flipchart sheets, each scribbled with ideas, frustrations and flashes of inspiration.
At our latest AIM-Progress Member Meeting in Amsterdam, one theme kept surfacing on those flipcharts, no matter the topic: we cannot do this alone.
For every challenge raised — from living wages to waste in supply chains — there was a shared recognition that genuine progress demands more than good intentions or isolated efforts. It requires businesses coming together, pooling knowledge and resources, and moving as one.
This belief sits at the heart of AIM-Progress and fuels our commitment to Collaborative Projects, where our members and the organisation work side by side to turn complex challenges into practical solutions across global supply chains.
AIM-Progress provides the platform, connections and structure. But it’s our members who bring the ambition, curiosity and determination to tackle the toughest issues. They’re willing to share their experiences, confront uncomfortable truths, and look for solutions that not only protect their own reputations but deliver real benefits for workers, suppliers and communities.
In every conversation, our members ask the difficult questions: How do we ensure grievance mechanisms genuinely serve workers rather than merely exist on paper? What’s needed to move from talking about living wages to making them a reality? How do we reduce duplication so suppliers aren’t drowning under repeated audits?
These are not small questions, nor are they easy to answer. But our members refuse to accept that complexity is an excuse for inaction.
Consider our work on child and forced labour. Through a free e-learning course — Responding to Child Labor and Forced Labor in U.S. Manufacturing — developed by Verité with funding from AIM-Progress members and additional support from Walmart and Cargill, hundreds of professionals are actively improving labour standards in the U.S. manufacturing sector. Over 900 people registered, with more than 650 completing at least half of the course modules and a 95% satisfaction rate. The impact goes well beyond the screen: half of participants launched or expanded internal training programmes, strengthened grievance mechanisms, or took further action — from improving ID checks to introducing monitoring systems and remediation protocols. This training isn’t just informative; it’s transformative. And it would not have happened without a group of US-based member companies determined to support their suppliers collaboratively.
This reflects the essence of AIM-Progress: turning ideas into concrete tools and support that suppliers can use on the ground.
Through these projects, AIM-Progress members are discovering that collaboration yields far more than any individual effort could achieve. They’re learning that collective insight is powerful. Complex issues like responsible recruitment or fair wages demand shared knowledge and aligned approaches to avoid confusion and duplication. Suppliers, in turn, deserve clarity and consistency so they can invest in genuine improvements rather than jumping through ever-changing hoops.
Equally important is the principle of shared ownership. When AIM-Progress and its members co-create solutions, everyone has a stake in making sure those solutions succeed — and endure.
Our Collaborative Projects span six critical areas: Human Rights & Due Diligence, Convergence, Living Wage & Income, Responsible Recruitment, Grievance Mechanisms and the Climate Crisis & Just Transition. Together, AIM-Progress and its members produce toolkits, guidance, training materials and practical resources, all grounded in real-world trials and evidence.
These projects are live laboratories where ideas are tested, refined and prepared to scale. Already, initiatives are under way in Mexico, India, Brazil, Africa and Asia Pacific, helping suppliers strengthen practices from ethical recruitment to fair wages to climate resilience. And the insights gained don’t remain confined to the original group. AIM-Progress ensures that lessons learned are shared widely, transforming the progress of a few into progress for many.
Perhaps the most compelling note captured on one of our flipcharts read simply: “Collaborative action required — closing the loop.”
AIM-Progress and its members are determined to close that loop — to ensure commitments on paper translate into measurable improvements for people, communities and the planet. For us, collaboration isn’t an optional extra. It’s the core strategy that turns responsible sourcing from a series of promises into a genuine force for change.
Through our commitment to collaboration, we’re demonstrating that when businesses and organisations work together — across brands, sectors and regions — their combined impact is far greater than anything they could achieve alone.
If your organisation shares our belief that real progress depends on collective action, we invite you to join us.
Explore our Collaborative Projects and discover how, together, we’re transforming supply chains for the better.