At any given time, 2.5 million people are in forced labour with an estimated 1.2 million children trafficked each year. The massive industry acts incognito making an estimated 31.6 billion dollar profit. Australian consumers are voting with their wallets encouraging the industry to only grow bigger

Ruth Dearnley manages the Don’t Trade Lives campaign which encompasses campaigns to combat human trafficking and slavery at World Vision. Many people know World Vision for its lobbying in the cocoa industry but Dearnley said that World Vision was “engaging with all Australian businesses” as well as being part of a “strong call for an ambassador” in the Australian government.

Consumers, Dearnley said, can make a big impact by making sure that businesses are “open and frank” as well as honest to ensure ethical goods. By researching with tools as simple as Google to ethical shopping guides, consumers are able to make an informed decision.

In recent years, independent certification schemes run by organizations such as Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, UTZ are now used by some companies so consumers can quickly find out if products are made to set benchmarks.

Dearnley calls World Visions approach “holistic” and that “main root causes” such as access to education, social and gender issues contribute to the large child labour issue. Dearnley also mentioned that both the United States and Kevin Rudd, Minister for Foreign Affairs, supported the role of an ambassador

AusAID, the Australian government’s overseas aid program, has given $1.34 million over 2006 to 2011 for a World Vision program which focused in Thai-Burma border. AusAID said that World Vision provides “education, creation of parents associations and training watch-groups of volunteers, and increase protection and support services”. The Australian government has also given $1.7 million over 2008 to 2011 to help Lao PDR, Vietnam and Burma in a project called the “Mekong Delta Regional Trafficking Strategy 2”.