Apple and Conflict Minerals: Ethical Sourcing for Sustainability
The IUP Journal of Operations Management, Vol. XIV, No. 2, May 2015, pp. 59-77
Posted: 6 Nov 2015
Date Written: November 5, 2015
Abstract
The success of Apple Inc.’s products like the iPhone and the iPad made the company rely on manufacturers in Asia to produce its products at a lower cost. Since these manufacturers were not too particular about checking the origins of the minerals they used, Apple had to face accusations by activists that it was using conflict minerals in its products. These conflict minerals led to the abuse of human rights in the strife-torn parts of the world. Extraction and sale of conflict minerals like tin, tungsten, and tantalum from illegal mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Congo) and surrounding countries funded armed militia who fought against the government and violated the human rights of people living in the conflict-prone areas. Apple had taken various initiatives to tackle the challenge of conflict minerals since it started facing the heat from some activist groups in 2010. Despite all the efforts made by Apple, the company faced an uphill task. The problem for Apple was compounded by the fact that the supply chain for such minerals was opaque and it was not so easy to determine which refiners and smelters around the world were financially fueling violence in the war-torn regions. There was also the possibility that such minerals could slip into its supply chain through indirect routes.
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