Audience:
Open industry. All apparel and footwear industry professionals, regardless of AAFA membership, are encouraged to participate.
Description:
In today’s complex global value chains, every thread tells a story—of opportunities, challenges, and hidden risks. How do you untangle this intricate web to illuminate your value chain and make informed, confident decisions? Join us for a webinar introducing a strategic, science-backed approach to responsible sourcing. By combining origin verification testing with collaborative partnerships, we’ll explore how to build trust, ensure regulatory compliance, and reduce the risk of forced labor violations.
Learn how testing can engage suppliers, strengthen transparency, and act as both verification and deterrent. Through real-world case studies, legal insights, and lab demonstrations, we’ll answer key questions on sourcing metrics, recycled materials, and supply chain accountability. Discover how to move beyond risk mitigation toward positive, data-driven sourcing decisions.
Attendees of this webinar will learn:
- The science behind origin verification testing.
- How to build a strategy for proactive sourcing risk mitigation.
- How to apply lessons from case studies along with a law firm's perspective.
Speaker:
Peter Hughes
Global Sustainable Business Development Manager
Eurofins
In his current role as Global Sustainable Business Development Manager at Eurofins, Pete’s primary focus is the development of sustainability and traceability programs in consumer product supply chains. Pete has been leading the origin verification testing program since launch in 2022. Further he has been dedicated to advancing supply chain mapping, enhancing traceability, and ensuring organizations understand how best to respond to emerging standards and ways of working. Pete works closely with Client representatives from Brands, Retailers and supply chain organizations in the textile, footwear, apparel and furniture industries.
With more than 17 years of experience in sustainable development, Pete brings a wealth of expertise across various sectors. He has spent his career working towards identifying and delivering sustainability improvements for large organizations. For the past eight years he has focused on traceability within supply chains, developing tools and methodologies to identify risks and build partnerships to help drive environmental and social justice action within value chains that is required by brands and retailers.
David Evan
Partner
Grunfeld, Desiderio, Lebowitz, Silverman & Klestadt LLP (GDLSK)
Mr. Evan has over 30 years of experience counselling companies on customs and international trade law matters. He advises clients in connection with all substantive issues handled by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, including the identification of duty savings opportunities, complex customs valuation matters, free trade programs, tariff classification, marking, customs audits, broker compliance and forced labor issues.
AAFA Host:
Nate Herman
Senior Vice President, Policy
AAFA
Nate Herman oversees AAFA’s Policy department, managing the association’s lobbying, policy, and regulatory affairs activities. Nate leads AAFA’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) program, formulating and implementing CSR policy and representing AAFA and the industry on CSR issues before governments, NGOs, and other key stakeholders. In addition, Nate develops all apparel and footwear industry data and statistics as AAFA's resident economist. Prior to joining AAFA, Nate worked for six years at the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration assisting U.S. firms in entering the global market. Nate spent the last two years as the Department's industry analyst for the footwear and travel goods industries. Nate received a Masters of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh in 1994 and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Economics from the University of Delaware in 1992.
Unable to join on June 18?
Register for the webinar to receive an email containing the direct links to access the recording and the PDF version of the presentation. The email will be sent 1-3 business days after the webinar.
CONTACT | QUESTIONS
Stephanie Paendong