People in Supply Chains
Our Aspiration
Walmart aims to source responsibly while acting as a catalyst of positive transformation for the well-being of people working in consumer product supply chains, helping to address systemic risks, and working with others to realize the economic promise of supply chains.
Relevance to Our Business and Society
Walmart’s business relies on a dependable supply of responsibly made products. With a global network of tens of thousands of suppliers, growing, making, and moving products supports jobs and economic opportunity in communities around the world. Responsible sourcing is essential to meeting customer expectations, strengthening the resilience of our supply chains, and upholding Walmart’s values. Our stakeholders expect us not only to source products responsibly, but also to help drive positive change across the broader retail ecosystem.
Responsible Sourcing
Setting high standards for suppliers and holding them accountable for operating responsibly and safeguarding the well-being of their workers.
- Walmart’s responsible sourcing program establishes supplier expectations, monitors compliance using a risk-based approach, and supports continuous improvement across global supply chains.
- Policies including the Standards for Suppliers and Global Responsible Sourcing Compliance Policy address worker safety, forced labor, child labor, and harassment and discrimination.
- In FY2026, suppliers disclosed 26,300 active facilities, Walmart assessed 16,700 third-party audit reports, and audits were conducted in 83 countries.
- Workers can report concerns through Walmart’s ethics channels, and serious violations may result in inability to use a facility for production or supplier termination.
Collaborating to Address Systemic Risks to Worker Dignity
Working with others to address root causes of issues such as forced labor and unsafe working conditions, focusing on ten key retail supply chains.
- Walmart works with suppliers, governments, NGOs, and industry groups to address forced labor, responsible recruitment, worker safety, and gender equity across ten priority retail supply chains: tuna and shrimp from Thailand, produce from North America, electronics and hard home from Malaysia, and apparel from Bangladesh, Guatemala, and Jordan and home textiles and apparel from India and Vietnam.
- In the ten years since the initiative was launched, Walmart Foundation grantees in the seafood, electronics, produce, and apparel and textiles sectors reported reaching over 330,000 people directly through activities such as education, training, capacity building, and digital engagement, and over 14 million people indirectly through activities such as awareness campaigns and digital impressions. Additional impact was achieved through Walmart business initiatives.
Creating Economic Opportunity
Promoting practices that create economic opportunity for workers through support for smallholder farmers, promoting responsible recruitment and safe migration, and driving positive social and environmental outcomes through strategic initiatives.
- Walmart promotes responsible recruitment, supports smallholder farmers, and helps producers adopt practices that strengthen resilient livelihoods.
- More than 1,100 suppliers reported responsible recruitment actions through Walmart’s Supplier Leadership Program in FY2026. Suppliers representing 98.2% of Walmart U.S. produce and fresh floral sales participated in the Ethical Charter Implementation Program in FY2026.
- Between FY2022–FY2026, the Walmart Foundation awarded $76.0 million in grants to improve smallholder farmer livelihoods and value chains.
- From FY2021–FY2026, Walmart participated in more than 40 place-based initiatives supporting producer resilience and economic opportunity.
