Disrupting the "Supply and Demand” of Slavery - Part 1

"The well-known business principle of supply and demand can be used to make slavery obsolete. All that is needed is ingenuity, patience, and a willingness to put your money to work. New Rivers Enterprises is a place where all of these qualities come together."

The first step in our mission is to understand how slave-based industries operate. These are industries that rely heavily on slave labour for various aspects of their production, often involving tasks that require minimal skill, thus accommodating child labour.

The Supply of Slaves

The Process of Indentured Servitude:

A common path to slavery is through indentured servitude or debt bondage. This occurs when individuals or families borrow money for urgent needs, like medical expenses or crop failures. Theoretically, they should be able to pay off the loan through labour, but manipulative practices by business owners ensure the debt is never fully paid, trapping the worker and their family indefinitely.

Generational Debt Bondage:

Unfortunately, debt bondage is often a generational issue. When the original debtor can no longer work, their children inherit debt, perpetuating a cycle of generational slavery.

Environmental Factors:

Environmental degradation also contributes to the slave supply chain. Factors like over-fertilisation and water pollution turn fertile farmland into wasteland, pushing farming families into slavery due to a lack of alternative skills.

Disrupting the Supply

Macro and Micro-Level Challenges:

While cultural, religious and social safety-net inadequacies at the macro level are often addressed by international organisations and governments, New Rivers Enterprises focuses on micro-level interventions:

1. Identifying and Addressing Vulnerabilities:

We identify specific populations vulnerable to slavery and investigate their unique circumstances. Our strategy involves utilising profitable local businesses to mitigate these vulnerabilities.

2. Introducing Technology as a Solution:

Introducing technology, such as water conditioning systems, can restore agricultural productivity. By establishing profitable distribution networks and partnering with micro-financing institutions, we can provide these technologies to at-risk farmers; helping them avoid the slavery supply chain.

3. Empowering Farming Families:

Our approach also includes assisting families who have abandoned their farmland due to infertility. Through partnerships, we provide the means to restore their land's fertility, enabling them to earn sustainable incomes and break free from the threat of slavery.

The Conclusion?

While not every aspect of the slave supply chain can be disrupted at a micro level, New Rivers plays a crucial role in addressing specific segments. In situations where micro-level disruption is not feasible, we shift our focus on the demand side of slavery, which will be explored in the next blog post.

Get Involved with New Rivers:

Interested in learning more or partnering with us to disrupt the slave supply chain? Please contact us.

Start the conversation by emailing us at info.newrivers@gmail.com

For more details on investing with New Rivers and our returns, click here.

Pictured: Manfred, Michelle (centre) and the New Rivers Team