Ep 148 - Ethical Sourcing of Protective Medical Supplies with Alex Avanth

The COVID-19 crisIs has created a huge shortage of protective supplies all over the world which has lead to panic buying by inexperienced buyers, who are unfamiliar with the Asian market and unable to identify the red flags that can occur during deals.

Rico Ngoma tries to clarify some of the ethical questions that arise when sourcing goods to supply people in need, the dilemma of profiting off a crisis, and how to add a social agenda when potentially profiting. Below you find some highlighted minutes for you to navigate the interview. Watch the video if you are curious about the sourcing process behind the protective supplies that are necessary to fight the pandemic.

Some important points:

Source Find Asia’s product focus on this crisis

Importance of ‘guan xi’, keeping promises and building trust

Shortage of protective supplies

The ethical questions arising when ‘profiting’ on a crises

Transparency in the supply chain

Questions regarding the work conditions in the factories supplying the goods

How to get in contact and setting up sourcing channels