The acronym SEDEX stands for Supplier Ethical Data Exchange. With a not-forprofit membership in this organisation companies commit to the continuous improvement of ethical performance within their supply chains. Founded in 2011 by a group of UK retailers, the organisation drives convergence in social audit standards and monitoring practices. This engagement aims to ease the auditing burden on suppliers through the sharing of reports and to develop improvements in supply chain standards.
The Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA) was created for this purpose. The audit was developed in response to member demand for an ethical audit report that could be shared more easily. SMETA is designed to reduce or avoid duplication of effort in ethical trade auditing, benefitting retailers, consumer brands, and their suppliers.