New research has revealed that while companies are increasingly identifying significant human rights and environmental risks in their supply chains, many are still unable to prove that their efforts to mitigate these risks are effective.
The Kumi Responsible Sourcing Barometer 2026, an independent industry survey of 110 medium-to-large enterprises across 13 industries, found a growing gap between corporate activity and evidence of effective risk reduction. This comes at a time when supply chain due diligence requirements are becoming increasingly complex and subject to global regulatory requirements, customer expectations, and commercial risks.
The survey found that while responsible sourcing practices are now a core part of many organisations, the focus is on activity rather than effectiveness. Only 14% of companies can demonstrate clear improvements resulting from their responsible sourcing activities and less than one in five (19%) measure outcomes for workers or the environment. In fact, a quarter (25%) do not measure program impact at all.
The research also found that many companies are not fully addressing risks in their supply chains, with a significant number failing to conduct due diligence beyond their direct suppliers. This leaves potential blind spots deeper in their supply chains, with 36% of companies identifying forced or child labour as a priority risk admitting to conducting no due diligence beyond Tier 1, direct suppliers.
Furthermore, while labour and human rights issues dominate companies’ stated risk priorities, there are significant gaps between the recognition of relevant risks and the due diligence practices necessary to take action on these risks. Nearly a quarter (24%) of participating organisations have only mapped direct suppliers or have not mapped their supply chains at all.
The survey also highlighted a tension between what companies identify as their biggest challenge and how they respond to it. Supplier capability emerged as the most frequently cited barrier to progress, yet only 15% of companies prioritize building supplier capability. This gap could potentially lead to corrective action programs that simply transfer responsibility rather than addressing the underlying causes of risk.
Andrew Britton, CEO of Kumi Consulting and one of the principal authors of the report, stated, “The question is no longer whether companies are doing due diligence. The question is whether it is delivering results. Our research shows that while companies have made responsible sourcing part of their core business activities, there are crucial blind spots that many companies are yet to address.”
The Kumi Responsible Sourcing Barometer 2026 is a confidential, cross-industry benchmarking survey of responsible sourcing practices from across 110 independent responses from medium to large enterprises operating across 13 industries. The research captures the experiences, priorities, and challenges of companies managing supply chain due diligence across a wide range of sectors and geographies.
Kumi Consulting is an independent management consultancy specializing in responsible business conduct in global supply chains. They work with organizations across various industries to understand and address responsible sourcing, human rights, and sustainability challenges. Alongside their core work, Kumi has also established Kumi Foundation, an independent UK-registered charity creating pathways from vulnerability to dignified work and sustainable livelihoods in supply chain communities.
For more information and to download the full report, visit www.kumi.consulting. For media inquiries, please contact Sasha Ragan at sasha.ragan@kumiconsulting.co.uk or +44 (0)20 3637 4440.
