Why your supply chain can no longer afford to be people-blind

The piece argues that supply chains can’t afford to be “people-blind” even as geopolitical pressure leads some managers to deprioritize sustainability. It says climate risks like droughts and floods still disrupt inputs, and insurers can be harder to obtain in flood- or fire-prone areas, while customers and stakeholders may punish firms seen as irresponsible. Over the long run, ignoring sustainability is described as a likely backfire. The article’s core point is that supply chain management has become highly optimized for cost, speed, and flexibility using models that assume workers are cheap and interchangeable—an approach colliding with shrinking workforces, stricter regulation, and new technologies that either worsen or expose the vulnerability.