Editor’s Note: Dr. Jewlya Lynn, PolicySolve, has been supporting Humanity United and this strategy for the last six years through designing and facilitating systems sensing conversations and conducting research into how, why, and under what conditions the systems have changed. Humanity United is committed to sharing our platform with those with expertise and/or lived experience in our areas of work, however the views and opinions expressed are those of the author. Recently, Dr. Lynn published a report on Mental Models for Systems Change in which she and HU’s Ame Sagiv explored the systems-dynamics mental model behind our seafood supply chain work.
For over a decade, Humanity United, in partnership with the Freedom Fund, have been working in the Asia-Pacific to transform seafood supply chains—a system with a long history of exploitation and forced labor. However, dismantling these deeply rooted injustices is not as simple as enforcing new laws or demanding corporate accountability. It requires a deep, dynamic, and adaptive strategy, that listens to workers, accounts for power imbalances, and fundamentally shifts the structures that enable harm.
At the heart of this effort is a systems approach that recognizes the intricate interactions between governments, businesses, workers, and civil society in shaping the realities of labor in the industry. Rather than focusing on isolated issues, the Humanity United/Freedom Fund (HU/FF) Asia-Pacific strategy focuses on four key leverage points:
- Industry regulation – Strengthening and enforcing legal protections for workers.
- Worker organizing and empowerment – Supporting workers to advocate for their rights.
- Safer migration pathways – Reducing vulnerabilities that lead to exploitation.
- Business practices and corporate accountability – Pressuring companies to take responsibility for fair labor conditions.
These leverage points are interconnected, influencing the seafood industry functions at every level. Transforming them requires not just technical solutions, but a realignment of incentives, relationships, and behaviors throughout the system.
Beyond Static Solutions: A Living, Adaptive Strategy
In a system as complex as the global seafood industry, change is neither linear nor predictable. Humanity United embraces this reality by balancing structured priorities with learning practices that support adaptation.
Systems-Sensing Meetings
Through quarterly implementation retreats and twice-yearly systems-sensing meetings, the Humanity United and Freedom Fund teams, including local staff in Indonesia and Thailand, analyze emerging trends and makes real-time adjustments. This approach proved crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic when disorganized labor conditions and shifting government policies created new risks for workers. Instead of relying on outdated assumptions, the strategy adapted by listening to workers, business owners, and advocates and responding to the evolving landscape.
Stakeholder Engagement
On-the-ground engagement plays a crucial role in learning and adaptation. Multi-week site visits allow HU/FF and its partners to witness dynamics firsthand—whether it’s understanding the financial pressures on small-scale vessel owners in Taiwan or listening directly to workers organizing in seafood processing factories. Participation in global meetings with businesses, including at the Seafood Task Force and business trade shows, allows HU/FF to understand how and why changes are (and are not) happening among global brands and supply chain businesses. This close proximity to the realities of the industry from the top of the supply chain down to the workers ensures that strategies are not just theory, but truly reflective of the lived experiences of those most affected.
The Freedom Fund hotspot programming also includes on-the-ground, local staff who work closely with both the civil society organizations within the countries they serve and with HU/FF at an overall strategy level. Their awareness of in-country changes is a critical input to the overall strategy, including decisions about how to engage in global supply chain interventions.
Centering Worker Voices, Acknowledging Power
At the core of this work is a commitment to equity and justice. Structural change cannot be driven by policy experts or corporate initiatives alone—it must be shaped by those most impacted. HU/FF have steadily engaged with workers and their advocates, learning alongside them through regular in-country engagements.
The strategy also acknowledges complex power dynamics. Whether working with businesses facing financial pressures that contribute to labor exploitation or governments hesitant to enforce regulations, HU/FF engages a broad range of stakeholders. By fostering dialogue and surfacing hidden realities, this approach creates openings for meaningful change rather than reinforcing entrenched divisions.
Similarly, building a community of practice, knitting together a very fragmented civil society landscape, and supporting partners to build and strengthen their organizations has been a central part of the Freedom Fund’s strategic approach and the unique value-add that they bring to the partnership with Humanity United.
Systems Change Is a Long Game
This work does not promise quick solutions. Transforming a vast, complex industry requires patience, persistence, and a willingness to learn. The strategy has remained stable in its core commitments while evolving in response to shifting conditions over the past decade.
By continuously listening, adapting, and centering those most affected, Humanity United and the Freedom Fund are helping to build a seafood industry that is not dependent on forced labor, an industry that is fundamentally more just, equitable, and sustainable. In the long run, this kind of systemic change has the potential to reshape how seafood is sourced and how labor rights are upheld across global supply chains.
