What Is SEDEX / SMETA?

A widely used ethical audit framework covering labor, health & safety, environment, and business ethics.

SEDEX (Supplier Ethical Data Exchange) is a platform for sharing supply chain data, and SMETA (SEDEX Members Ethical Trade Audit) is the audit methodology most commonly run through it. Together they form one of the most widely requested social compliance frameworks in global apparel sourcing, assessing a facility against four pillars: labor standards, health and safety, environmental performance, and business ethics. Buyers building a socially responsible supply chain narrative frequently require a current SMETA audit report as a condition of onboarding a new supplier.