Social procurement is gaining global momentum — with social issues now one of the biggest drivers of supply chain disruption worldwide.

Social Traders is proud to have collaborated with the World Economic Forum and the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship to highlight Australia’s leadership and impact in this space, in the newly released State of Social Procurement 2026 report.

The report brings together 21 leading organisations on social procurement. It highlights novel data on social issues in global value chains, provides insights into the business case for social procurement, highlights regulatory developments, and showcases how a maturing ecosystem for social procurement drives positive impact in over 10 countries and regions.

Between January 2023 and October 2025, social issues accounted for around 18% of more than 180,000 material global supply chain events, making them the second most significant source of disruption after legal and regulatory issues. Disruptions escalated from late 2024 and peaked in March 2025, when social risks reached their highest monthly level in the dataset.

These disruptions were driven primarily by labour strikes, protests, and worker demonstrations, often linked to livelihoods, working conditions, and cost-of-living pressures. At the same time, a shifting economic and regulatory environment, including increased trade friction and tariff use, is intensifying strain across global supply chains, amplifying underlying social risks.

In this context, buying from social enterprises that prioritise fair work and community benefit is becoming increasingly critical for long-term supply chain resilience.

The State of Social Procurement 2026 captures these dynamics across 18 chapters. Social Traders contributed to government procurement section and Australia's country snapshot together with Supply Nation and WEConnect International.

Australia is well-positioned to deepen and scale social procurement. The next phase of progress will require moving from identification to measurable action. This includes setting clear spending targets, improving transparency and strengthening accountability across both public and private buyers.