Coca-Cola Co. and the U.S. State Department along with two other companies said last week they are launching a project using blockchain’s digital ledger technology to create a secure registry for workers that will help fight the use of forced labor worldwide.

The drive for cost cuts and higher margins at U.S. trucking and railroad operators is pinching their biggest customers, forcing the likes of General Mills Inc and Hormel Foods Corp to spend more on deliveries and consider raising their own prices as a way to pass along the costs.

When Markus Rohner flew into Cape Town’s airport this month, he found an unexpected line at the men’s washroom.