Transparent supply chain
Too many clothes are made in supply chains that brands couldn’t tell you about, even if they wanted to. The global cotton industry sometimes involves forced labour, and misleading claims – as many fibre and fashion industries do. Australian cotton is far more transparent and ethical. Scroll down to explore some global issues cotton faces, and how Australian cotton compares.
Forced and child labour
The vast majority of the world’s cotton is produced in China, India, the US, Pakistan, Brazil, Australia, Uzbekistan, and Turkey. All but two of these countries have documented cases of forced labour or child labour. Fortunately, Australia is not one of them.
As many as 1 in 5 cotton garments globally can be tied back to the Xinjiang province of China, where the Chinese government is accused of forcing Uyghur Muslims to work for them, while living in camps against their will.
Forced and child labour is not legal in Australia. While that doesn’t mean it never occurs in the country, the myBMP (Best Practice Management) program that most cotton farmers opt into, audits farms and ensures labour is voluntary, fair and safe.
False claims of ethical and sustainable credentials
Without transparency as to where cotton is grown, it can be difficult to know not only how the people in supply chains were treated, but how sustainably the cotton was grown.
False, fraudulent claims that cotton is organic when it is actually not have been documented to be rampant.
Similarly, cotton products labelled as grown in Egypt, have been recorded to actually be from India.
When there are false claims in the marketing of cotton products, and when that is made possible by a lack of transparency, the ethics and sustainability of a product are lost.
References
91% of Australian fashion companies don’t know where all their cotton is sourced…
Baptist World Aid
0% of large brands surveyed by Responsible Sourcing Network…
Responsible Sourcing Network
100% Australian cotton is far more transparent…
Cotton Australia
…all but two of these countries have documented cases of forced labour…
Responsible Sourcing Network
As many as 1 in 5 cotton garments globally can be tied to…
Supply Chain Dive
…the myBMP program that most cotton farmers opt into, audits farms…
Cotton Australia
False claims that cotton is organic when it is not have been documented...
Textile Exchange
…products labelled as grown in Egypt, have been recorded to be from India
Financial Post