In light of what I posted last week about the new means of global production, I read an article from The Atlantic about the outdoor clothing company Patagonia, who have credited themselves as an ethical company that only deals in fair trade and labor. Gillian White's article, "All Your Clothes Are Made With Exploited Labor," explores the supply chain of Patagonia and illustrates just how difficult ethical practices can be with so many international inputs.
Internal audits of Patagonia found several instances of human trafficking and forced labor in the first-tier suppliers - the mills that produce the raw materials and fabrics that then go on to other factories. The mills were found to employ labor brokers, who engaged in human trafficking in order to staff the mills. Even the second-tier factories, where the clothes are actually made, employed workers who were victims of human trafficking.
Patagonia has been transparent about their audit findings and after the violations were discovered, cut down on the number of their first-tier suppliers and increased their international labor audits. However, their discoveries are rather commonplace in the clothing industry, where there are so many international inputs that is it difficult to ensure fair labor practices. With many companies operating in developing nations to cut costs, the sheer volume of factories and suppliers across the globe is difficult to monitor. Additionally, consuming responsibly can be near impossible - even if clothes are made in a developed country with fair labor practices, ensuring that the fabric was made by fairly paid workers, ensuring that the metal for zippers was mined responsibly, and monitoring the countless other factors that go into the products we consume can be a dauntless task.
While many companies are actively trying to combat international labor violations, the only way for them to really control the cost of a product without compromising quality is to cut costs on labor, which creates a perfect environment for forced labor and human trafficking. Price increases could drive down sales and with the industry being so competitive, companies cannot afford that. Though there are organizations for fair labor and workers' rights, there is no concrete governance for these types of violations, as they tend to abuse legal loopholes to engage in these labor practices - labor brokers are not illegal in the countries where these factories operate. Governance of these practices could only come from complete cooperation - and with companies needing cheap labor and governments needing the jobs these companies bring, it may not come any time soon.
White, Gillian B. "All Your Clothes Are Made With Exploited Labor." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media, 3 July 2015. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
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