In recent years, we have observed a growing interest in "sustainability" in the fashion industry. But I want to focus on the challenges we face in cotton production and why it has been so difficult to increase that 1% of organic cotton worldwide. The Earthsight report discusses many reasons why we haven't achieved this. You see, within producing countries, there are many problems such as corruption, lack of investment, conventional productions that end up contaminating the region, and I understand, in the frustration it's easy to criticise and condemn them for the negative impacts they generate, as in the case of Brazil.
I am fully aware that cases like that of the Cerrado should be exposed, and measures should be taken to prevent them from continuing. I applaud the work done by Earthsight and all the people involved, but for the Cerrado community to see real change, collective action is needed. I don't even want to imagine the repercussions this brave community might face for speaking with Earthsight.
In this article, I invite you to reflect on the complexity of cotton production from the perspective of a Mexican trying to implement cotton recovery and transition programmes in Mexico.
I would like to start with corruption and answer a question I am often asked: "Doesn't your government help you?" Unfortunately, in countries like mine, we have learned that we cannot depend on the government if we want to create programmes that generate a positive and sustainable impact for the community. Why? Well, corruption is one reason, as well as fear—not just fear of having all your hard work stolen, but also fear that if your ideals do not align with those of the government, you could face serious consequences, as is the case in Cerrado, where the government has not supported them and has sometimes even been the aggressor against communities.
That's why in the case of Cerrado, I urge you not to leave the community alone, as I am concerned for their safety. You don't know how many activists have been annihilated for defending our lands, animals, forests, and waters, but I can tell you that are so many.
But where does this corruption come from? Well, it results from many things, but I will focus on the most important: money and power, not just in cotton but in all manufacturing in the country.
The wealthiest companies in the country are mostly family businesses (descendants of colonisers) that have created a culture of impunity: "We can pay off our government officials and they will give us permission to do whatever we want." This gives these companies the right to generate waste above permitted limits, cut down trees, use insecticides, and dispose of their waste in improper places, creating a vicious cycle—all to increase production volumes, make products cheaper, and earn more money.
However, where do these productions end up? Who benefits from these acts of corruption? Why do these companies want to increase their production volumes? To whom is all this merchandise sold? If you don't know who I'm referring to, I'm talking about end consumers from countries of the "global north". So, in my logic, isn't it somewhat illogical and hypocritical to blame and condemn these countries for eliminating and contaminating a large part of our biodiversity? Almost everything happening in these countries is a consequence of meeting the "needs" of consumers who don't even live in the same country.
"But don't you also use the products!" Yes, it's true, we use them, but most of the populations in producing countries do not have the economic capacity to buy with the same frequency as those in the global north, or as the report says, the Geraizeiros community of Cerrado has a low-impact lifestyle. Why is it fair for them to bear the consequences of consumerism in another country?
