Ringside View / Cotton for Good 2024 / PART I Commentary

Spotlight: Cotton for Good 2024

The Hidden Story Behind Your Favourite Fashion: The Conflict-Free Cotton Movement

The road to widespread adoption of conflict-free cotton won’t be easy, but it’s a path being paved by a mix of legislative action, corporate responsibility, and consumer demand. While much remains to be done, the progress made so far is promising. Continued collaboration between governments, corporations, and consumers is imperative to ensure conflict-free cotton becomes a reality.

Dan Patterson

7 October 2024

4 minutes

Long Story, Cut Short

The global cotton industry, worth an estimated $1 trillion USD annually, involves about 50 million people worldwide, with a majority of the workforce based in lower-income countries.
About 70% of global cotton is hand-harvested, often under conditions that raise serious concerns about human rights abuses, including forced labour and child exploitation.
Brands are embracing the challenge of tracing and verifying the ethical sourcing of their cotton. This isn’t just a matter of compliance but a growing consumer demand for transparency and accountability.

By supporting conflict-free cotton, consumers can play a part in pushing the fashion industry toward a more ethical and sustainable future. When brands see a demand for ethically sourced products, they are more likely to invest in the practices and technologies needed to make conflict-free cotton the standard, rather than the exception.

Going Ethical By supporting conflict-free cotton, consumers can play a part in pushing the fashion industry toward a more ethical and sustainable future. When brands see a demand for ethically sourced products, they are more likely to invest in the practices and technologies needed to make conflict-free cotton the standard, rather than the exception. Dan Patterson

In today’s fast-paced world, convenience reigns supreme. From the smartphones that power our digital lives to the cozy clothes we wear, we often take for granted how these items arrive in our hands. But behind the tech and fashion we love is a web of global supply chains that, in many cases, hides uncomfortable truths. Among the most pervasive of these is cotton—the fabric of our lives. And as awareness grows around ethical sourcing, the call for conflict-free cotton is getting louder.

Cotton plays a central role in our daily lives, from the soft T-shirts we lounge in to the sheets we sleep on. Yet, despite its ubiquity, the path this seemingly innocuous fabric takes is far more complex than it appears. Much of the world's cotton production, especially in developing countries, is still reliant on manual labour. About 70% of global cotton is hand-harvested, often under conditions that raise serious concerns about human rights abuses, including forced labour and child exploitation.

What is conflict-free cotton?

Conflict-free cotton refers to cotton that is harvested without the involvement of forced, coerced, or child labour. It represents an ethical commitment to ensure that the fabric so essential to our clothing is produced in a way that respects the rights and dignity of workers.

However, achieving this in practice is challenging. The global cotton industry, worth an estimated $1 trillion USD annually, involves about 50 million people worldwide, with a majority of the workforce based in lower-income countries. These regions often lack the infrastructure to properly monitor labour conditions, especially during the harvest season, which typically lasts just two to three months. This fleeting nature makes it difficult to track labour practices, and the constant movement of harvest locations adds another layer of complexity.

Dan Patterson

Dan Patterson, the chief executive officer at Silverleafe Global Ag Tech LLC, has developed an advanced agricultural technology platform that creates a digital geospatial footprint for verifying machine-harvested cotton in the textile supply chain.

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The dark side of cotton

In some parts of the world, the line between ethically sourced and exploitative cotton can be blurry. Certain governments even mandate forced labour, compelling children to abandon school to work in fields during the harvest season. These practices not only infringe on the rights of these workers but also trap them in cycles of poverty, limiting their opportunities for a better future.

The scale of the issue is staggering. In cotton-producing regions where economic desperation runs deep, many families have no choice but to send their children to work in the fields. These children are often paid meagre wages and work in harsh conditions that not only harm their health but also rob them of educational opportunities.

Global efforts to address the issue

Thankfully, the tide is beginning to turn. Governments in regions like the EU, UK, and North America, where textile consumption is highest, are introducing legislation that holds companies accountable for their supply chains. For example, the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive requires companies to report on their efforts to address human rights violations and modern slavery within their supply chains.

While these measures are a positive step, they are just the beginning of a long and complex journey. True change will require the involvement of everyone—from governments and corporations to consumers. Brands, in particular, have a significant role to play. Many are now embracing the challenge of tracing and verifying the ethical sourcing of their cotton. This isn’t just a matter of compliance but a growing consumer demand for transparency and accountability.

The role of technology in revolutionising cotton industry

A key solution to many of these issues lies in mechanisation and digitalisation. By reducing reliance on manual labour, particularly hand-harvesting, cotton production can become more ethical and sustainable. Mechanised cotton harvesting is already widespread in wealthier nations, but in many developing regions, the cost of such equipment remains prohibitive.

This is where brands and consumers come in. By offering a premium for conflict-free cotton, companies can help farmers in these regions invest in the necessary technology to mechanise their harvests. Not only does this reduce the risk of forced labour, but it also increases the efficiency and sustainability of cotton farming.

Furthermore, digital tools like blockchain are poised to revolutionise transparency in the textile supply chain. The concept of "digital passports" for cotton would allow every step of the supply chain—from field to finished garment—to be tracked, traced, and verified. These systems can ensure that conflict-free cotton maintains its integrity throughout its journey, offering consumers peace of mind that the cotton in their favourite T-shirt is ethically sourced.

By reducing reliance on manual labour, particularly hand-harvesting, cotton production can become more ethical and sustainable. Dan Patterson

About 70% of global cotton is hand-harvested, often under conditions that raise serious concerns about human rights abuses, including forced labour and child exploitation.

Serious concerns About 70% of global cotton is hand-harvested, often under conditions that raise serious concerns about human rights abuses, including forced labour and child exploitation. Dan Patterson

Why should consumers care?

The idea that our purchasing choices can make a difference has gained traction in recent years, and nowhere is this more apparent than in fashion. Fast fashion, with its high turnover of cheap, trendy clothing, has come under scrutiny for its environmental and human rights impacts. But while many are familiar with the environmental consequences of textile production, fewer people are aware of the human cost, particularly in cotton harvesting.

By supporting conflict-free cotton, consumers can play a part in pushing the fashion industry toward a more ethical and sustainable future. When brands see a demand for ethically sourced products, they are more likely to invest in the practices and technologies needed to make conflict-free cotton the standard, rather than the exception.

Looking forward: A collaborative effort

The road to widespread adoption of conflict-free cotton won’t be easy, but it’s a path that is already being paved by a mix of legislative action, corporate responsibility, and consumer demand. The key will be maintaining momentum and ensuring that the financial burden of ethical cotton production is shared fairly across the supply chain—from consumers to cotton producers.

Incentivising farmers through higher prices for conflict-free cotton can lead to more widespread use of mechanisation. As mechanisation increases, human rights violations in cotton harvesting can decrease, and digitalisation can help track and validate every step of the supply chain.

While there is still much work to be done, the progress made so far is promising. With continued collaboration between governments, corporations, and consumers, conflict-free cotton can become a reality, bringing transparency and ethical integrity to the clothes we wear every day.

By offering a premium for conflict-free cotton, companies can help farmers in these regions invest in the necessary technology to mechanise their harvests. Not only does this reduce the risk of forced labour, but it also increases the efficiency and sustainability of cotton farming.