By Tirzah Rezende
Last week, the NGO Earthsight accused H&M and Zara of links to illegal deforestation in Brazil, specifically in the state of Bahia. According to the report titled "Fashion Crimes: European fashion giants linked to dirty cotton in Brazil," the companies involved in the scheme are associated with illegal deforestation activities, corruption and violence in cotton plantations in the South American country.
Earthsight claims to have traced 816,000 tons of cotton from two large Brazilian agricultural companies, SLC Agricola and Grupo Horita. The NGO denounces that the families that own the farms have a history of legal proceedings, convictions for corruption and fines for illegal deforestation . These families operate in a region of the Cerrado, a biome known for its rich biodiversity. The cotton was shipped to eight textile mills in Asia, where H&M and Zara are supplied.
All the cotton was certified as “sustainable” by the nonprofit organization Better Cotton, Earthsight noted. BC is a non-profit, multi-sector governance group that promotes better standards in cotton cultivation and growing practices in 22 countries. In 2023, the group represented 22% of global cotton production.
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H&M publicly stated that the report's findings are concerning and that they are in dialogue with Better Cotton.
On the other hand, Inditex, Zara's parent company, published that it takes the accusations against Better Cotton very seriously, and that it strictly prohibits practices such as land usurpation and deforestation in its condition's specifications.
The Brazilian Cotton Producers Association reported that they had worked with the targeted producers to answer the report, but their efforts were ignored.
Last month, Member States of the European Council approved legislation establishing a 'duty of vigilance' that imposes an obligation on EU companies to protect the environment and human rights in their global production chains.
As consumers, we must be vigilant and consider the environmental and social impact of our purchasing decisions. This situation highlights the importance of transparency and corporate responsibility in the fashion industry. It is essential to demand sustainable and ethical practices at all stages of production and advocate for stricter regulation to protect the environment and human rights around the world.
References: https://www.earthsight.org.uk/crimes-na-moda
