By Camila Rua - Translated by Lorena G\u00f3mez<\/b><\/p>\n
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The sustainable fashion industry is constantly being built, so, on many occasions, when trying to enter or transition towards sustainability, the problems and challenges that the industry is going through are unknown. To learn more about these difficulties, we asked Valentina Su\u00e1rez, leader of Universo MOLA, the international Latin American sustainable fashion movement that works to generate alternatives for transformative development.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n What do you consider are the three biggest challenges facing the sustainable fashion industry in Latin America at the moment?<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The three biggest challenges facing the sustainable fashion industry in Latin America are the <\/span>market<\/b>, <\/span>public policies<\/b> and the <\/span>connections within the sector<\/b>. By the latter, I mean that all actors in<\/span> each of the value chain links understand sustainability<\/b> and can apply it, from production to design. The second challenge is public policies since we <\/span>need more sustainable and regenerative regulations<\/b>. The challenge related to the markets is that we need to find a way <\/span>to educate the final consumer so that they make more conscious purchases<\/b> and, in this way, we can support projects focused on sustainability.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Do you think that brands and the different participants in the chain of production should contribute to consumer education?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Each of the links that are part of the industry is important in every way; therefore, we need producers to have sustainable practices so that traders, designers, and consumers also have and generate those practices, because <\/span>if we only keep part of the chain, we will not achieve that the entire system to be sustainable <\/b>and, therefore, the product is not sustainable either. So, it is extremely important that each of the parts that conform the value chain can contribute to that sustainability process since <\/span>we are all responsible for the system changing and transforming.<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n How do you think they should contribute to consumer education?<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n A <\/span>review of each of the business models of each company and suppliers in the world<\/b>should be made, to subsequently communicate, certify and work with their immediate customers. Clearly, those who are in the production chain will not address the final consumer, but their customers, their <\/span>stakeholders<\/span><\/i>. So, from that side, that communication process is super important.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Based on your experience, what are the main challenges that Latin American brands face when implementing sustainable processes?<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n