Child Labor The High Cost of Cotton "The look, the feel of cotton!" Remember that marketing campaign by the cotton industry, it made you feel that cotton was such a pure, simple and natural choice of fibers. Almost made you forget about the misery that our ancestors endured in the cotton fields. Well it appears according to this article, that many cotton growers continue to rely on cheap labor to feed our appetites for jeans, tees and dresses. If it was wrong for our ancestors, why is it okay for today's laborers, especially if they are children? There are retailers that are investing in purchases of organic cotton goods in their stores, but I don't know if organic translates into fair trade. So let the buyer beware.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Thanks for writing about this important issue. We buy most of our clothes second-hand, but everything started in a primary market somewhere. It's hard for any of us to be guilt-free.
Hi Gloria. I found your blog through The Thrifty Chicks.
Buyer beware is so right. We just don't know about the labor practices, and even with things like organic, its production is still taking a toll on our planet. Even green-marketed bamboo now seems dubious.
Check out this Wall Street Journal story on bamboo fabrics, which are essentially rayon:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704576204574529730229551324.html
With so many stylish options already produced, I adore second-hand shopping.
Thanks for being a positive voice for the environment and for empowering women.
Post a Comment