Huge cotton plantations are popping up in the Brazilian savannah, which also supply fashion giants like Inditex and H&M. Although labelled as ‘Better Cotton’, the Brazilian cotton goes hand in hand with deforestation and pollution, according to research.
Increasing deforestation
New research by British NGO Earthsight tracked 816,000 tonnes of cotton shipped from Brazil’s Cerrado nature reserve to eight Asian textile mills. Ultimately, a significant proportion of that – in the form of 250 million garments – ended up in the shops of the world’s biggest fashion groups.
Particularly problematic is that the cotton is certified by Better Cotton, which gives the impression of clean production. However, the NGO was able to trace the cotton to – often illegal – plantations that, after deforestation and forced eviction of residents, consume an awful lot of water and pollute the environment with pesticides. Last year, deforestation in the Cerrado increased by 43 % and by 2030, Brazil will be the world’s largest exporter of cotton.
Alternative to China
For the fashion industry, Brazilian cotton is an interesting alternative to Chinese production, as the latter is often related to the region of the Uighurs, a Muslim minority that is coerced into forced labour, according to human rights organisations. Quite a few fashion brands have since promised to stop sourcing cotton from the region. However, the Brazilian variety does not appear to be free of problems too.
Inditex says it is taking the allegations seriously and is investigating the matter, while H&M has already come forward and admitted it has failed in its responsibility to ascertain its supply chain.
