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Article

16 Jan 2012

Author:
Ilaria Pasquinelli, Ethical Fashion Consultancy in Guardian [UK]

Rio 2012: what can the fashion industry do to become more sustainable?

In Bangladesh, where 80% of the economy depends on the fashion industry, the minimum wage in 2006 was £7.16 a month. Taking into consideration inflation and subsequent real wage levels, that is two and a half times less than the £18 it was worth in 1994 when it was legislated. Meanwhile the price of essential commodities like rice, sugar, cooking oil and water have risen by 200%, making it virtually impossible for workers to support their families...Today there are more than one hundred different labels addressing consumers' health and environmental and social sustainability. But the key question is – will all of these efforts taken together really make a difference?...[T]he drive has to come from the industry itself. While fashion companies still don't see sustainability as an integral part of their core business, change will be slow and difficult. For Rio 2012, there is really only one topic on the agenda for the fashion industry; how can they make their supply chains measurably more transparent? Once full-scale transparency is in place the resulting evidence will be too compelling to ignore.[refers to Marks & Spencer, Patagonia, Levi Strauss, Nike]