Decades of irresponsible fabric sourcing by companies have caused deforestation, says Rainforest Action Network in its latest report titled ‘Lessons from the Incense Forest’. The study identifies top American apparel brands, dubbed the “Fashion Fifteen,” and lists Prada, LVMH, Tory Burch, Michael Kors, Vince, Guess, Velvet, L Brands, Forever 21, Under Armour, Footlocker, Abercrombie and Fitch, GAIAM, Beyond Yoga and Ralph LaurenPopular, many of them beloved and iconic, as the perpetrators of forest destruction. The pressure on these fashion companies to address these violations in their global supply chains is growing.

The recent global expansion of massive plantations for the production of pulp for use in fabrics has led to land grabbing from surrounding communities. Every year tens of millions of trees are turned into clothing through the use of forest fabrics like rayon and viscose. These forests have played a critical part in local community livelihoods for generations, and are now being seized and for forest fabrics.

Without strong policies from fashion companies, rainforest destruction and human rights abuses can become part of the clothing worn by millions of consumers around the world. Protest groups are urging brands to take action to ensure that real changes are made on the ground to prevent deforestation, human rights abuses and climate pollution from being woven into the fabrics consumers wear.

These group wants brands to use only forest-friendly fabrics in their collections and to identify negative manufacturing components and develop commitments to protecting forests and human rights.