A damning report by Earthsight, a UK-based environmental watchdog, has linked popular clothing brands H&M and Zara to environmental devastation in Brazil. The report alleges these brands are using cotton grown through illegal deforestation, land theft, and violence in the ecologically crucial Cerrado savanna.

What is Dirty Cotton?

The term "dirty cotton" refers to cotton cultivated using environmentally destructive practices. This includes clearing land for farms through illegal deforestation, seizing indigenous territories (land grabbing), and violence against local communities. The destruction of the Cerrado savanna, a vast tropical grassland region, threatens the region's unique biodiversity and weakens the planet's ability to store carbon dioxide, accelerating climate change.

Brands under scrutiny

While the report primarily focuses on H&M and Zara, the issue likely extends to other fashion brands that source cotton from Brazil. Neither H&M nor Zara have commented publicly on the report. However, the investigation raises serious questions about the effectiveness of cotton sustainability certifications. Better Cotton, a leading certification body, deemed the tainted cotton "sustainable" despite evidence to the contrary. Earthsight argues that recent updates to Better Cotton's standards contain loopholes, allowing cotton grown on illegally cleared land before 2020 to be labelled as sustainable.

Taking action

Earthsight is calling for a multi-pronged approach to address this issue:

Stricter regulations: Consumer choices alone are not enough, argues Earthsight. Lawmakers in major consumer countries need to implement stricter regulations to hold companies accountable for their entire supply chains.

Scrutiny of certifications: The oversight failures of Better Cotton highlight the urgent need for stricter certification processes that genuinely reflect sustainable practices.

Consumer power: Consumers can play a role by choosing to support sustainable clothing brands and avoiding fast fashion retailers. This will put pressure on the industry to clean up its act.

The road ahead

While some progress is being made, with Better Cotton conducting audits of the Brazilian farms and Inditex (Zara's parent company) demanding more transparency, significant change requires stricter regulations and continued pressure from consumers. Only then can the fast fashion industry be held accountable for its environmental impact.