A groundbreaking report from WWF-UK has been released today, entitled “Deeper Luxury – quality and style when the world matters”. The report analyses luxury brands’ social and environmental responsibilities, performance and opportunities. Jem Bendell and Anthony Kleanthous, the report’s authors, sent me a synopsis:
“The issues facing luxury goods companies are numerous. They include concerns over human rights, conflict, corruption, labour rights, and environmental degradation throughout their supply chains, as well the trade in wildlife. The opportunities, on the other hand, are huge, if you happen to be a “sustainable” luxury brand.
Luxury brands promote concepts of quality, style and, ultimately, success. The scale and urgency of the sustainable consumption challenge requires all those who communicate widely, including iconic brands, to promote a more authentic understanding of quality, style and success, which includes respect for each other and the planet upon which we depend. In reality, the most successful and iconic brands, especially in the worlds of fashion and technology, do not so much respond to consumer demand as create and influence it. They do this in two ways: by “editing” consumer choices through product design, distribution and other attributes over which consumers have no control; and by influencing the choices that consumers can make, such as how and when to use their products.
Although more research is required, there are signs that the notion of “luxury” is beginning to change. In future, the highest quality product or service will be the one that generates the most benefit to all involved in its production and trade. Consumers’ knowledge of that benefit – and even the prestige they gain from it - will be central to their luxury experience. Luxury brands will have to represent the greatest positive contribution any product or service could make to people and planet: they would indicate that a person using them has the means and the conscience to contribute greatly to others while enjoying the best performance and beauty available. This deeper, more authentic approach to luxury will require not just more corporate responsibility, but true social and environmental excellence. Anything less might be regarded as shallow, perhaps almost as fake as the counterfeits.
The luxury industry professionals have an amazing opportunity. With booming sales and high margins, and an emphasis on consumer emotions, they have both the resources and the mandate to develop a deeper, more authentic and sustainable luxury.”
The WWF-UK Report “Deeper Luxury: Quality and Style when the World Matters” is available for free at www.wwf.org.uk/deeperluxury
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Although somewhat dubious, there is an argument for the ethical shopper to visit Primark: with the often stupid amounts of money saved on their goods, you can put more into your fund for the groundbreakingly green products that are inherently more expensive; things like Worn Again shoes.
So it was with a sense of conflict that I decided to venture into the Primark flagship store yesterday, reminding myself of the above argument but ultimately aware of its desire to join in the fun and bag a bargain. But, at the back of the store, a little bit of internal peace could be found: Primark have launched a range of organic cotton sheets and pillowcases! This complements the organic cotton tees, boob tubes, bras and briefs already on sale.
Organic cotton’s a fantastic thing to support, not just to benefit yourself by having something pesticide-free against your skin for a change, but also because it’s a huge help to the environment, health and livelihoods of those in developing countries. Organic farming maintains the quality of the soil, whereas pesticides strip it of its nutrients. But the really shocking fact is that 20,000 farmers die every year by ingesting the pesticides as they spray. If you want to find out more about the effects take a look at this.
Priced at £8 for a fitted double sheet and £4 for a pair of pillowcases, they’re really quite reasonable, and rather attractive in their natural cotton colour, although it seems they’ve still been dyed. But it’s great to see them taking the issues seriously. And of course, as well as supporting high street ethical fashion by voting with your wallet, you can have even more positive influence if you ask to speak to the manager and tell him how pleased you are, or drop them a line at enquiries@primark.co.uk.
Grandmother and former nurse Linda Sones sells organic cotton baby and children’s clothing and accessories, and natural, organic baby toiletries online at SonesUK.
This post examines some of the issues concerned with the employment of children in the production of cheap textiles in the third world. Child labour is an emotive subject and a consequence of extreme poverty which creates hunger and homelessness. There are no simple solutions and legislation alone will only drive the practice further undercover. The International Labour Rights Forum (ILRF) have concluded in a recent report that corporations are not making sufficient interventions in eliminating child labour in cotton but that is not the sole problem.
Multinational companies have acknowledged the use of child labour on farms producing for them and have made some progress in addressing the issue, and they report that their investments in education have been a great success. However they have failed to address the grass roots issue of a fair procurement price for farmers which is the major factor influencing the continuation of cheap child labour on cotton seed farms. As a farmer in Uzbekistan expressed it “We know the risks (to children’s health) but we are forced to give up the children for cotton each season otherwise we will starve”. Employers pay children less than adults and they are not so likely to complain about working conditions, this makes them an attractive proposition to unscrupulous people.
It was estimated in ILRF’s report which analysed trends in child employment that approximately 400,500 children of which roughly half are below the age of 14 continue to work on cotton seed farms in India. Labour contractors will often advance their children’s low wages to parents and then take them to work on farms in other villages as a form of bonded labour. Children working in the cotton fields are at serious risk of health problems due to close contact with toxic pesticides and fertilizers and a poor diet. It is further suggested in the report that the 2007-2008 harvest season will actually see an increase in child labourers.
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