free2work.org has come out with a report that ranks companies in the apparel industry in terms of slavery and child labour. The report has graded companies based on “the extent to which a company has traced its suppliers and established systems throughout its supply chain that can enable it to prevent and address modern slavery”. This is a composite score, based on company policies that address issues of slavery in the supply chain, traceability and transparency, monitoring and training, and support for workers’ rights. While there is a ton of detail on the report on their website (http://www.free2work.org/trends/apparel/), here are some of the findings. Of the following companies that scored a D or an F, many the ones you expect to see on the list:
- Abercrombie and Fitch (current target of a labour rights violation campaign related to child labour in cotton production)
- Aeropostale
- Aramark
- Armor Holdings
- Blauer
- Bob Barker’s
- Carter’s (current target of a labour rights violation campaign related to child labour in cotton production)
- Express
- Forever 21
- Fruit of the Loom
- Garan
- Lacoste
- Propper
- Quiksilver
- Robinson Textiles
- Rocky
- Sketchers
- Spiewak
- Walmart (current target of a labour rights violation campaign, as always)
Companies that scored an A or a B also include the ones I would expect, like the Fair Trade lines, and also many others that surprised me:
- Adidas
- Alta Gracia
- American Eagle
- Eileen Fisher
- Esteem
- Gap (YET, current target of a labour rights violation campaign related to factory safety)
- Gildan
- Good & Fair
- H&M
- HAE Now
- Hanesbrands
- Indtex
- Levi’s
- Maggie’s Organics
- New Balance
- Patagonia
- praNa
- PUMA
- Solidarity (Fair Trade line)
- Timberland
- Tompkins (Fair Trade line)
So here’s our shopping list: No Walmart, no Abercrombie and Fitch, yes Adidas and Gap.
The Riot Project 