innovation in Activewear propelling its steady growth

SUSTAINABILITY / NEWS
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BHRRC highlights worsening human rights
among garment workers
Allegations of human rights
violations against garment
workers at the suppliers of
several major international
fashion retailers have been
brought to light in a new report
by the Business & Human
Rights Resource Centre
(BHRRC). Accusations were
levelled against 13 factories that
supply or have supplied to at
least 15 international fashion
brands, according to the report,
including the likes of adidas,
Bestseller, C&A, H&M, Hugo
Boss, J. Crew, Mango, Next,
Primark and Under Armour.
The organisation polled 124
union members and labour
activists in Bangladesh,
Cambodia, India, Indonesia
and Sri Lanka for the research,
which included interviews with
24 trade union members.
Respondents claimed that they
had continued to experience
discrimination, assault,
threats, false accusations and
arrests; many of the factories
in question appeared to be
utilising Covid-19 as a means
for these alleged attempts to
suppress any organised efforts.
Additionally, there has been
an increase in issues such as
intimidation and harassment of
trade union members. Around
61 per cent of respondents
reported the situation for
freedom of association and
collective bargaining had ‘got
worse’ since the pandemic.
30 per cent of respondents
reported an increase in genderbased
violence.
BHRRC advocated a statutory
framework for human rights
and urged governments,
companies and suppliers to take
measures to ensure freedom
of association. It concluded:
“Brands and suppliers are
encouraged to enter good-faith
dialogue with workers and
their representatives through
collective bargaining and
binding agreements between
key stakeholders.”
SNIPS
Sustainable
Chemistry for the
Textile Industry
(SCTI) appoints
Dr. Isabella Tonaco
as Executive Director
Spanish retailer
Mango is
collaborating with
cancer research
organisation FERO
Foundation for a
solidarity collection.
They’ve collaborated
before, and the
funds from this
campaign will go
towards breast
cancer research.
Ralph Lauren is now member of The US Cotton Trust Protocol
Ralph Lauren Corporation,
an iconic global luxury brand,
is now member of The US
Cotton Trust Protocol (‘Trust
Protocol’). This membership
will support Ralph Lauren in
its efforts to scale sustainable
practices in US cotton
production. Aligned with
timeless by design, Ralph
Lauren is working to improve
soil health through programmes
that support regenerative
agriculture practices and
rigorous impact measurement,
believing that these efforts
are fundamental to building a
resilient cotton industry in the
US and globally. Launched
in 2020, the US Cotton Trust
Protocol is aligned with the
UN Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs), recognised by
Textile Exchange and Forum
for the Future, and part of the
Sustainable Apparel Coalition,
Cotton 2025 Sustainable
Cotton Challenge, Cotton 2040
and Cotton Up initiatives.
The Trust Protocol drives
continuous improvement
in six key sustainability
areas—land use, soil carbon,
water management, soil loss,
greenhouse gas emissions
and energy efficiency. It
integrates these sustainability
metrics from Field to Market’s
Fieldprint® Platform, enabling
enrolled growers to measure
the environmental impacts of
their operation and identify
opportunities for continuous
improvement. Katie Ioanilli,
Chief Global Impact &
Communications Officer at
Ralph Lauren said, “Cotton
makes up more than threequarters
of our total material
use, and we are committed
to ensuring this critical fibre
is fully sustainably-sourced
in our portfolio by 2025.
Our ambition requires
collaboration and partnership
with organisations like
Trust Protocol as we work
together to make progress
on sustainable cotton goals –
within our business and the
wider industry.” “We are proud
to welcome Ralph Lauren
as a new member and aid in
their efforts to advance better
sustainability practices within
the industry,” said Dr. Gary
Adams, President of the US
Cotton Trust Protocol.
48 AO India | November 2022