Play the Field
It’s time to face the truth about textile production and the choices you can make to secure a better future for the planet.
the world is in an environmental and human rights crisis. Unfortunately, the fashion industry (which we all love) is among the biggest contributors to this. Hard pill to swallow, I know. That doesn’t mean we have to jump ship and walk around in our birthday suits. It does, however, mean that we all have a responsibility, as Africans, to think more carefully about how and what we buy, what quantities we use and what we can reuse. It’s about identifying and rewarding ethical and sustainable development in brands and cultivating sustainable behaviour as consumers.
Firstly, what is sustainable development? The Brundtland Report defines it as ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’. In the fashion context, that means a lot: identifying brands that are on a sustainable trajectory and have suitable labour practices, which means figuring out how and where your garments are made, and making a commitment to shop more strategically, sustainably and ethically.
Sustainability in fashion is a complex issue, certainly more so than what can be addressed in a single article, so let’s begin the conversation one thread at a time, starting with the biggest offender of them all: cotton.
Cotton is the most prolific global crop – the most water-demanding of the them all – and the one most riddled with labour and fair-trade issues.
The plant takes well to arid soil, usually in areas that don’t have access to a lot of water to begin with. As such, it’s grown primarily in third world countries.
Cotton itself is not a harmful plant, in essence, but the industrial processes involved in treating, spinning, dyeing, and ultimately transforming them into fabric, are riddled with waste that is harmful to the environment. The pesticides and fertilisers used in growing these crops are harmful, too.
The other issues are GMOs and the monopoly on seeds. There are companies that specialise in the sale and distribution of seed.
The demand on cotton has resulted in its genetic modification to create a higher yield with greater resistance to disease. Yet the seeds have a toxic side effect on the soil they’re grown in and are not distributed fairly or with consideration to the heavy export duties and low prices. These problems create a chain-reaction of other issues that eventually filter down to the communities living in those areas. Basically, your really affordable, fast-fashion T-shirt comes at a much heftier price than you think.
That’s why organic and recycled cotton is the way forward. It’s not perfect, but it’s cheaper to produce and is far less harmful to the environment. Other crops to consider include linen, hemp and bamboo, all of which are better for the world than cotton.
And these aren’t hard to find. Keep your eyes open and make sure you choose your fabric carefully. Study the labels and find out as much as you can about where it was made. Demand transparency from those retailers. You have the right to play the field.