Issues > Clothing > People > Supply-Chain Transparency
Supply-Chain Transparency
There is little or no transparency on the conditions behind common processes in most supply chains in the clothing industry. Baptist World Aid and Not For Sale's 2013 document, The Australian Fashion Report, identified that out of 128 clothing brands, 61% of companies do not know where their garments are manufactured; 76% not know where their garments are weaved, knitted and dyed; and 93% do not know where their cotton is sourced from. [Please note the ratings in our guide indicate praises or criticisms in one or more issue areas in the ownership tree, but not all areas, and not necessarily the area of labour conditions. For many companies we don't have any information about the conditions their clothes are made under. We don't allocate criticisms to companies for this, even though it is quite likely the company is sourcing from overseas sweatshops.]
See the Clothing: Alternatives table on our website for alternative retailers and brands with positive features such as Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation, Fairtrade certification, and use of sustainable materials.
See Ethical Clothing Australia's list of accredited brands.
ECA
Download the Australian Fashion Report