the Zara and H&M brands targeted by a British NGO

They are also accused of being linked to land grabbing, corruption and violence on cotton plantations owned by their subcontractors.

Two fast fashion giants heavily blamed. In a report published Thursday April 11, the British NGO Earthside accuses H&M and Zara of being “related” to large-scale illegal deforestation activities in Brazil. The two companies are also accused of being linked to land grabbing, corruption and violence on cotton plantations owned by their subcontractors.

Earthside compiled and analyzed data from satellite imagery, court rulings, product shipping records, and undercover investigations. The NGO says it has traced the journey of 816,000 tonnes of cotton, coming from two of Brazil’s largest agro-industrial companies – SLC Agrícola and the Horita group – in the state of Bahia. The Brazilian families who own these farms have “a heavy history of legal proceedings, convictions for corruption and millions of dollars in fines for illegal deforestation”, denounces the NGO. They carry out their activities in part of the Cerrado region, a savannah renowned for the richness of its fauna and flora.

These tons of cotton then landed in eight textile factories in Asia, where Zara and H&M source their supplies. All this cotton was certified as “sustainable” by the Better Cotton (BC) organization, according to Earthside. The “Better Cotton” certification system has “deep gaps”, deplores Earthside in his study.

Conclusions taken “very seriously”

Better Cotton announced to Earthside that it “had entrusted an independent auditor with the task of carrying out reinforced verification visits”, after this investigation. “We take very seriously the accusations against Better Cotton, which strictly prohibits practices such as land usurpation and deforestation in its specifications”, reacted Inditex (parent company of Zara) to AFP. Inditex asks “as quickly as possible” the results of the independent investigation.

“The findings of the Earthsight report are very concerning and we take them very seriously”, H&M reacted to AFP. The group emphasized “being one of the first to move to 100% organic, recycled or sustainably sourced cotton” And “follow the findings of the investigation” in dialogue “narrow” with Better Cotton.

In mid-March, the member states of the European Council validated legislation creating a “duty of vigilance”. This imposes obligations on EU companies to protect the environment and human rights in their production chains on a global scale.