PARIS: A recent report by environmental group Earthsight revealed that fast fashion giants H&M and Zara have sourced cotton from farms associated with massive deforestation, land-grabbing, corruption, and violence in Brazil’s fragile Cerrado savanna.
The report, titled “Fashion Crimes,” exposed the sourcing of “tainted cotton” by the companies from two of Brazil’s major agribusiness firms, SLC Agricola and the Horita Group, operating in the Cerrado. Despite being labeled as ethical by the Better Cotton certification scheme, the cotton supply chain was found to have deep flaws in oversight.
Earthsight’s investigation traced at least 816,000 tonnes of cotton exported from 2014 to 2023 to farms linked to SLC and Horita, known for their history of court injunctions, corruption rulings, and fines related to clearances of significant Cerrado wilderness.
The cotton was cultivated in Bahia and supplied to Asian clothing manufacturers, whose clients include H&M and Zara. This exposes the fashion industry’s role in driving environmental destruction in the Cerrado, one of the most biodiverse savannas globally, as Brazil’s agribusiness expands into the region.
Brazil, a top global exporter of beef and soybeans, has become a significant cotton producer, ranking second only to the United States. However, this expansion has come at the cost of rampant environmental degradation, driven by corruption, greed, violence, and impunity.
In response to the report, Better Cotton conducted an independent audit of the issues raised, and Zara’s parent company Inditex and H&M expressed seriousness about the allegations, urging Better Cotton to release the auditors’ findings.
The Brazilian Cotton Producers’ Association (ABRAPA) provided records and evidence countering the report’s claims but was met with disregard. ABRAPA emphasized its condemnation of practices undermining environmental conservation, violating human rights, or harming local communities.
