An investigation by the British NGO Earthsight reveals that the two fast fashion giants source cotton from the tropical Cerrado region, in fact participating in its deforestation. Using satellite images, court rulings, product shipping records and undercover investigations, Earthside compiled and analyzed data published Thursday.
The NGO says it has traced the journey of 816,000 tonnes of cotton from two of Brazil's largest agro-industrial companies - SLC Agrícola and the Horita group - in the west of 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. “We take very seriously the accusations against Better Cotton, which strictly prohibits practices such as land usurpation and deforestation in its specifications,’ responded Inditex (Zara’s parent company) The Better Cotton label told Earthside that it has entrusted an independent auditor to carry out enhanced verification visits.