Zara demands an explanation from an organization that says it uses organic cotton

The group to which Zara belongs has sought clarification from the organization that certifies the cotton used in its products as organic, after the brand was linked to illegal deforestation, land appropriation, violence and corruption in Brazil.

“We take allegations against Better Cotton very seriously, which strictly prohibits practices such as land grabbing and deforestation in its requirements. Consequently, we have asked the organization to share the results of the independent investigation that has been carried out as quickly as possible. cable and the necessary measures to ensure sustainable cotton certification that meets the highest standards,” said the Inditex group in a note sent to Lusa in response to today’s publication of the results of an investigation into cotton production in Brazil.

A paper by British NGO Earthsight examines the significant development of Brazilian cotton export production and traces the fate of more than 800,000 tonnes of contaminated but certified cotton delivered to companies in Asia where it is processed into lumps. clothes for brands to sell later, especially in Europe.

In extensive work to which Lusa had access, the NGO discovered that it had spent more than a year analyzing satellite imagery, court decisions, shipping reports and secretly attending global trade fairs to find and trace this cotton from Brazil’s Cerrado. two major companies that denied any illegality.

Between 2014 and 2023, the cotton was sold to eight clothing manufacturers in countries such as Indonesia, Pakistan or Bangladesh, suppliers to the brands Zara and H&M, among others.

Earthsight believes that companies and consumers in Europe and North America are contributing to deforestation, land grabbing and human rights abuses in new ways, “not by what they eat, but by what they wear,” even though note that Neither H&M nor Zara buys cotton directly from producers.

According to the non-governmental organization, all of the contaminated cotton was certified as sustainable by Better Cotton, an organization that claims to be the largest cotton sustainability program in the world and whose mission is to help communities prosper by protecting and restoring the environment.

Based in Geneva and London, Better Cotton has been repeatedly accused of greenwashing (spreading false sustainable practices through “marketing” promotions), secrecy and poor human rights practices.

Faced with the allegations from Earthsight, Better Cotton said it had launched an investigation.

In response to questions from the non-governmental organization, H&M said it was identifying a need to improve the organization’s certification process.

In a letter sent to Better Cotton after the investigation, the Inditex group said the information it requested would be “fundamental to the assessment of possible restrictions” on the use of its certification.

The Inditex group, the world’s leading clothing retailer, also includes brands such as Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka and Stradivarius.