by Anna Rohwer
More consumers than ever before are wanting to make ethical and informed decisions about the products they purchase. But when it comes to your clothes, no tag in the world can fit all of the information you need to make an educated decision about what brands to support with your wallet. Tags like “Made in China” or “100% cotton” reveal pieces of information to consumers about the products they purchase, but they don’t tell the whole story. They don’t explain who makes the clothes we wear or under what conditions they are made. |
Suppliers in developing countries who participate in various aspects of production have little say over production requirements. They are often forced to meet difficult demands that place pressure on workers in the form of long hours, low wages, and poor working conditions. It has become increasingly challenging for governments to regulate geographically dispersed production activities that transcend national borders and laws. As MNCs have assumed a more influential role in the global economy, government intervention in national economies has withdrawn, resulting in a gap in regulation of geographically fragmented production. |