The degradation of the Cerrado habitat, a biodiversity hotspot, has largely gone unnoticed, according to new research by Earthsight. Brazil has long been under fire for its deforestation of the Amazon rainforest.
Although there has been some progress in addressing the problem of the Amazon, rates of deforestation in the Cerrado are increasing, partly due to the demand for cotton by large fashion firms such as Zara and H&M.
According to Earthsight’s research, these companies and the people who buy from them are engaged in human rights violations, land grabs, and environmental destruction in the Cerrado.
The results of Earthsight’s investigation indicate that by obtaining cotton from Brazilian suppliers involved in illicit activities, fast fashion giants H&M and Zara, who are globally recognised, indirectly contribute to the degradation of the Cerrado.
Some suppliers, like the Horita Group and SLC Agrícola, have large land holdings in the Cerrado, where they commit environmental infractions and significant deforestation. In spite of their sustainability promises, H&M and Zara’s reliance on a faulty certification system makes it impossible to guarantee ethical sourcing methods, which permits contaminated cotton to find its way into their supply chains.
Leading certification programme Better Cotton certified the cotton as ethical despite production-related abuses, revealing “deep flaws” in the oversight mechanism, according to the British environmental group.
“Highly concerning issues raised” in the study had been the subject of an independent audit, Better Cotton said in a statement, adding that it will offer a summary of the results. H&M and Inditex, the parent company of Zara, expressed their seriousness about the accusations and asked Better Cotton to make the auditors’ conclusions public.
The Brazilian Cotton Producers’ Association (ABRAPA) said it had worked with the growers in question to provide records and evidence countering the report’s allegations.
