My T-Shirt and Other Clothing

My T-Shirt and Other Clothing — page 1 — Why buy fair trade Many people work making the clothing and shoes we buy at stores Fair trade organizations such as the Fairtrade Foundation help ensure that everyone involved in making clothing from the farmer who grows the plants that fabrics are made from to the garment worker who sews the clothing is treated fairly What is fair trade Fair trade organizations encourage clothing companies to produce clothes that are kind to the environment and to the people who make them Most of the clothes we buy are produced in developing countries such as India and China Often the people who work in fields and factories where the materials for our clothes are sourced and put together are paid very little and have poor working conditions Fair trade organizations try to ensure workers are paid a fair price for the work they do and that their working conditions are not dangerous 4

My T-Shirt and Other Clothing — page 2 — Labeling fashion Fair trade schemes Not many clothing items come with a fair trade label yet But clothing with the labels FAIRTRADE World Fair Trade Organization or Fair Wear Foundation mean that the items were produced according to fair trade standards This book describes some of the problems faced by people in the developing world who make or provide the raw materials for many of our clothes It explains some fair trade solutions and will help you to understand why fair trade is so important and how you can help by being careful about where you shop and what you buy Look for fair trade marks and labels such as this FAIRTRADE Mark on clothing and footwear when you go shopping Asia India Bangladesh Africa South America Liberia Sri Lanka Thailand Indonesia Peru This map shows the countries mentioned in this book that are involved in fair trade clothing projects 5

My T-Shirt and Other Clothing — page 3 — Most T-shirts are made from cotton and dyed many different colors T-shirts are named after the T shape made by the body and sleeves The T-shirt has been around for more than 100 years It started out as a tight-fitting undershirt worn by sailors and soldiers Cotton T-shirts How is your T-shirt made The cotton plant takes about 200 days to grow Its boll or seed splits open and fibers that look like cotton balls burst out Cotton is harvested by hand or machine Seeds inside the cotton are separated and used to make cottonseed oil while the raw cotton fiber is sent to a textile mill There it is pulled stretched and twisted into yarn then dyed to make the cotton fabric for clothing such as T-shirts The fabric is sewn into garments in a factory often in India or China Where does cotton come from Cotton grows in warm climates all around the world China India the United States and Uzbekistan in central Asia are the largest producers of cotton In many developing countries such as India and parts of Africa and South America cotton is still picked by hand mainly by women and children The pickers are often poorly paid and many live in poverty 6

My T-Shirt and Other Clothing — page 4 — Chemical dangers Cotton plants are often treated with large amounts of pesticide to prevent them from being damaged by insects and diseases However chemicals in the pesticides can cause headaches sickness and breathing difficulties for the workers who apply them In many countries cotton is picked by women and children These children are picking cotton in Uzbekistan Non-organic cotton farming uses nearly a quarter of all the world’s insecticides and about 10 percent of the world’s pesticides Environmental groups such as the Pesticide Action Network and the Toxics Action Center encourage farmers to use non-toxic pesticides This is not only better for the environment the wildlife and the health of farm workers it is also cheaper Many toxic pesticides are expensive to buy and farmers must use a large amount on their crops Environment matters Pesticides that have been banned in developed countries such as the United States and Canada because they are dangerous to human and animal health are sometimes still sold to developing countries for use in cotton fields Workers who spray the pesticides often have no training or protective equipment These pesticides run off the fields when it rains and contaminate nearby streams and rivers This is harmful to the environment 7

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