Patagonia boycotts Xinjiang cotton and suppliers
Following claims from labour organisations linking forced labour and human rights abuses against Uighurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, outdoor brand Patagonia is “actively exiting the region”, which is home to vast cotton plantations.
Cara Chacon, vice-president for social and environmental responsibility, said: “Patagonia has done the painstaking and important work of mapping the source of our products to the farm level, and we are constantly working to ensure that all of our products are built without human rights abuses and with the smallest environmental footprint possible.
“We have also communicated to our global suppliers that both fibre and manufacturing in Xinjiang is prohibited.”
Roughly one in five cotton garments sold globally contains cotton and/or yarn from the Uyghur region, according to the Clean Clothes Campaign.
The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America (FDRA) and other organisations issued a joint statement on July 23 regarding “supply chain risks” in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).
