Are the products that I buy linked to forced labor?
Dressember Reading Day #20
Every day during the month of December, we’re answering common questions and breaking down different aspects of human trafficking on our blog and Instagram. Join us in raising awareness about the injustice of human trafficking by sharing, donating, or joining the Dressember campaign (it’s not too late!).
On any given day, you wake up and select an outfit from your closet. You wander to your kitchen to make a hot cup of coffee to get ready for the day, and you head out the door to your day’s activities. By late afternoon, it’s time for a coffee or cigarette break. After the day winds down, you return home and get ready to do it all over again.
And on any given day, there can be dozens of slaves working for you (and you might not even know it).
The cotton woven into the fabric of your trendy clothing, the cocoa beans harvested for your morning cup of joe, and the tobacco packed into your cigarette—all three are major products that have been linked to forced labor slavery. Most people use items containing these products almost daily.
Wow...how many slaves could be working for me?
This personalized quiz can answer that question. I was shocked to discover there are an estimated 40 slaves working for me.
Vulnerable children are working under hazardous conditions in tobacco fields in the United States, Indonesia, and Zimbabwe—to name a few. Some experience symptoms of green tobacco sickness, in which nicotine is absorbed through an individual’s skin, causing nausea, headaches, and vomiting.
Workers and children in cotton and coffee supply chains also experience undesirable work conditions and exposure to pesticides on the job. Both industries exploit children and other workers who are desperate for jobs to grow and harvest the cotton for our clothing and the cocoa beans for our coffee.
Okay, is there something I can do about unfair labor?
Thankfully, the answer is yes!
Helpful resources exist to track coffee, tobacco, and cotton products that do not exploit workers in production.
Coffee: Fairtrade America and the Rainforest Alliance have both compiled lists of coffee and tea brands that are ethically sourced—promoting environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
Tobacco: According to an article by Human Rights Watch, governments are beginning to take initiative in tackling hazardous labor in the tobacco industry. Laws and regulations help companies take action to reduce child labor and human rights issues.
Cotton: This shopping guide to fair trade clothing emphasizes sustainable livelihoods, safe working conditions, and transparency in the fashion industry. Dressember has also created its own ethical fashion directory based on International Labor Organization’s four principles: freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, elimination of all forms of forced labor, effective abolition of child labor, and elimination of discrimination at work.
What about other goods?
It’s important to note that coffee, tobacco, and cotton are not the only products linked to forced labor. Here are some additional resources and guides to ethically sourced products:
A general guide for fair trade certified products.
The Bureau of International Labor Affairs maintains a list of goods linked to forced labor. Here is a link to this year’s report.
Remember: It all adds up.
Even the smallest of efforts (like being mindful of the products you buy and informing others) make a noticeable impact in the fight to end human trafficking.
About the Author
Emma Pitzl is a senior at the University of Minnesota pursuing a degree in English with a minor in psychology. Her happy place is anywhere with a lake. Outside the classroom, she enjoys reading, running, playing volleyball, and curating too many playlists.