Ethical labelling is essentially about communicating a certain standard to consumers by a brand or logo so that information can be easily and quickly translated to the consumer. These logos usually speak for the product so that it will be perceived in a certain way. There has been much debate about the power of labels with regards to ‘greenwashing’ and the confusion they can cause to consumers.
The question remains- do ethical labels and scores actually help to adequately judge a company’s ethical record?
An article recently published on the Times Online titled "The 10 worst retailers for exploiting foreign workers" exposed high profile retailers’ efforts to provide a living wage for their foreign workers. Each retailer in the article is given a score by Labour Behind the Label’s Let’s Clean up Fashion initiative which rates retailer’s commitment to implement practices which work towards paying their workers a living wage.
The concept of a living wage is a central factor in improving workers rights in the global south and something which is being campaigned for by Labour Behind the Label and features in the Ethical Trading Initiative Base Code (ETI Base Code). Many countries in the third world have a minimum wage which is not set at a level that people can actually live on, thus the concept of a "living wage emerged.
Scoring
The Ethical Consumer Magazine awards an "ethiscore" to organisations which is an overall ethical rating which is created by looking at the following areas: Environment, People, Animals, Politics and Product Sustainability.
There are many ways to assess how much companies are really doing in terms of ethics but these can sometimes be contradictory and confusing. For example different accreditation and labelling schemes can often send out conflicting messages. This is something that undoubtedly needs addressing within the fashion industry as consumers increasingly demand to know more information about their clothes.
Although ethical labelling can be a potential minefield for consumers trying to make an ‘informed’ decision, there are labels which are increasingly demonstrating more presence, trust and consistency.
Fairtrade
The latest research by the Fairtrade Foundation shows that more UK consumers than ever before – 70% of the population – recognise the FAIRTRADE mark. Essentially the mark means that those products which have it meet international Fairtrade standards which are set by the international certification body Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO).
There are various arguments as to whether Fairtrade is actually fair, and whether intervening in third world economies is ‘right’. For example, Marc Sidwell argues in his book ‘Unfair Trade’ that FairTrade only helps a small percentage of farmers and that it does not foster long term advancement or help to reduce poverty. If you are interested in the concept of the free market, visit the Adam Smith Institute for more information.
The FairTrade mark arguably empowers consumers and provides an opportunity to express political and moral views through purchase choice. That is to say it gives people the option to perform ‘consumption as voting’ a concept that has been explored by academics Shaw, Newholm and Dickinson.
As we live in an increasingly ‘smaller’ world, ethical consumption is arguably about consumers becoming more globalised, today we are more conscious of others’ lives than ever before.
The role of labels is therefore to provide information which should transcend cultural and geographical boundaries and be able to be interpreted universally. Although a challenging proposal, FairTrade have proved that labelling can work and with other labels such as the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) gaining more prevalence, ethical labels are set to become common place in the not too distant future, making it increasingly easier for consumers to make decisions based on a more trusted standard.
Ethical labelling is a tricky subject to navigate especially with regards to fashion. If you want to know more, ask questions in store and search labels on the internet to keep informed.
To keep up with all the latest on ethical fashion join the EFF Newsletter!