A new investigation reveals a dark side to clothing from H&M and Zara. The world’s leading cotton certification scheme is approving cotton linked to environmental damage and human rights violations in Brazil.

• The Issue: A major cotton certification program is allowing cotton grown on Brazilian farms with a history of illegal deforestation, violence, and land grabbing to be labeled as sustainable.
• The Evidence: An NGO traced 800,000 tons of cotton from these Brazilian farms to factories supplying H&M and Zara. These factories produced millions of clothing and homeware items for these brands.
• The Impact: Cotton clothes, towels, and bed sheets sold by H&M and Zara might be tainted by unethical practices.

Read more at the Euronews website.