Days ago a press release came across my desk. “Patagonia’s boardshorts and swimwear are now Fair Trade Certified,” it read. And while conceptually I understood that meant Patagonia had partnered with factories that pay their workers fairly to elevate their living standards, it wasn’t until watching the video above that the human impact of this decision became clear.
In it, Dave Rastovich and Belinda Baggs travel to Sri Lanka to see a Fair Trade Certified factory for themselves. Before they arrive, Rasta confides that he was nervous to confront the reality of people laboring to produce garments whose production methods are taken for granted in the western world. “I’ve surfed my whole life… it’s ridiculous,” he says. “The whole idea of that is ridiculous. So going to a place where that reality is face to face with my world was kind of nerve-wracking.”
And while fair trade doesn’t mean that the process of garment making is any less monotonous – the first person they meet is a guy named Chaminda who scans fabric for imperfections all day – Patagonia’s effort to be as transparent as possible is admirable.
“That’s what’s blowing my mind right now is it’s so human,” says Dave – which at its core is sort of an unfortunate statement. So many industries, the garment industry included, benefit from a smoke and mirrors supply chain. When consumers aren’t face-to-face with the human cost of the products they buy, it’s much easier for corporations to sell them. It’s a system where blame doesn’t rest squarely on the shoulders of one entity or person. We are all guilty of not asking ourselves where our products come from. Maybe because deep down we don’t want to know the answers.
In the end, this isn’t an ad for Patagonia. It’s a call to arms of sorts to disrupt the system across industries by asking a simple question: “Who made this?” And if you don’t like the answer, either don’t buy it, or buy something from someone with a better answer.
