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Ethical trade is about more than just the salary

Look at the clothesLook at the clothes.Photo: Berit Roald / NTB scanpix

Three out of four say they would pay more for clothes to ensure acceptable wages and working conditions for textile workers. But ethical products is about more than just salary, a researcher says.

In a survey commissioned by The Future in Our Hands  72.3 percent reply that they are willing to pay extra to ensure that those who make the clothes have acceptable wages and working conditions, Vårt Land writes . 11 percent say they are not willing to pay more, while the rest replies they “do not know”.
Consumption Researcher Annette Grimstad Klepp said it is good that those who sew clothes get a decent wage, but recalls that it is only a small part of the ethical aspects connected ti the products we buy.
– Some of the biggest problems are to do with working in the cotton fields. People are wading around there while it’s filled with environmentally harmful substances such as DDT, and while ground water and arable land are being destroyed,  Klepp, who works at National Institute for Consumer Research (SIFO), says. She emphasizes that it is important to be aware of what happens before the garment gets a price tag. Meanwhile, she points out that the inspection and labeling offers challenges.
– The market is full of misinformation. Viscose is marketed as bamboo, and the distributors make outrageous claims about the properties of the fabric. There are no quick solutions to ensure fair trade.

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today