Fair and Sustainable Textiles
Textile supply chains are notorious for their human rights and environmental abuses. Farmers who produce textile-related agricultural fibres, such as cotton, suffer from low incomes and economic dependency, while textile factory workers face poor working conditions. Textile production and consumption also have a negative impact on the environment, due to greenhouse gas emissions, chemical pollution and the generation of textile waste.
Fashion brands and retailers have great power over trading conditions, which has led to unfair practices that, combined with the absence of strong labour legislation in producing countries, further widespread labour rights violations. The urgency to address the many issues faced by smallholder farmers and workers in the textiles sector – the majority of whom are women – has led the FTAO to focus on fair textiles as an EU advocacy priority.
Our View
Together with fellow CSOs and trade unions, we are calling for stronger commitments within the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles for the 2024-2029 EU legislature. Although this strategy marked a significant step toward greater accountability in the sector, it fell short in ambition, particularly in the social aspect.
Since 2025, the FTAO has been a member of the European Commission's Ecodesign Forum. This expert group plays a direct role in shaping the implementation of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR)—a game-changer in making products truly sustainable by design.
Furthermore, the FTAO strongly advocates for the eradication of unfair trading practices, particularly those related to unfair purchasing, which are deeply connected to the sector. We therefore call for the adoption of additional legislation to address UTPs, ensuring their effective enforcement and coordination across the EU.
Get in Touch
Need more information? Contact our policy expert!
Alena Kahle, Senior Policy & Project Coordinator
kahle@fairtrade-advocacy.orgFurther Reading
The FTAO calls for inclusion of social aspects in revised Textile Labelling Regulation
What can the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive do for a just and fair textile sector?
Textile Coalition Priorities for the 2024-2029 legislature
Just transition in the textile sector
Include Social Aspects on Textile Labels: We respond to the new Textile Labelling Regulation
More than 240,000 European citizens demand a Living Wage for the people who make our clothes around the world
Ecodesign Rules for Sustainable Products: European Parliament misses key chance to increase transparency on labour rights
