Jeansland Podcast
This is why I do this. Jeansland is a podcast about the ecosystem in which jeans live. There are an estimated 26 million cotton farmers around the world, and about 25% of their production goes into jeans, which could mean 6.2 million farmers depend on denim. I read estimates that at least 1 million people work in retail selling jeans, and another 1.5 to 2 million sew them. And then there are all the label producers, pattern makers, laundries, chemical companies, machinery producers, and those that work in denim mills. I mean, the jeans industry, which is bigger than the global movie and music business combined, employs a lot of human beings. And many of them, like me, love jeans. The French philosopher and existentialist Simone de Beauvoir, when visiting New York, said, "Everyone in the New York subway is a novel." I never met her, but I guess she made the observation because of the incredible diversity of people who ride the subway system. I'm convinced the people in our jeans industry are like those in the subway. They are unique, with rich and complex stories to tell, and I want to hear them. And deep inside me, I think you might feel the same way.
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Jeansland Podcast
Ep. 79: Modern Slavery Is Closer Than We Think
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Nearly 50 million people worldwide are estimated to be living in modern slavery.
When I first read that number, I was shocked. It sounded almost too large to believe, so I decided to look into where it came from, who was behind it, and what modern slavery actually includes.
What I found is that this is not simply a problem of poor countries, distant factories, or one particular industry. It exists in rich countries and poor countries, democracies and dictatorships, including the United States.
For those of us working in denim, textiles, and apparel, the takeaway is simple. Before we debate sustainability, circularity, or carbon emissions, perhaps the first question should be: Who made the product, and under what conditions?
If you value these conversations, subscribe and leave a review. It helps more than you think. You can also visit genesland.co and sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter. It gives you access to our full archive along with the development shifts and stories shaping the denim supply chain in real time. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram to stay connected between episodes. This episode of the Jeansland Podcast is brought to you by Inside Denim, the global resource for everything denim. From sustainability insights to fabric innovation and brand stories shaping the future of the genes industry. Inside Denim keeps you informed and inspired. So stay ahead of what's next in Denim at insiddenim.com. Modern slavery. 50 million people. When I read that number, I was kind of shocked. It's one of those numbers that sounds incredible, so I decided to look into it. I mean, what is the source? Is the source credible or just freaks on Instagram or Twitter? Well, the estimate of roughly 50 million people living in modern slavery does not come from one organization. It comes from a collaboration between three of the world's leading organizations working on labor and migration. The first is the International Labor Organization, or the ILO. It was founded in 1919. It's a specialized agency of the United Nations and is considered the world's leading authority on labor standards, employment, and workers' rights. The second is the International Organization for Migration, or IOM. Also part of the United Nations, it works in more than 170 countries and is the world's leading organization on migration, trafficking, and displaced people. The third is Walk Free. Walk Free is an Australian human rights organization founded in 2012 by mining entrepreneur Andrew Forrest and his wife, Nicola Forrest. Unlike the ILO or IOM, Walk Free is not a UN agency. It's an independent organization whose mission is to end slavery, modern slavery. Over the past decade, it has become one of the world's most influential organizations on the subject, funding research and partnering with governments, businesses, and international agencies. Together, the ILO, IOM, and Walk Free developed the global estimates of modern slavery. Their latest estimate is that nearly 15 million people are living in modern slavery worldwide through forced labor or forced marriage. Now, here's where the numbers become interesting or might just become munchable food for thought for our listeners who are in the genes land world. According to the global estimates, India has the largest number of people living in modern slavery, with roughly 11 million. China follows with 5.8 million. Then come North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Indonesia, Nigeria, Turkey, Bangladesh, and perhaps surprisingly to many people, the United States, with over 1 million estimated to be living in modern slavery. 1 million could have knocked me over with a feather when I read that. I mean, the USA is always looking at supply nations for this issue. But the fact is they house more modern slaves than almost every country in the world except nine. They're tenth in the world in modern slavery. It doesn't mean the United States has factories full of chained workers. Modern slavery includes forced labor in agriculture, domestic work, construction, commercial, sexual exploitation, prison labor in some contexts, trafficking, and other forms of coercion. It's a much broader definition than many people imagine. The important lesson is this modern slavery is not simply a problem of poor countries, nor is it confined to one industry on one continent. It exists in rich countries and poor countries, democracies and dictatorships, agricultural economies and industrial economies. For those of us working in the textiles and apparel industry, these numbers are not about assigning blame to one country over another. They are simply a reminder that every global supply chain begins and ends with people. And before we debate sustainability, circularity, or carbon emissions, perhaps the question we should ask is a very simple one who made the product and under what conditions?