Sustainability in the Textile and Fashion Industries: Animal Ethics and Welfare

Abstract

There is no doubt that the textile (and fashion) industry is important for the economy; however, taking into account the concept of sustainability, this industry many times—actually most times—operates to the detriment of environmental and social factors. John R. Ehrenfeld defines sustainability as “the possibility that humans and other life will flourish on the earth forever” (Ehrenfeld and Hoffman 2013, p. 7). This notion of sustainability is not only a concern for people and the environment, but also for animals. Besides environmental and social issues, more than 50 million animals suffer cruel death each year to benefit the fashion industry (Born Free USA 2014). The purpose of this chapter is to make a contribution to the animal care agenda in the textile and fashion industry by presenting the United Nations Global Compact Code of Conduct for the Textile and Fashion Industry and Ovis 21 case—a company from the Argentine Patagonia, that is a B Corp and Savory Institute Hub company, but a company in which People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) discovered cruelty to animals in one of their establishments. This also puts forward the reactions of two of its most important clients, the media and consumers. This chapter closes with an analysis and some conclusions about the topic and Ovis 21 case.