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In addition to the historic Silk Road, which was the most important trade link between Europe and Asia from the 2nd century BC to the 13th century, the People’s Republic of China has been driving a global infrastructure project under the name ‘New Silk Road’ or ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ for several years now. In terms of foreign and economic policy, China wants to increase global demand for Chinese products through more diverse and better transport routes, secure access to raw materials and, not least, minimize the risk of possible blockades of maritime routes (for example by the USA) by expanding trade links over land. In other words, the ‘New Silk Road’ is the infrastructural basis for (even) better integration of China in global value chains. Along the various routes, production centers are being created through which raw materials, precursors and end products can be transported faster and more reliably and connected to the target markets.

The study shows that the Chinese textile industry benefits from the New Silk Road’, as exports and imports of goods are facilitated through better trade routes and Chinese investments in the textile industry of the Silk Road partner countries are made possible. This is a double-edged sword. Economic development, which the Cambodian government hopes for and can be observed in Xinjiang, only contributes to sustainable development if human and labour rights are taken into account, local populations are involved and good environmental standards are adhered to.

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The quiz is a good opportunity to playfully deal with the topic of fashion & human rights and to get into conversation with each other about it. It is about the dark side of the fashion industry, working conditions of textile and shoe workers and the struggle for work in dignity. It also looks at what a supply chain law is all about and why it is so important. No prior knowledge is required.

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No living wages, overtime and gender discrimination. The ‘Light in the Dark: A Look at Exploitation in the Fashion Industry’ report of the Clean Clothes Campaign highlights the need for a supply chain law.

The report uses the latest data from the online tool FashionChecker to show how little German fashion companies really pay their workers: The company survey shows that not a single company pays a living wage to all workers in its supply chain. The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the situation for workers due to wage losses and job losses, as countless brand companies have cancelled orders and demanded discounts from suppliers.
In the report, the Clean Clothes Campaign brings together results from company surveys and field research in producing countries in 2019 and 2020: 108 brand and retail companies from 14 countries received questionnaires, 490 workers from China, India, Indonesia, Ukraine and Croatia gave interviews and showed their pay slips.

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H&M, Zara, Primark and Co. promise us stylish clothes for little money. But producing new trends and current fashion so cheaply is only possible if people and the environment suffer as a result. In the fashion industry, this includes poor working conditions. This has been known for years - and so far little has been done to curb "fast fashion". Germany now has the Supply Chain Act, which obliges manufacturers to ensure good working conditions in their factories. In our episode Pancake Politik Vreni from the blog Fashion Changers explains where exactly the problems in the textile factories are (02:54). We then ask Eva from the Supply Chain Act initiative whether they are satisfied with the government's work and whether the law goes far enough (10:43). She has been fighting for such a law for years. We ask SWR Capital Studio reporter Kilian Pfeffer (17:02) why this took so long and whether the supply chain law will also have the desired effect in the end.

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Secondhand, vintage, pre-owned – or simply used clothes. The business with old clothes is booming, because sustainability and recycling are in trend. Market analyses (ThredUp Resale Report 2019) confirm that the second-hand market has grown 21 times faster than the rest of the fashion trade in recent years.

Large online fashion retailers such as Zalando and About You now want to get away with the ‘eco hype’. With their own apps, they offer their customers to sell their old clothes. Sounds sustainable, but is it? Y-Kollektiv reporter Frederik Fleig took out his closet and tried out Zalando’s second-hand app ‘Zircle’.

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