Your Thong Is Being Made By Child Laborers

The Gloss:

Which makes it feel less lacy and more awful, doesn't it?

To be fair, we don't know exactly where you buy your underwear, but if it's Victoria's Secret, then, yes, child labor! Bloomberg reports on Burkina Faso program that deals in cotton, fibers from which are then fashioned into Victoria's Secret garments:

In Burkina Faso, where child labor is endemic to the production of its chief crop export, paying lucrative premiums for organic and fair-trade cotton has - perversely - created fresh incentives for exploitation. The program has attracted subsistence farmers who say they don't have the resources to grow fair-trade cotton without violating a central principle of the movement: forcing other people's children into their fields.

An executive for Victoria's Secret's parent company says the amount of cotton it buys from Burkina Faso is minimal, but it takes the child-labor allegations seriously.

Read the whole story

Comments

[ThurmanLady]

09:21 PM on 12/18/2011

What we think of child labor here in the US is vastly different than in a third world country. They have few alternatives and those who can't find work making the lacy panties may very well have to be prostitutes. Don't dismiss this unless you are aware.

[RodneyNorth]

11:45 PM on 12/17/2011

Victoria's Secret should not be hung out to dry for this. We (Equal Exchange) helped create the Fair Trade movement and we can see that VS was trying to do that right thing and it turns out - surprise, surprise - that its really hard to quickly change life in very poor countries like Burkina Faso.
Likewise, while the Fair Trade certifiers were probably trying to expand their operations too quickly, they at least are attempting to tackle some serious problems. And in Burkina Faso we trust they'll keep making progress.
In contrast it is all those other apparel brands and retailers who should be chastised. They're not making any attempt. And the little girls, and millions of other exploited farmers and workers, in their supply chains should be the subject of the next investigative report.

[Amy Krigman]

05:41 PM on 12/16/2011

You know, it's really sad that there is only one other comment so far on this story. I guess the Kardasians or whatever are much more important than child labor. Not in my backyard so it's acceptable?

[klwarner]

03:11 PM on 12/16/2011

Shocker. I stopped buying their stuff years ago when I found out some of their garments were made in the same factory as K-Mart garments, add an extra tag and a 300% markup, voila! Victoria's Secret!