A comprehensive discussion guide will be posted in the near future. Using our guide after a screening will enable audiences to:

  • Build a human connection to and awareness of the production process of apparel in the context of global commodity exchange;
  • Increase public access to information about the origins, processes, and by-products of commodities (i.e., supply chains) with a focus on cotton apparel;
  • Support a multidisciplinary discussion addressing health, environmental, economic, and human rights issues associated with global commodity exchanges.

In the meantime, follow any of the links below for more information about the range of social, environmental and political concerns in textile supply chains.

For further reading
The following books provided a lot of context for making Cotton Road. Read them to learn more about the complex issues facing the global textile and garment industries. 

The China Price by Alexandra Harney 

Factory Girls by Leslie Chang

The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy by Pietra Rivoli 

Threads: Gender, Labor and Power in the Global Textile Industry by Jane Collins

Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion by Elizabeth Cline

Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys by Kate Fletcher

Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry (article), published by National Institutes of Health, Environmental Health Perspectives (free from copyright restrictions)

QUICK STATISTICS

Fashion Industry Statistics - a few statistics with links to sources 

United States Department of Labor statistics on the fashion industry in the United States


CONSUMER GUIDES

Nordic Fashion Clean and Ethical (NICE) consumer guide to clothing:  A quick overview-- from the raw materials used in clothing production to how to dispose of and recycle used clothes. 


Educational resources suitable for classroom use (K-12)

Labour Behind the Label classroom resources

Nordic Fashion Clean and Ethical (NICE FASHION) info-graphic/poster on clothing production impacts and clothing life cycle (downloadable pdf) 

More info-graphics:  USDA on cotton t-shirt lifecycle | 

NPR's Planet Money produced a radio series about the global garment industry

Nordic Fashion Association's summary of topics/issues that impact the creation of a more sustainable textile future

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MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON...