Fair Labor Association

• The second GFA Monitor has been updated to include the latest guidance and insights from over 25 industry organisations in one cohesive publication.
• For the first time, the report includes new data insights from the Fashion Industry Target Consultation - drawn from over 900 industry participants in 90 countries.
• GFA welcomes further cooperation with other industry organisations as the annual report evolves and responds to industry and scientific developments.
• Scott Raskin, CEO, Worldly, Data Partner for The GFA Monitor, says: "To address climate change, the apparel industry needs primary supply chain data at scale.

• Traveling the country with his camera, Hine captured the often oppressive working conditions of thousands of children – some as young as 3 years old.
• The patina of these black-and-white photographs suggests a bygone era – an embarrassing past that many Americans might imagine they’ve left behind.

‘An investigator with a camera’

• Hine believed that the future of the U.S. rested in its identity as an immigrant nation – a position that contrasted with escalating xenophobic fears.
• Based on this work, the National Child Labor Committee, which advocated for child labor laws, hired Hine to document the living and working conditions of American children.
• By the late 19th century, several states had passed laws limiting the age of child laborers and establishing maximum working hours.
• To gain entry into factories and other facilities, Hine sometimes disguised himself as a Bible, postcard or insurance salesman.

Legislation follows

• The camera serves as an eyewitness to a societal ill, a problem that needs a solution.
• Although the Supreme Court later ruled it and a subsequent Child Labor Tax Law of 1919 unconstitutional, momentum for enshrining protections for child workers had been created.
• In 1938, Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act, which established restrictions and protections on employing children.

The ethics of picturing child labor

• A recent surge of unaccompanied minors, primarily from Central America, has brought new attention to America’s old problem of child labor and has threatened the very laws Hine and the National Child Labor Committee worked to enact.
• While the content of Hine’s photographs remains pertinent to today’s child labor crisis, a key distinction between the subject of Hine’s photographs and working children today is race.
• Contemporary reports of child labor violations offer few images to accompany their texts, graphs and statistics.
• Photographs of child labor in foreign countries are far more common than those made in the U.S., which leaves the impression that child labor is someone else’s problem, not ours.

• Next Level Apparel (“NLA” or “the company”) today announced an exciting new partnership with Grupo M, a leading textile manufacturer, to provide nearshore production while supporting NLA’s move to 100% U.S. cotton for its entire apparel line.
• This innovative partnership is a natural move forward for NLA and Grupo M as they are aligned on key priorities: providing global partners and customers with apparel that prioritizes ethical and sustainable production.
• This exciting partnership with Grupo M is another step forward in our longstanding commitment to supply chain visibility and accountability.”
  “We are thrilled to collaborate with NLA to offer nearshore production while furthering our shared visions of innovation and transparency,” said Grupo M President Fernando Capellán.
• The company recently announced a partnership with Oritain to provide origin verification for its worldwide cotton program through cutting-edge science.

• Building on the success of our green tea product line, the launch of the new Numi Organic Roasted Japanese Green Tea Line offers our customers the opportunity to experience new flavor variations as well as the health benefits of green tea, said Ahmed Rahim, Chief Visionary Officer and Co-Founder of Numi Organic Tea.
• The four Numi Roasted Japanese product line SKUs in include:
  *NEW* Numi Organic Hojicha Roasted Japanese Green Tea : The Hojicha Roasted Japanese Green Tea originates from Shizuoka, Japan, where the leaves are grown, harvested, and then steamed before being rolled into a bancha.
• *NEW* Numi Organic Kukicha Roasted Japanese Green Tea : The Kukicha Roasted Japanese Tea originates from Shizuoka, Japan, where the tea leaves are steamed to sencha with the stems, twigs, and stalks sorted, blended, and then roasted at a medium temperature.
• *NEW* Numi Organic Yuzu Bancha Roasted Japanese Green Tea : The Yuzu Bancha Roasted Tea originates from Shizuoka, with the organic yuzu originating from Miyazaki and Kyushu in Japan.