Digitalization of the fashion value chain
PhD research ongoing promises to open the black-boxes of the societal impact of some technologies for fashion, such as Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, 3D software, RFID tags, and Augmented and Virtual Reality
Author: Tessa Boumans
If we want to make any serious attempt to move towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, the garment industry cannot elude our focus. Although much can be said about its environmental impact, in this case it’s worthwhile to zoom in on the issues regarding SDG 8 on economic growth and – especially – decent work.
For those of you that are not too familiar with the distressing state of labor conditions in the global garment industry, here are some quick highlights:
- The collapse of the Rana Plaza building in 2013 cost the lives of 1132 textile workers. Even now however, real structural changes to improve safety of garment factories are lacking.
- 93% of brands (surveyed by Fashion Checker) are not paying garment workers a living wage. This in spite of brands making millions (and sometimes billions) of profit. Only 2% of the 250 largest brands have clearly defined strategy to combat the lack of living wages in their supply chain.
- Across the board, workers’ rights are widely violated, especially in factories in the Global South. On top of that, sexual harassment and assault is, sadly, common. Gender inequalities are profound. To paint a picture: 80% of the workers are (young) women, and the male workforce is most likely to be found in management positions.
For those who are well aware of these issues; you are probably fired up in your chair, ready to add to this list. Most assuredly, mishaps in the garment industry are plentiful.
Because of the way our consumption and production systems are organized, we are all connected to these ugly truths, from Global North to Global South. And whilst decent work (or the lack thereof) in the garment industry is considered an urgent matter on the global development agenda, the industry is undergoing a rapid and drastic transformation: digitalization. Undoubtedly, digital transformations will have their effect on garment workers in the Global South. However, whether technological developments are to be a force for good, evil or – most likely – somewhere in between remains a guessing game, albeit a calculated one.
When you think about ‘digitalization’ of the garment value chain, there are five types of technologies that are most relevant: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain, 3D software, RFID tags, and Augmented and Virtual Reality (AVR). These technologies can be stand alone, but it is not uncommon that two or more technologies are supporting each other’s functionalities in one way or the other.
The technicalities can seem daunting. However, to understand the societal impact of these technologies you do not need to be a ‘techxpert’. Instead of being paralyzed by the complex (technical) maze of the global garment value chain, we should aim our focus on relevant yet often overlooked questions, such as: what goals are these technologies supposed to achieve, who determines these goals, who reaps the benefits of these goals and – consequentially – who does not?
Based on previous research, there are four main constructs that are interesting to keep an eye on in the technology vis a vis decent work debate: 1) making fast fashion faster, 2) transparency and traceability, 3) automation and reshoring, and 4) data privacy and ownership. For each topic, an argument can be made how digitalization either improves or deteriorates decent labor for garment workers. And although much is still unknown about the (un)intended consequences of these phenomena, (historical) system dynamics give legitimate reason to worry for a sustainable future of work in the garment industry.
The next four years I will dedicate my research to open some of these black boxes and try to understand how digitalization of the garment value chain (with a special focus on AI) affects decent work. This means exploring many different concepts, from how technologies are affecting production processes to what decent work actually means in a local context. Frameworks such as digital colonialism, just transitions, translocal development, and theories of access will be explored. I hope that through methods of co-creation a voice can be given to marginalized workers, and tools are created to move towards sustainable, inclusive pathways of development. Throughout this journey, I am always willing to learn about new angles, so do not hesitate to reach out. Let’s all take the red pill and see what happens.
