Your Thoughts on The Footprint Chronicles – Part 3

0ur Footprint Chronicles were intended to ignite conversation every bit as much as corporate introspection. And the comments are starting to roll in. Below, you’ll find some intriguing thoughts from among the very first responses we received to the Footprint Chronicles. In the interest of helping to zero-in our own focus on big issues, we’ve broken comments out into three separate themes: Materials, Energy Use, and Labor.

In previous posts, comments focused mostly on issues pertaining to the Materials we use and the Energy involved in clothing production within a globalized economy. Today, we’re considering some of the questions customers have asked us about where we make our goods.

Footprint: Honeydew
Country: US

Comments:

I’ve often wondered about Patagonia’s choice of offshore suppliersgiven their stance on environmental and social responsibility. Curiousto see how much transparency they are willing let come through on herein that regards. Interesting stuff though.

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Footprint: Wool 2 Crew
Country: US

Comments:
This entire Footprint Chronicles web site is absolutely AWESOME!  I read labels to determine country of manufacture (looking for USA assuming many things about carbon foot print, local economic impact, and labor practices based on that label) and ask the grocer at my local market where their food comes from.  The label is important to me and I think it gives me information about the origin of a product.  Your footprint chronicle is very enlightening and has left me  wanting to know more about a product’s footprint than the final country where it was manufactured.  I also want to know how my food got to the store now, not just where it is from. 
Whether one uses the Ah Ha moment from therapy, enlightenmet moment from meditation, or light bulb ticking on in class one day, this web site fits the anology of flipping on a switch to a dark ignorant place in my mind that hopefully will stay lit and be filled with information and directions for action to do better.  Thank You for sharing.

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Footprint: Wool 2 Crew
Country: US

Comments:
I applaud Patagonia’s efforts to quantify and reduce the environmental impacts from the production of their garments, but I agree there is still room for improvement when it comes to the large transportation footprint associated with globally sourced goods. I am willing to pay extra for Patagonia’s quality and conscientiousness, but I hope to see Patagonia increase local material sourcing and production for the United States market, in the future. Certified Jeans produces 100% US grown organic cotton jeans made in the US, under US labor laws. They sell them for about $90, $20 less than Patagonia’s imported organic cotton jeans. I’ve been choosing Certified Jeans over pants from Patagonia, because they are produced locally. If they can do it, surely Patagonia can too. Moving more of you production back to the States will increase demand and awareness for organic crops here, as well as further promote and spread your high quality, conscientious production ethic within the US. Americans have lost sight of, and direct connection with, many many products and processes we all depend on. I think it is important not only to keep these things in reach for environmental reasons, but also for the understanding and awareness of the goods and resources we use, and the impact of our consumption. I don’t wish to suggest we isolate ourselves from the rest of the world. Instead, we need to work toward being a model for sustainable development locally, rather than propping up an asymmetric and unsustainable global trade regime. Ultimately, changing our modes of operation will have countless positive implications for developing countries, as we provide a better example of sustainable economic success and offer them more opportunity by not exploiting their labor and resources to support our consumer culture.

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Footprint: Eco Rain Shell
Country: US

Comments:
I have repeatedly questioned Patagonia management on their extensiveuse of China as a preferred source of their clothes. ConsideringChina’s record on environmental issues, it seems hypocritical forPatagonia to outsource to the most polluted country on the planet.