While the meeting has moved online, there are certain matters to be mindful of, such as lack of access to the internet in Amish farming communities and other more rural societies.
This is a huge barrier to attendance, making it difficult for scientists, specialists and educators to relay information to farmers about production. Finding alternate methods to deliver these much-needed communications remains a challenging issue.
It may only seem like one cancelled event, but regulations dictate that industry-imperative meetings like this one are being called off on a worldwide scale.
The leading business event for sustainability in fashion, the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, is cancelled and tentatively postponed until October, while the Australian Circular Fashion Conference has been called off altogether. Important information is lost and ethical fashion brands will feel the ramifications of this for many months to come.
Surviving and staying sustainable
It’s not all bad news for ethical fashion. The very nature of its system means that it’s accustomed to confronting community crises head on.
So, here’s a roundup of three ethical brands fighting, and thriving, in the face of coronavirus.
1. Thought Clothing
These guys have blogged about the effects on their sourcing and suppliers and are clear about what that means for their clothes.
Working closely with the Ethical Trading Initiative, Thought will use their current resources wherever possible and rethink their collections. This means using materials that were meant for their autumn/winter 20 line and adapting them for new styles in their spring/summer 21 collection.
By doing this, the brand will spend less buying new fabrics. This conscious reduction of outgoings will give them the means they need to continue to protect workers while staying true to their sustainable ethos.