The Rana Plaza: so what!

A sad anniversary for Rana Plaza, where we saw with our own eyes the damage that Fast Fashion can do. 4 years later, what lessons can we learn?

A vast question. Mindsets are changing; I think we've realized that our purchases here can have an impact. The Rana Plaza tragedy undoubtedly helped a lot. But the approach is personal; we do it for ourselves, not to buy a clear conscience, not to convince our neighbor that we're doing better.

But 1127 people died because we prefer to buy cheaply, and that still raises questions. Of course, we can't change our wardrobe overnight or decide, "I'm going to consume organic/ethical/fair trade/made in France/Europe"; it's a genuine step we take for ourselves but also so that those who make our clothes live better.

Personally, I no longer shop at the Swedish giant (which does offer organic products), but that's my choice. I tell myself that I don't need yet another t-shirt for 4/5/6 or 10€.

But should we lecture those who do? Or what?

Well, a few years ago I would have answered "obviously," but today I think we can't convince everyone. That's probably defeatist because, obviously, organic cotton alone is so much better than (GMO) cotton.

The tragedy of Rana Plaza is that we live in a society where we want to buy everything at the lowest cost. But human life has a price. And are we really willing to pay the fair price for our clothes? Always the same eternal question...