The foundation is seeking more companies to endorse the Eight Ethical Principles for The Purchasing of Jeans & Denim, with a target of between 50 and 100 companies in the supply chain.

“This Code of Conduct is much like the 10 Commandments in a sense - be honest, tell the truth, respect one another,” Transformers founder Andrew Olah told us.

Once they reach the target, they will approach brands and retailers and ask them to accept and endorse the principles, too. 

The Foundation’s white paper, ‘Ending Unethical Brand and Retailer Behaviour: The Denim Supply Chain Speaks Up’, published in October, uncovers why some brands and retailers renegued on commitments to denim suppliers, and puts forth short and long-term solutions.

Authored by Marzia Lanfranchi, the foundation’s intelligence director, and journalist Alden Wicker, the report includes in-depth interviews with executives representing a cross-section of the supply chain, including laundries, mills and cut-and-sew factories in 14 countries.

Read Andrew Olah’s hopes for the campaign and for a fairer industry in our Dialogue section.