Producer-led projects: A gap in the sustainability market?

At the root of the sustainability crisis in fashion lies a clouded relationship between brand and supplier, which is a direct consequence of outsourcing production to low-wage countries. In recent decades, the supply chain has become so fragmented that oversight regarding who makes what—and exactly how—has been lost. Now, the industry wants to do things differently: with green factories, living wages, and long-lasting designs. How can it find its way back? It starts by healing that relationship, according to the non-profit Fashion Producer Collective (FPC).

Amplifying the voice of the producer

FPC advocates for the interests of garment manufacturers, particularly in the context of sustainability. The formation began back in 2020 around the Manufactured podcast, in which former factory manager Kim van der Weerd gives a voice to manufacturers in the fashion world. This includes sharing their frustrations regarding sustainability—specifically policies imposed by brands without consultation or financing, and misconceptions about what sustainability requires in practice.

"Producers from all corners of the world connected through this," says Gauri Sharma, director of strategy and engagement at the collective since 2025. “They began coming together at conferences and in online meetings. In 2023, they wrote their first white papers on legislation, climate finance, and the role of multi-stakeholder institutions like the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and ACT in involving producers.” After a period of volunteering funded by grants, FPC became a formal collective at the end of 2025.

The collective has twelve formal members: manufacturers from countries such as Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, India, and Pakistan, representing both the front and back ends of the chain—from packaging to fashion accessories. Five of the twelve members are co-founders and have a say in the collective's direction. Members decide for themselves which projects to join, and non-members can also participate for a surcharge.

The core team, or what Sharma calls a “fully remote headquarters,” consists of Van der Weerd (full-time), supplemented by four five part-timers covering everything from communications to finance. They maintain a Substack, organize projects, and facilitate collaborations with external parties—such as their recent work with their first fashion brand, “a large, international clothing company,” says Sharma. She cannot yet disclose the name. "We are helping their sustainability team involve their supplier base in shaping their strategy."

Co-creators of the Fashion Producer Collective at work. Credits: Fashion Producer Collective

Top-down

Since the rise of fast fashion, a hierarchy has emerged in the supply chain where manufacturers are told what to do: under what conditions they must produce, which guidelines to follow, and that they must submit to inspections. This same top-down mentality exists within the organizations that develop frameworks, policies, and programs for manufacturers. “Manufacturers are rarely involved as equal partners,” says Sharma, speaking from her experience as General Manager, ESG & Innovation at Shahi Exports, one of India's largest manufacturers. "At most, they are brought in for a brief feedback round when it is already almost too late for valuable input."

That perspective also affects the industry's sustainability efforts—a theme that came under intense scrutiny following the pandemic. "Greening the supply chain became a focal point," says Sharma, "but there was still no co-creation of those plans. Sustainability teams ask factories to meet targets and test new materials, while procurement teams continue to negotiate for low prices and are unwilling to cover those extra costs. If a manufacturer has done R&D on a new fiber and it works well, but the commercial team says, ‘we won’t pay a cent more for it’—the innovation stops right there."

As an example of such a recurring sustainability hurdle, Sharma cites brands' desire to stop using coal. "Factories then have to invest in new boilers and alternative fuel sources—this costs money and increases operational costs. Some large manufacturers manage, but it takes enormous effort and is commercially unsustainable in the long run without support. Regarding decarbonization, the industry tends to generalize: everyone must get off coal. But no one asks: what support do manufacturers need for that?” As long as brands and suppliers do not communicate at eye level, sustainability will not get off the ground, FPC reasons. “Sustainability strategies are imposed on the parties who must execute them, without those parties being involved in the design—and without financial support to realize them. This is what we want to tackle as FPC.”

Shahi Exports is a large manufacturer from India. Credits: Fashion Producer Collective

Producer-led projects

The first concrete result of the producer-led approach is Bang for Buck, a decision-support tool designed to help factories identify and prioritize the most cost-effective decarbonization investments for their facilities. The project is commissioned and led by Elevate Textiles, Epic Group and Shahi Exports, with support from GIZ FABRIC and technical partner Grant Thornton Bharat. Bang for Buck will be released to the public this April.

Additionally, FPC facilitates communities of practice: conversations between suppliers about difficult themes. Recently, traceability was the central focus. Sharma: "Manufacturers are flooded with requests from brands to map out their production processes, even though it is very complex because almost no company talks about it openly." In April, a series on heat stress will begin, as temperatures in production countries reach record highs and manufacturers must equip their facilities against it. "It is a serious problem that is currently not being addressed by brands from the point of view of risk-sharing rather than an audit requirement.”

Regarding priorities, FPC is guided by what is happening on the ground; Sharma listens a lot, she says, through a WhatsApp group, meetings, and social media channels. "Only when there is enough interest in a project does a group of designated members get to work. We didn't set up this organization for appearances. We don't want to become bureaucratic or traditional; we must work actively, agilely, and above all, be producer-led, because we are trying to create something that doesn't exist yet."

Gauri Sharma Credits: Fashion Producer Collective

Knowledge base

Brands also stand to gain, Sharma believes. Most have not produced anything themselves for decades—production is expensive, risky, and labor-intensive, hence the outsourcing. With that, much of the specialist knowledge within the brands themselves disappeared.

"Much of what you see in a store is co-designed by manufacturers. Large or specialized manufacturers have huge design teams, quality testing labs, fabric engineers, and technical production engineers. That expertise now resides with the manufacturer. If you, as a brand, want to test recycled fibers or find out if a factory can be electrified, you have to lean on your manufacturer. As long as you don't involve them as equal partners, you are leaving an enormous knowledge base untapped."

Ultimately, she explains what FPC wants to change. "We want manufacturers to become co-designers instead of just executors—acting as equal thinking partners in sustainability visions and strategies. Hopefully, this will lead to a change in mentality and, through that, strategies that are practical and actionable."

Seamstresses from Pactics at work. Credits: Fashion Producer Collective

How to heal the relationship with your supplier

Based on Sharma’s master's dissertation research at the University of Cambridge and the practices of the Fashion Producer Collective, Sharma offers five tips for brands looking to improve their relationship with suppliers:

Involve suppliers earlier. “Currently, they are often only brought in once the strategy is already set. Their absence in the design phase often leads to unfeasible plans.”
Ensure internal alignment. “Within brands, sustainability teams and procurement teams often contradict each other. This sends conflicting signals and slows down sustainability plans.”
Focus on the what, not the how. “As a brand, determine the sustainability goal and the reason for it; leave the execution to the manufacturer. They have the technical, context-specific expertise and know how sustainability can be scaled most efficiently.”
Offer certainty and share the benefits. “Stop demanding change without giving anything in return. Suppliers will only invest in new technology if there is a clear business case and a long-term vision behind it.”
Build a structural dialogue. “Replace one-off audits with constructive, continuous collaboration—for example, through workshops or learning platforms. This builds trust and unlocks the expertise needed for sustainability that is currently stuck in the chain.”

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

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