Lee has its own code of conduct with social and environmental conditions that they impose on all the manufacturers they work with. This code of conduct is based on the European Union’s Global Compliance Principles. When a manufacturer does not follow these conditions, Lee terminates the partnership.
Lee has several production sites around the world. Their collection is produced in China, Japan, Myanmar, Pakistan and Vietnam, among others. Because these manufacturers are located outside Europe, it is difficult to verify if production takes place in ethical conditions.
Lee works with the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI). This is an organisation that monitors and certifies growing cotton with fewer chemicals. In addition, BCI also checks farmers’ working conditions. However, the BCI is less established than other certifications like for example GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard). You can read more about certificates for cotton here.