The Journey of a T-shirt
Before a T-shirt reaches a store in Canada, it may travel around the world. The cotton might be grown in one country, spun into thread in a second, and sewn into a shirt in a third, where wages are lower. Finally, the shirt is shipped across the ocean to be sold.
This worldwide web of trade is part of globalization. It can make clothes cheaper for shoppers and create jobs in many countries. But it can also have costs: some factory workers are paid very little or work in unsafe conditions, and shipping goods long distances adds pollution.
Some shoppers look for fair-trade labels or buy second-hand clothes. Some governments and companies set rules for safer factories. People disagree about the best balance between low prices, fair wages and the environment.