Levi Strauss & Co. — Ethics Grade B

Levi Strauss & Co. receives an overall ethics grade of B (68/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Fashion & Apparel. Market cap: Mid Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 60
• privacy: 90
• consumer: 85
• environment: 75
• humanRights: 55

Documented incidents (3)

• Unpaid Wages in Supply Chain (high, 2022) — Reports indicated that workers in garment factories in Southeast Asia supplying Levi's were denied legally mandated severance and back pay following pandemic-related closures. Advocacy groups called on the brand to ensure factory owners compensated thousands of workers.
• Hazardous Chemical Discharge (medium, 2021) — Investigations into textile manufacturing hubs linked the company's supply chain to water pollution involving hazardous chemicals and heavy metals in river systems. While the company has zero-discharge goals, audits found persistent violations at the tier-2 level.
• Forced Labor Allegations (high, 2020) — The company was named in reports identifying global brands sourcing from regions associated with state-sponsored forced labor of ethnic minorities. Levi's stated they do not source cloth from the specific region but could not initially clear the entire raw cotton supply chain.

Documented good deeds

• Water<Less Technology — The company has open-sourced its Water<Less manufacturing techniques, which reduce water usage in denim finishing by up to 96%.

Ethical alternatives

• Patagonia — High transparency in supply chain and profits dedicated to environmental causes.