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FARM Rio is a clothing and lifestyle brand best known for vibrant prints inspired by the culture, plants, and wildlife of its native Brazil. But how ethical is FARM Rio, really? Our analysts delved into the brand’s publicly available information and rated it “It’s a Start”. Scroll on to find out why, plus the things FARM Rio can do to be better for people, the planet, and animals.
This article is based on the FARM Rio rating published in July 2024 and may not reflect claims the brand has made since then. Our ratings analysts are constantly rerating the thousands of brands you can check on our directory.
FARM Rio is moving in the right direction
FARM Rio might seem like a relatively new brand to customers in the US, Europe, and Australia, but it has been a mainstay in Brazil since it was founded by Kátia Barros and Marcelo Bastos in 1997.
Beginning in a small market in Rio de Janeiro, the brand grew to open more than 100 stores across the country before going international in 2019. Since then, it has made an impact on the fashion industry thanks to its recognisable prints and colourful in-store shopping experiences that capture the essence of the brand.
And while FARM Rio has affirmed its commitment to sustainability, producing an annual report and dedicating a large portion of its website to the topic, the brand also says it makes “over 700 exclusive prints in more than 4,500 styles each year,” which is an awful lot of clothes to put out into the world on an annual basis. This contrast epitomises FARM Rio’s sustainability efforts: the brand has made progress in some areas but falls short in others, and that’s why we rate it “It’s a Start”. Read on to find out why.
Environmental impact
FARM Rio may be inspired by nature, but does that translate to a responsible approach to the environment? The brand rates “It’s a Start” in this area because it is taking some steps to reduce its impact. It uses some lower-impact materials, for instance, and states that in 2023, it used “24% of responsible fabrics in the Resort [collection], 17% in Spring/Summer, 17% in High Summer, and 5% in Fall/Winter.”
FARM Rio has partnered with One Tree Planted, Instituto Curicaca, Instituto Homem Pantaneiro, and Iniciativa Verde on tree planting and reforestation initiatives in Brazil since 2019. And it has a CDP Grade C, which means that it is showing awareness of the key climate change issues but isn’t yet measuring and disclosing enough of the actions it is taking to reduce its impact.
But there’s no evidence that FARM Rio is meaningfully addressing issues like overproduction, textile waste, and non-textile waste, nor does it disclose whether it’s working to reduce or eliminate hazardous chemicals from its supply chain.
Labour rights
“Dress in happiness” is FARM Rio’s motto, but are the workers in its supply chain feeling that way, too? Questionable, because while the brand does audit its suppliers and traces most of its supply chain, there’s no evidence that it pays a living wage, that it has a modern slavery prevention plan, or that it supports diversity and inclusion in its supply chain.
What’s more, FARM Rio’s code of conduct applies only to its direct suppliers, ie the final stage of production, and is only published in English—not in the language of the country where its products are made.
As a result of all this, FARM Rio rates “Not Good Enough” for its impact on people.
Animal welfare
FARM Rio rates “It’s a Start’ for its animal welfare efforts. It doesn’t appear to use exotic animal hair, fur, down, or angora, but it does use leather and wool. And it is yet to implement an animal welfare policy, which is crucial for any brand that uses animal-derived materials in its products.
Overall rating: ‘It’s a Start’
Based on the publicly available information in July 2024, we gave FARM Rio our middling rating of “It’s a Start”. That means there are signs of progress, and the brand has taken some positive steps to reduce its impact.
In 2023, co-founder Kátia Garros told Sheerluxe that: “We try to keep moving forward to be a better company for the people and the planet,” and made note of its tree-planting initiative, a commitment to reducing its carbon emissions, and using more responsible materials.
But there is plenty of room for FARM Rio to improve, and here’s how: It could start by ensuring living wages are paid to everyone in its supply chain, and by implementing an initiative to reduce or eliminate hazardous chemicals in the supply chain. This is particularly important for tanning processes in the making of its leather shoes. FARM Rio could also commit to preventing deforestation in its supply chain since it uses a high proportion of forest-derived materials—that might involve partnering with an organisation like Canopy.
Note that Good On You ratings consider hundreds of issues, and it is not possible to list every relevant issue in a summary of the brand’s performance. For more information, see our How We Rate page and our FAQs.
Alternatives to FARM Rio
FARM Rio’s “It’s a Start” rating means it’s on the right track, but still has a way to go. If you’re a fan of the brand, consider investing second-hand FARM Rio instead of new, and why not call on it to do better in an email or DM?
But if you’d rather support brands that are already rated highly, scroll on to find some “Good” and “Great” alternatives to FARM Rio’s bright colours and bold patterns.
